Dr. David Faxon answers the question: 'Blood Thinners Used After Angioplasty?'
What Kinds Of Blood Thinners Do I Have To Take After An Angioplasty (With Our Without A Stent Procedure)?
David Faxon, M.D., Professor of Medicine, Director of Strategic Planning for the Department of Medicine Brigham and Women's Hospital; Chief of Cardiology, Boston VA Health Care System
Question: What kinds of blood thinners do I have to take after an angioplasty (with our without a stent procedure)?
Answer: Most procedures today involve putting a stent, which is a wire mesh that gets pushed up against the wall of the artery. It takes a period of time for that wire mesh to heal, for the skin as it were, the lining of the blood vessel, to grow over the top of that wire mesh.
During the time of that healing process, there is a chance that blood clots could form on that stent. And therefore we treat patients with aspirin, which is a blood thinner, and with a combination of another blood thinner called clopidogrel or Plavix. And those two drugs together work synergistically to prevent blood clots from forming.
Next: How Is Bypass Surgery Done And How Long Does It Take?
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