A stent is a synthetic, wire mesh tube that props open an artery during angioplasty, the surgical procedure that widens blocked or narrowed blood vessels. Stents work by locking into place and providing a sort of scaffolding around where an artery’s tissues will grow, thereby widening the passageway and improving blood flow. Newer models of heart stents, known as drug-eluting stents (DES), typically release medication, as opposed to older models that were known as bare-metal stents.
Brand names of DES heart stents approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) include:
- Cypher, by Johnson & Johnson
- Endearvour, Medtronic
- Taxus, by Boston Scientific
- Xience V, by Guidant Corporation
Stent Complications
Drug-eluting heart stents have been found to cause some serious, potentially fatal complications, including:
- blood clots
- deep vein thrombosis
- heart attack
- pulmonary embolism
- stroke
- death
To reduce the risk of developing such severe stent side effects, it’s vital that patients:
- Discuss their complete medical history with their doctor before receiving this implant
- Get regular checkups following heart stent implantation to monitor their health
- Are fully aware of the types and symptoms of heart stent complications
- Seek emergency medical attention, should they start to develop symptoms of serious stent injuries
Symptoms of severe stent complications may include:
- anxiety
- breathing difficulties
- chest pain
- difficulty walking, talking and/or seeing
- lightheadedness
- loss of consciousness
- nausea and/or vomiting
- paralysis on one side of the body
- sudden, severe headache
- sweating
- death
Researchers estimate that, since the introduction of heart stents, as many as 2,000 patients have died each year due to stent complications.
Compensation for Stent Complications
If you or a loved one has been seriously injured after receiving a heart stent implantation (or if a loved one has died from stent complications), you will most likely have a legal claim and be entitled to a settlement. At Gacovino, Lake & Associates, our highly skilled defective products attorneys welcome you to come in for a free initial consultation to learn more about your legal rights. We will examine the details of your potential case to determine how we can help you.
For more than a decade, we have been aggressively representing the rights of those who have suffered a variety of personal injuries, including those resulting from medical devices. By putting our clients’ needs first and staying abreast of the latest changes to tort law, we have consistently been successful at helping our clients recover the full amount of compensation they are entitled to.
For information about your specific case, please contact us today. We will respond quickly to your inquiries and will fight aggressively to ensure your rights are protected.
