A small wire mesh called a ‘stent’ has altered the face of heart care to aid save lives of millions patients with heart troubles.

A stent opens blocked arteries, letting the blood to flow in a free manner. In order to stop a new blockage from happening, physicians wish to make use of stents coated with medications rather than the stents without the coating.

But a latest report indicates that not all patients should take the medicated stents, not just for price reason, but because it could be unsafe for a few.

Bare metal stents, when introduced in a few patients, sometimes caused restenosis. Drug eluting or medicated stents swept over this danger with the help of the drug coating that kept the surface of the stent spotless, letting the blood to run freely.

But a research led by the University of Basel in Switzerland known as ‘Basket-LATE' has revealed that medicated stents come with a caution. In some patients, while the numbers are small, it can give rise to thrombosis or clotting leading to death.

There is however a forward-thinking. Lifelong continuance of blood thinning medication can lessen this threat significantly. In the United Stated, patients are advised to stop the drugs after twelve months since they raise the bleeding risk. In India, however, the treatment is continued permanently, bringing down the thrombosis threat.

Dr Ashok Seth, Cardiologist, Max Healthcare said, “The benefits of the medicated stents are profound. Repeated evaluations have shown that medicated stents are safe and effective. That rare situation of a clot developing that would not happen with the other stent makes us believe that we should not discard the old stent.”

“While using these medicated stents we should be judicious and understand their benefits. We should know which patients it would benefit the most. The drugs have to be taken on a regular basis. These are beneficial stents but they have certain rules and regulations attached to them,” Dr. Ashok added.

At last, when you settle for a stent, either for a family member or yourself, remember to discuss with your medical doctor what suits your requirements. Simply getting the costliest one may not be the best alternative.