Angioplasty and stents RESULTS

Having it done on Tuesday and was wondering if anyone has had that done? What to expect afterward. I don't know for sure about the stents but Doctor say it's probable. To be honest at the age of 74 and reasonably healthy it still does worry me some.

Well no stents. But quadruple maybe quintuple bypass next week and a carotid artery reaming some time after that. Oh well I should have taken better care of myself.

Modern medicine is wonderful. It is almost an outpatient procedure nowadays. If you re in good heath otherwise, your chances of recovery are excellent.

X2! Good luck Stumpy!

Stents have been around for a long time and it's a fairly common procedure. I'm 66 and have had them since my heart attack in 2004. I don't know they're in there and my numbers are good.

A couple of guys I know have had stints put in with no problems. I would expect the same for you.

Good luck Stumpy.

my wife has several stents, and they work great. you never know they are in there.
good luck stumpy ! you have no need to worry.

Thanks guys that really helps.

My buddy has about 9 or 10 in him now. His doctor was the first to put them in the neck arteries in the USA. You will feel better when it's done. Good Luck and hope for a speedy recovery.

Good luck Stumpy

They are great until they aren't. Family member had one inserted. It collapsed about 20 minutes before discharge from hospital. They threw someone else off the table already in procedure to correct the issue in an emergency situation. Killed the lower third of heart muscle. Had the stent collapsed 20 minutes later, the outcome would have been fatal.

They can collapse and fail, it's not common, does happen.

Good luck with the procedure and hope the outcome is successful.

Really Dude? Do you think that is the message Stumpy needs right now?

Never heard of this happening, and my daughter who works in the operating room tells me the procedure is very well defined and safe. I don't disbelieve you, but this is probably not a great time to share this story.

Stumpy, don't worry buddy...It's a very common procedure now but the worriment before is understandable...My uncle is 74 and just had a heart valve replacement much like a stent...Took it in through the groin and expanded it right in place...In and out in 2 days !!! Medicine has come a long way and most don't keep up with the latest tech around these procedures,the stent is an easy one to accomplish...The people I know that had it done saw an immediate improvement and wished it was done earlier but it sneaks up on you over the years and most figure it's just the way things are with getting old...You'll be fine ...Good Luck !!

I have had several done over the last 15 or so years and they have become so routine that it's less complicated that a root canal. No Kidding. The last few were done at O dark thirty (before 6:00 AM) and I was home by 4 PM.
Previously they would go in through the groin which made things a little uncomfortable for a few days but no big deal. Now they typically go through the wrist and it's like I said, less traumatic than a root canal.
Not a big deal, don't sweat it a bit

Plan to get sent home roughly 6 hours after the procedure. Sometimes depends on the access site (groin vs. wrist) and any potential complications which are rare. Really not a "big" procedure at all, just follow the discharge procedures and you will be fine. Good luck.

Had stent put in 01/28 of this year, had no idea I had a problem till the stress test my pulmonologist sent me for as part of my 9/11 screening...I feel no difference from before as to after, but cardiologist said I would’ve found out in 6 months...feel fine...but now facing a hip replacement on the 14th ugh...have to stop the stent med a week before, I’m nervous about that but I’ve been cleared...I need the hip done...I’m 57 and thought I was in reasonably good shape...but Ive been through mill more than once...doc tried to go through the wrist and that didn’t work, went through groin...I was awake the whole time watching and feeling the probe, pretty cool I will say...was out the same day...haven’t slowed down heart wise, hip is another story altogether...you’ll be good👍

I opted for the wrist rather than the groin.

I guess the "it's not common", "good luck" and "hope the outcome is successful" went over your head. There are risks with any procedure and my family member happened to be one that got the short end of the stick. If you are offended by reality, OK.

Hope it goes well Stumpy...

I have had 3 in the last 10 years. Treat it like a surgery. Do exactly what the doctors tell you. If possible they can go in through your wrist. Less recovery time. If you have high BP they may keep you overnight. Took me 2 weeks to recover from the first one. The second and third one was a little better. Ask them for a sedative before the procedure. Takes the edge off. If he finds more than one blockage he may do the first one and the other later. Reason is the dye is hard on the kidneys. Hang in there.

Well no stents. But quadruple maybe quintuple bypass next week and a carotid artery reaming some time after that. Oh well I should have taken better care of myself.

And I say again...Good luck Stumpy..

All the best to you Stumpy - I'm sure they will be very successful with you.

Good luck, hoping for the best.
As for reaming...well, I'll leave that right there...

My biggest complaint is that I won't be able to do much of anything for 9 months to a year. They split the breast bone and it takes that long for it to heal. That's going to drive me crazy.

Sorry to hear they need to cut on you Stumpy. Will be thinking of you. Keep us posted.

Dang - good luck! Hoping for the best

Good luck Stumpy, wishing you the best outcome. Don't worry, they'll fix you up.

Don't believe that. I had a triple bypass back in 2017 and it took closer to a year an a half before my sternum was fully healed up and by then I had no upper body strength. But I was under the impression that a stent could be inserted via the same path they do for the cath procedure? That is a whole lot less invasive.

