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Repeat Angioplasty Procedures
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Current Postings on This Page (40): • My mom had a heart attack in 1999 and underwent angioplasty to clear the artery blockages. Since then she has been under medication. But for the past 3 months she has gained lot of weight, and gets very tired when she walks. she went in for angiography yesterday and the doctor found tissue build up on the stent they had put in 1999 and one artery blocked 90%. So the doctor has once again done procedure called angioseal. Is there any way to prevent build of tissue or blockage of arteries? And is getting angio seal safe? Thank you all for the responses, I am in great need to know about this.
• My dad had undergone bypass in 1996. Two years back he started suffering again and our cardiologist advised us to do angioplasty. We had top put two stents to remove the blockages in his Left main artery. Within 3 months there was restenosis and we had to do balloon angioplasty to remove the blockage. After 8 months he again had to undergo angioplasty and we had to put 2 more stents . After 3 months there was again restenosis and we had to operate again and had to put a 4mm stent. After 3 months he again had a restenosis and we have now again completed another balloon angioplasty. Our cardio says that he may be resistant to clopidogrel and that may be a reason for the restenosis. Can anyone please help me out and advise how can I avoid another plasty or any other option available. My father's age is 67. • My mom is having her third angioplasty in 11 months. Why so many and what are the alternatives? Does anyone know? • MLR from Saudi Arabia -- Angioplasty or stents,
or even bypass surgery, are not "cures" for coronary artery disease
(CAD). They are a way of relieving symptoms and managing the disease, which
they have done in your case -- but the disease is a chronic one and can
be challenging to keep in check. Combined with
lifestyle changes (smoking cessation, diet, exercise) and modern medications,
CAD can be slowed down or stopped. This is somewhat more difficult for
diabetic patients,
but work with your cardiologist to help prevent progression of the disease. • in oct 2009 i had heart attack and dr found
blockage on my left artery and fixed stent gone thru angioplasty since
that day i am taking all medication for high chol. and Plavix. unfortunately
since last month i was having pain on my chest while walking after test
found another block right artery and opened with stent. What precaution
i should take care I am diabetic, TG high Chol. high Please advise. • Ramba from Nepal -- relapse or, more specifically,
restenosis or reblocking can be due to many factors, location of blockage
(which artery, where), diameter of vessel, length of the stent, and the
natural progression of disease, etc. It is important to reduce
any risk factors
under
the control
of
the
individual:
taking
the prescribed medications, eating a heart-healthy diet, exercise, weight
reduction, if necessary, definitely(!!) stopping smoking. As for alcohol
consumption, there are conflicting studies on this -- most seeming to say
a moderate use of alcohol "may be" beneficial, but this of course depends
totally on the individual and any other clinical issues he/she might have.
120ml (or 3 whiskey "shots") regularly seems more than "moderate" --
but that also depends on what you mean by "regularly". Alcohol
may also interact with some of the meds you are taking. If you feel "not
sound" we would suggest cutting the whiskey back for a week or so
and
seeing how you feel. • i did my two angioplasty within nine months time.
what are the relapse factors? i take 120 ml whiskey regularly. is alcohol
bad? i feel not sound. • Lynn -- 13 stents are a lot, although it depends
on the stent lengths and how many of these 13 were used to reopen a stent
that had reblocked (in-stent restenosis). One of the questions is determining
when bypass surgery may be a better option -- and to make sure that the
stents don't interfere with the cardiac surgeon's ability to do a bypass.
Restenosis is a blockage that recurs at the same site of a previous blockage.
But
new blockages are symptoms of disease progression, which is why it is
very important to adhere to lifestyle changes (stop smoking, better diet,
exercise)
and prescribed medications, especially statins to lower cholesterol. • I am not sure what topic this would fall. I have
recently had my 13th stent. I keep having a problem with restenosis.
I am just curious what is your opinion of these repeat procedures? I am
getting
afraid of hitting a wall as to what can be done if you have too many?
Thank for info. • Rimmi - the important piece of information is
what is causing the angina? Perhaps one of the stents has reclosed, or
it's a new area. There are several non-invasive tests that might help
diagnose this before commiting to an angiogram, possible angioplasty. This
should
be discussed with his cardiologist who can better judge your father's
current state of health. To answer your question, many patients on these
Forums have had multiple angioplasties (more than 3 for sure). • My father 78 had bypass in 1987, first angiplasty
in 1997, another angioplasty (4 stents) in 2005. Now he is having angina
again. Can he go in for third angioplasty?
He
weighs 55kg. • elenD -- the risks of a second procedure are pretty
much the same as for the first. You should discuss your concerns with his
cardiologist and ask these questions, because the doctor has your father's
records and is a better judge of risk than anyone. It sounds like your
father "restenosed" -- the blockage returned. You should ask
if he/she is planning on putting in a stent and, if so, whether a bare-metal
or drug-eluting type. • my father had a bypass 15 years ago. this december
2006 had his first angioplasty and had ~100% blockage (circumflex) to one
artery that the doctor didn't not put stent. now after the thallium treatment
we discover that the results of the first angioplasty were not good and
my father will enter again in for a second angioplasty. My father is 77
years old. how dangerous is the second operation. he has following a healthy
diet years now and his blood, his pressure, his weight and other results
are good. BUT he use to be very anxious... • M. Tiwari et al -- certainly, one of the top questions
after having a successful angioplasty is what is the next step? Assuming,
all has gone well and the access site has healed, you should not have many
restrictions regarding the angioplasty itself. What has happened is that
a mechanical "fix" has been made -- that is, the artery has been
opened. But angioplasty (or bypass surgery or medications alone) do not
cure the underlying disease. What patients need most to do is to reduce
their risk factors for coronary artery disease: lower cholesterol, blood
pressure, increase exercise, lose weight (possibly) amd definitely stop
smoking. Some of these goals can be achieved by the patient; others may
require the use of medications, such as statins or BP medications. Of course,
you should ask this question of your cardiologist because every person
has their own clinical situation and level of health, so what may be right
for one person, may not be for another. Talk to your cardiologist, work
out a plan with goals and then work toward achieving them. • Having recently had angioplasty (on March
19, 2007 in Escorts New Delhi) with 3 stents: 2 in LAD and 1 in RCA.
