BOTH Plavix and aspirin for at least 12 months after getting a drug-eluting coronary stent
February 2007
Experts now urge patients to take BOTH Plavix and aspirin for at least 12 months after getting a drug-eluting coronary stent.
Current guidelines recommend the combo for at least one month for a bare-metal stent...and at least 3 to 6 months for a drug-eluting stent. But the risk of thrombosis can persist much longer with a drug-eluting stent.
Bare-metal stents are quickly covered with endothelial cells. This reduces the risk of thrombosis...but overgrowth can clog the stent.
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