Diabetic Information: Angioplasty & Diabetics
May 16, 2001
Angioplasty is often performed on patients as an alternative to bypass surgery, but new research shows that this procedure is not a good choice for all patients. This is especially true for diabetics. In fact, many diabetics who have angioplasty experience a high occurrence of clogging after the procedure, thus increasing the chances of death. Doctors suggest that diabetics only undergo angioplasty if the surgeon inserts a wire scaffold or stent to keep the vessel open.
Doctors are not sure why diabetics are more at a risk than other patients. In an effort to find out, researchers followed 500 diabetic patients who had undergone the balloon angioplasty procedure. They discovered that there was reblocking in many of those patients and that there was an increased possibility of death associated with the reblocking.
What does this mean for diabetics who want or need to have angioplasty? Some doctors suggest that diabetics only have the surgery performed if a stent or wire scaffold is used in conjunction with antiplatelet drugs. These drugs may aid the patients in fighting the risks associated with the procedure.
-- Article Courtesy of InjuryBoard.com
More ...
.