Plavix and Oral Surgery

Bill,

Most people are not on plavix that long post stenting--the best trial for Plavix looked at at least 3 months, but up to a year was beneficial. One of the fears with these new drug eluting stents is that they may slow the "endothelialization" of the stents -- which is the process where the body grows tissue over the stent. Without this endothelialization, there is increased risk of stent thrombosis--the stent acutely clotting off, and causing a heart attack. However, I doubt after 2 years that your stents have not endothelialized, so you could probably go off plavix for 5 days safely--and then talk to your cardiologist on why he has continued you on plavix.