UPMC looks at 400 heart stent cases
PITTSBURGH — The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center is reviewing about 400 cardiac stent procedures from last year to determine if they were appropriate.
The internal review involves about 80 cardiologists at four UPMC hospitals — Presbyterian, Shadyside, Mercy and Passavant — and will be completed in two to four weeks.
UPMC doctors said they decided to look at the system’s cardiac stent cases after a high-profile incident at a Maryland hospital in which doctors are accused of placing stents in patients who didn’t need them.
Doctors told the paper their review wasn’t prompted by any specific problems, but caution.