After angioplasty I am feeling well. My lipid profile is normal and TMT
normal, BP normal, no diabetic. Please suggest me regarding what precaution
and sex. (my age 41 yrs) • Re 2002 post regarding metal allergy & stents.
Since mfgs warn against inserting metal stents into sensitive or allergic
persons, and metal causes strong itch and rash on the skin does anyone
know what nickel is doing to our insides while we're busy scratching
the outside? If nickel causes problems to skin (and lungs if inhaled)
how do we know it's safe to put into our hearts or arteries? Any scientists
out there? • i underwent angioplasty and three stents
were put in main and other two arteries on 9.5.2006. i am feeling fine,
no chest pain etc. What long term measures can be taken for future and
if reversal of artery disease is possible? • i had 2 stents put in. 7months later they
both re blocked, then i had 2 more stents put in, but they are the coated
stents. still geting pains(angina) • my sister had stent operation on friday
19th august 2005 and it was unsuccessful. is there anyone out there who
knows about this. she was told she has to go on drugs as she has 90%
blockage of the smaller artery to the heart. • Two years ago I had 3 stents put in one
artery. I also have 1 artery with a 70% blockage that is being treated
with medicine. I have lost about 20 lbs. on a low fat diet. I walk and
jog on a treadmill everyday. I feel great. My heart was not damaged by
my heart attack. • John, My name is john Griffiths, san jose,
california. I went in 4 weeks ago to have a stent inserted. but once
into the angiogram they determined that I had over 90% blockages in around
10 seperate areas. So I was put into surgery for an immediate quadruple
bipass. that has now been 3 weeks and am pretty well on the mend. I hope
you stent is still holding well. In the past few years they have developed
chemicals to eliminate the platlet build up. Best to you. John Griffiths • Dee, as stated in our disclaimer,
we don't dispense medical advice and any concerns should be discussed
with your doctor. That being said, we can act as a librarian, pointing
you to resources. There have been concerns about allergies to nickel
and other metals in coronary stents, as well as in other devices. One
stent company in Germany (Phytis)
even touts non-allergenic biocompatible stents. To our knowledge, there
haven't been any reports of significant allergic reactions to nickel
in stents, which is not to say that there haven't been any. One topic
that is discussed is whether nickel and other ions that are generated
by stainless-steel stents have a role in "in-stent restenosis" by
increasing the inflammatory response, especially in sensitive patients.
This recently was discussed as the topic of a presentation by Dr. T.
Lefevre of Massy, France at the prestigious EuroPCR meeting in Paris
in May. Hope this is of some help. We invite others to join in this discussion. • I am having angioplasty with stent next week.
I have always had a nickel allergy therefore I have never been able to
wear jewelry. My doc says the stents are made of stainless steel. I've
read that stainless steel has nickel in it. I am worried about having an
allergic reaction to the stent. My cardio/vascular doc laughs. Has this
happened? Please respond. • You mention allergy to nickel. My dentist fixed
my fillings with nickel . I have a crown with part nickel. What symptoms
would I have? Present time aching all over etc. Help me if you can! Thanks. • I have had a by-pass operation in 1993 and since
then three angioplasties. My problem seems to be hereditary high cholesterol
levels. I have now gone complete vegetarian and take 40 mg zocor per day.
I have heard about Dr Ornish's book "programme of reversal of heart disease" and
is very interested to get hold of it. Exclusive Bookstore in Durban South
Africa informed me that it is not available. Could somebody help? • John, I am an Exercise Physiologist and would
suggest you consult a qualified exercise specialist in regards to your
exercise program. It is far too brief and intense and as a result may place
you at higher risk rather than lower. You are on the right track, keep
at it. • John, just came across your post on stents. I
am a 49-year-old male who had balloon angioplasty with a stent in the LAD
artery in July of 96 (the same night as the TWA flight 800 crash). This
was done at NYU Medical Center in Manhattan. I'm going on two years and
I feel great. I was about 15 lbs. overweight and still am. I do a little
more exercise regimen then you do, but email me and we will talk. • Dean Ornish's diet doesn't have to be ascetic
either. A cookbook in which he has compiled gourmet recipes from some of
the great chefs in the San Francisco Bay Area is "Eat More, Weigh Less".
It's out in paperback and is available at your bookstore or through an
online bookstore, such as Amazon.Com,
for under $6 (US)! We use it and it has an terrific Angel Food Cake recipe,
which also give you great aerobic exercise beating the egg whites. • Hi John. Dean is the doctor, Mike (that's me)
is the patient. You can find out more about Dr. Ornish's program in his
book, "Dr. Dean Ornish's Program For Reversal Of Heart Disease Without
Drugs Or Surgery". I'd be surprised if it's not available in the U.K. Diet
is but one aspect of the program. