Drug coated heart stents have been linked to a risk of blood clots which could develop months or even years after the stent is implanted.  With over one million drug coated stents being implanted annually, experts have estimated that over 2,000 people may die each year.

Concerns over drug coated stent dangers have led many in the medical community to rethink the widespread use of these heart stents. As a result of the manufacturers’ failure to properly disclose the risks, many individuals were given a drug coated stent without being given the opportunity to decide if the potential benefits outweigh the dangers.

Drug coated stent lawsuits were previously pursued for those who have received a Cordis Cypher Stent or Boston Scientific Taxus Express Stent and suffered a:

  • Heart Attack
  • Reclogging of the Artery
  • Death

New cases are no longer being accepted. This page is maintained for informational purposes only.

DRUG COATED STENT BLOOD CLOT STATISTICS

According to a summary of 14 different studies analyzed by the Cleveland Clinic, the drug coated stent blood clots risk is four to five times more than with bare-metal stents. 

Approximately 1 out of every 200 patients who receive a drug-coated stent will experience a blood clot between six months and four years after the stent is implanted.  Prior studies of late stent thrombosis show that these blood clots lead to a major heart attack or death approximately 70% of the time, with a fatality rate of 30% to 45%.

An individual’s risk of stent thrombosis, or blood clots, could continue for many years.  While all stents carry some risk of clotting during the days and weeks after the procedure, the drug coated stent danger has been shown to increase the risk of blood clots for over four years. 

For bare metal stents, the risk of a blood clot essentially disappears after a few months.  This reduces the need for prolonged anti-clotting medication and continued medical monitoring.

DANGERS OF DRUG COATED STENTS

Since they were introduced in 2003, drug-coated stents have grown to dominate the U.S. stent market.  Nearly 6 million individuals have received medicated stents since 2003.  These newer types of stents with a drug lining already account for 90% of the cardiac stents used in the United States.

As a result of the manufacturers’ failure to warn of the drug coated stent dangers, doctors have increasingly used the devices for conditions beyond what they were originally approved for.  It has been estimated that only 20% of the drug-eluting stents implanted last year were for patients meeting the profile approved by the FDA.

In many cases, medications or a bare metal stent may work just as well as implanting a medicated stent, and do not carry the increased risk of potentially fatal blood clots.  Experts have indicated that safer alternatives need to be considered now that the drug coated stent dangers have been revealed.

While drug coated stents have dominated the market in the United States, in other countries where health insurers have questioned the significantly higher prices, they are used much less often.

HEART STENT CLASS ACTION SUITS

Many believe that the makers of drug eluting stents placed their desire for profits above the safety of the consumers. Medicated stents generate much higher profits for the makers than the bare metal stents.  The medicated stents are sold for approximately $2,000 each, compared with under $1,000 for non-medicated stents.  In addition, there are significant financial incentives for doctors and hospitals who implant stents instead of prescribing medications for partially clogged arteries.

Drug coated stent lawsuits and class action cases were reviewed for individuals who received a cardiac stent and suffered blood clots, heart attack or death. New cases are no longer being accepted. This page is maintained for informational purposes only.