More strokes after bypass than stent procedures

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – People undergoing bypass surgery to improve blood flow to the heart are more likely to suffer a stroke afterward than those who have a stent inserted instead, according to a new look at past evidence. Researchers collected data from 19 studies that included almost 11,000 patients with blocked arteries who were randomly chosen to have bypass surgery or to get a stent, used to prop open unhealthy blood vessels. Taken together, that data showed patients in the bypass group were three times more likely to have a stroke while recovering from their heart procedure. …