Several factors determine how many cardiac stents patients can have, but studies show that more stents aren’t always better. A 2011 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association reviewed 144,000 nonemergency cardiac stents and found that only 50% were considered to be appropriate, leaving 38% as uncertain and 12% as inappropriate.
With the risks and complications that can follow cardiac stents, doctors should consider the best procedure for a patient instead of inserting unnecessary stents.