In patients with cryptogenic stroke or TIA who had a patent foramen ovale, closure with a device did not offer a greater benefit than medical therapy alone for the prevention of recurrent stroke or TIA. (Funded by NMT Medical; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00201461.).

Postponing elective noncardiac surgery for two to four weeks after coronary stenting should permit completion of the mandatory antiplatelet regimen, thereby reducing the risk of stent thrombosis and bleeding complications.

Paclitaxel-eluting stents used with conventional antiplatelet therapy effectively inhibit restenosis and neointimal hyperplasia, with a safety profile similar to that of standard stents.

The early multicenter experience suggests that this stent is a useful adjunct to coronary angioplasty to prevent or minimize complications associated with flow-limiting coronary artery dissections previously correctable only by surgery. Although this study was not randomized, it demonstrated a high technical success rate and encouraging results with respect to the low incidence of emergency coronary artery bypass graft surgery and myocardial infarction.