Medical and Dental Procedures

As a coronary stent patient, you need to take precautions when undergoing certain medical and dental procedures. Get some general guidelines below and be sure to let the doctor or dentist performing the procedure know you have a stent.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

An MRI is a diagnostic test that uses a strong electromagnetic field to produce images of the human body. MRI Safety testing has shown that Boston Scientific’s coronary stents are MR Conditional and patients with our stents can get an MRI scan safely under certain conditions listed on the Stent Implant Card.

IMPORTANT: Before getting an MRI scan, be sure to tell your doctor and the MRI technologist that you have a coronary stent so they can take all necessary safety precautions.

Your cardiologist may prescribe medications to thin your blood and prevent blood clots from forming and adhering to the surface of the stent. If surgery or dental work is recommended which would require you to stop taking these medications prematurely after you’ve received the stent, you and your doctor should carefully consider the risks and benefits of this additional surgery or dental work versus the possible risks from early discontinuation of these medications, including blood clots and heart attack.

If you do require premature discontinuation of these medications because of significant bleeding, your cardiologist will carefully monitor you for possible complications. Once your condition has stabilized, your cardiologist will probably put you back on these medications.

For more information about medications specific to your stent, please check out the patient manual for your stent model.

Notify your cardiologist or family doctor if you are scheduled to see the dentist while on antiplatelet medication after your stent procedure. Your doctor may prescribe antibiotics to avoid the potential of an infection. If your dentist recommends that you stop your prescribed medications, it’s important to review those recommendations with your doctor first.

If you need to undergo any medical or surgical procedures, be sure to tell your dentist and/or doctor that you have a pacemaker system. They can contact the physician who monitors your device to find the best way to provide treatment.