Who should not undergo procedures involving drug-coated stent placement?
Drug-coated stents may not be advised for patients who have had recent heart surgery, or women who are nursing or pregnant. Stents should not be used in patients who cannot tolerate angioplasty, or who are sensitive (allergic) to the stent materials. They should not be used in patients who cannot be placed on blood-thinning (anti-platelet) medication. The safety and effectiveness of a drug-coated stent have not been studied in patients who have a blockage in a heart bypass graft, who are actually having a heart attack, or who had previous intravascular radiation treatment.
