Dual antiplatelet therapy after stenting

More than 12 months of treatment might not be necessary.

More than one million men and women in the United States undergo artery-opening angioplasty and stent placement each year as a nonsurgical alternative to open heart surgery. Afterwards, most take the combination of clopidogrel (Plavix) and aspirin (called "dual antiplatelet therapy") to prevent platelets from sticking together and forming a blood clot inside the stent. Some people take aspirin with prasugrel (Effient) or ticagrelor (Brilinta) instead of clopidogrel.