Once the cardiologist was inside I was given three options while they were performing the first angioplasty. First, continue the procedure with follow on medications, stop the the procedure and schedule for bypass the next day or treat with medications only. Because the blockage was 90% the cardiologist recommend to take car of that first. Once he was finished he told me that he felt confident that we could avoid bypass by me taking meds. A year later I had chest pains again. They went in and placed another stent. Two years ago they put another stent into the original artery where first one was place. Cardiovascular disease is an ongoing disease with really no cure, just intervention. I told my cardiologist to put a zipper in my groin and my chest.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stent

the service writer where i work had a emergency quadruple bypass last fall. he was back at work full time 4 months later.

i wish you the best. hope everything works out for you.

I hope it won't be that long either but the Doctors always like to go for the worst case scenario.

I wish you the best of health Stumpy!

There is a difference between going back to work and being fully recovered. With your sternum cracked open you can be back to work, I was in under three months, but not fully recovered for a long time afterwards. A service writer probably doesn't have to pick anything heavy up in the course of his work. I had to carefully plan any heavy work and called in for help more than once, which I don't have to do now. I guarantee after 4 months Stumpy won't be bench pressing an A833 into place. Heck I don't anymore and it's been over three years.

Stumpy is getting a ThermoQuad!

Hope the procedure goes well and you recover quickly.

YES there is a BIG difference between going back to work and fully recovered.
and it's probably a safe bet he won't be bench pressing a heavy trans in place longer than 9 months. depending on his age and fitness level it may not be able to do that ever again.
he initially posted my experience because he was told he won't be doing ANYTHING for 9 months and that is incorrect .he will be surprised how fast you can return back to a semi normal life after this type of major operation compared to years past.

as before, i hope everything goes well and as planed stumpy.

well stumpy, it looks like the old saying : "there's no such thing as a 15 minute job".
a little more complicated for sure.
my old man had a quad bypass when he was in his early 70's, and a carotid artery clean out around 80. it kicked him sure, but he had an "i don't give a sh!t" attitude, and that helped him tremendously.
here's hoping the best for ya buddy ! you will do good !

Best of luck. Any cardio work is serious stuff. My first stent was recently placed in the Widowmaker (Left Anterior Descending artery). Doc said it was 99% blocked, typically fatal. Fairly fit, do a lot of swimming and stationary biking. Doc said this activity strengthened heart muscle and likely saved my life. He also said...past 50, no such thing as chest discomfort, irritation, ache, soreness, et al., treat all as chest PAIN.

I wish you the best of luck, from a former Texan.

Agreed, everyone "heals" differently on their own bodies time schedule, I remember after my heart surgery I was told at least 6 months before I would be allowed to return to any kind of work, not even allowed "light duty"... but being bull headed, old school and not being able to afford the down time, plus taught that a body in motion stays in motion, I forged my own Dr's note to return to work after spending 2+weeks in the hospital, that was enough relaxation for me...lol! I would have loved 6 months off, but that wasn't in the cards for me.... but it does take several months or more for your chest to heal depending on the procedure(s)

Stump, you'll be fine, at your age (75 IIRC) enjoy the down time, good luck and don't worry you'll be yourself in no time


Mike

I had been opened up for heart surgery and it took me about 8 months to feel better. I will make no bones about it. It was a rough trip for me. I also suffered from some other side effects from the surgery. I still get a little pain on occasion. After the surgery I was suffering from muscular pain in my left shoulder area and chest so bad I could hardly lift my arm. Therapy made me worse. I just had to take it easy and not lift anything until it got better on its own. Yea depending on others to do the lifting etc sucks. I am not use to someone doing things for me that I was able to do for myself. I wish you well in your recovery as most people seem to recover quite well. I will say I am still happy to be here alive and kicking.

It's surprising by this time there isn't some sort of "keyhole" surgery to do these bypasses. Good luck, Stumpy.

It is never a bad idea to get a
“Second Opinion”,
especially at a place like
the Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, Barnes-Jewish in St Louis, etc.

Nearly all insurance will pay for a second opinion.

If your first doctor takes any offense at delaying to get a second opinion,
that is a very strong warning to change doctors.

No itty bitty thremoQuad for me. Thusrday the Doc is installing a 6 pack.

Doc??? Doc Fiberglass doing your surgery.

DoC ? GET THAT sEcOnD OpIoNiOn NoW !!!!!!

Nah, I thought about that but he couldn't make a 6 pack scoop that would fit under my shirt. Decided to go with a heart surgeon instead.

Good luck on the surgery Stumpy.

Any word from Stumpy?

When I had mine I was in the hospital 5 days and I only got out on the fifth day because I told the doctor is I stayed another night I was going to strangle the next person that woke my up in the middle of the night. Every two hours they had to wake me for something. Guess I was feeling better if I was contemplating mayhem, so they said if I could walk 15 laps of the floor they'd let me go, I practically ran them.

I think I was in for 6-7 days IIRC. Even then I wasn`t thinking (or was able to) about contacting anyone on the internet at the time. I ended up going back in after a couple weeks but that is a another story.

My triple bypass went sideways and I was in ICU in an induced coma for 4.5 weeks. Another 5 days in a specialty hospital that they initially thought I wouldn't leave. 3 more weeks of inpatient rehab and about 18 months for a full recovery. I tell everyone the devil threw me out of hell after a couple of weeks, then purgatory for a few more, and even God threw me out of heaven. Hoe to hear Stumpy's OK SOON