3 more procedures article warns against
In an article highlighting risks of several surgical procedures, Consumer Reports discussed the risks of angioplasty, including death in 2% to 6% of patients, and it questioned the long-term safety of drug-coated stents. The article advised patients to consider angioplasty plus stenting only in certain conditions, such as when tests show more than 70% blockage.
The issue of when to perform angioplasty is very complicated, says Lloyd W. Klein, MD, FACC, director of Clinical Cardiology Associates at Gottlieb Memorial Hospital, Melrose Park, IL, and professor of medicine at Rush Medical College in Chicago. "There isn’t a very simple answer to this that will fit into a sound byte," he says.
Klein agreed with a source quoted in the Consumer Reports article to some extent.
"Interventional cardiologists, and cardiologists in general, are overutilizing the procedure and applying drug-eluting stents more aggressively in applying to different patients than what long-term studies allow us to conclude," he says. However, he described the article’s viewpoint that interventional procedures should never be done unless medical therapy tries and fails as being "overly conservative."
The article also said that patients may be better off without these procedures:
• Wisdom tooth extraction. The magazine says there’s little evidence to support the concern that routinely removing impacted wisdom teeth can prevent future problems. The article says the procedure causes postoperative pain and swelling, and also permanent nerve damage in about 1% of patients. Get a second opinion if the tooth isn’t causing you any difficulty, Consumer Reports suggests.
• Circumcision. While acknowledging some medical benefits from circumcision, Consumer Reports mentioned the risks and says there’s no clear justification from a medical standpoint.
In an article highlighting risks of several surgical procedures, Consumer Reports discussed the risks of angioplasty, including death in 2% to 6% of patients, and it questioned the long-term safety of drug-coated stents.You have reached your article limit for the month. Subscribe now to access this article plus other member-only content.
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