My Neurosurgeon here, Dr. William Sanders (God Send!) received the pipeline stent and a list of it's components, and sent me to an Allergist, who left pricks of each metal in my back for 2 days with my back taped up like a mummy. When he took it off I had red oozing boils from 4 out of the metals, with the stent leaving the worst one. It still feels like bees stinging me in my back, because he said he has to look at it some more again today before I can get treatment for the reaction. The boils are oozing on my back, (which stuck to and ruined my beautiful chiffon mother's day dress at church Sunday)...and he doesn't want me to wash or take anything until he sees it. I'm fortunate to have found out before having the surgery. Thank God for my neurosurgeon Dr. William Sanders at Henry Ford Med. Ctr-Detroit, who insisted on the Allergy Testing first...because Dr Lopes in Chicago wanted me to come without being tested to have the surgery in Chicago. Dr Lopes felt there was no need for the allergy tests. Here's helpful info on hypersensitivity to stents for people with history of dermatitis (me); the method of allergy testing can be found on page 18.
http://www.lerner.ccf.org/pathobio/aronica/documents/HonariContactDerm2008.pdf