FDA taking look at cardiac stent

WASHINGTON, Nov. 14 (UPI) -- The Food and Drug Administration is examining a surgical stent after learning that a Michigan hospital stopped using the device for two weeks.

The William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak suspended use of Boston Scientific's Taxus stent after two patients were injured, the Wall Street Journal reported. Stents are used to prop open clogged arteries, and with the Taxus stents the wires used to insert them resisted removal.

The hospital has since resumed using the stent with no problems reported. Boston Scientific provided retraining for doctors in the use of the medical device.

However, cardiologists at Beaumont say they were shocked to learn Boston Scientific had told the FDA the problem had been resolved.