Cypher Stent Side Effects. Blood clotting, or thrombosis, associated with drug coated heart stents such as Johnson & Johnson’s Cypher Stent, is four to five times more likely than with regular metal stents, according to a Cleveland Clinic study released November 29, 2006.
Patients with drug-eluting stents should contact Parker & Waichman, LLP today to learn about the available legal remedies.
Call 1-800-YOURLAWYER (1-800-968-7529) for a free stent case review. Late thrombosis associated with stents following angioplasty can lead to heart attacks, stroke and death. The Cypher stent was approved by the FDA in April 2003 and emits the drug Sirolimus, which is intended to solve the restenosis (reclosure) problem by inhibiting the overgrowth of the endothelial cells in the blood vessels. Some health care professionals believe that Sirolimus inhibits the creation of a protective coating that grows in the vessel around the stent to protect against clots.
Earlier Stent Warnings
The FDA approved the Cypher Stent in April 2003 for angioplasty procedures to open clogged coronary arteries. In most cases, a stent is left permanently in the artery to keep the vessel open after angioplasty. The Cypher stent is designed to slowly release a drug which helps to reduce the rate of re-blockage that occurs. The FDA warned that Johnson & Johnson’s newest heart device, the drug coated Cypher Stent, has been linked to hundreds of cases of blood clots and said the device has been linked to more than 60 deaths. This warning was the second warning sent to doctors since the launch of the Cypher stent in April 2003. The FDA said that Johnson & Johnson’s drug-coated stent, a tiny wire mesh device used to prop open surgically cleared arteries and deliver medicine to keep them open, resulted in more than 290 cases of blood clots among patients 30 days after receiving the device. The FDA also said that the Cypher stent was associated with other serious injuries that required medical or surgical intervention, including more than 50 reports, including some deaths, that J&J considers to be possible hypersensitivity allergic reactions. The symptoms include pain, rash, respiratory alterations, hives, itching, fever and blood pressure changes.
Angioplasty
Each year, 800,000 angioplasty procedures are performed in the United States to open clogged coronary arteries. In approximately 15%-30% of patients, the artery becomes clogged again (a condition called restenosis) within a year, and it must be treated again with a procedure such as angioplasty or bypass surgery.
Legal Help For Victims Affected By Johnson Johnson Cypher Stent
If you or a loved one suffered injuries from a Johnson & Johnson Cypher stent, please fill out the form at the right for a free case evaluation by a qualified defective medical device attorney. To speak with someone immediately, call 1-800-YOURLAWYER (1-800-968-7529).
