Cardiac stents can be life-saving devices when used judiciously. However, evidence is mounting that this lucrative procedure is being overused by physicians, both in Ohio and nationally. When complications arise out of use of an unnecessary stent procedure, and harm results, a potential claim for medical malpractice may exist under Ohio law.
The New York Times reported in 2006 that the use of stents in Elyria, Ohio was almost four times higher than among similar patient populations nationally. More recently, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) reported that use of drug-eluting stents has been somewhat indiscriminate. Drug-eluting stents carry a higher risk of a bleeding complication than bare metal stent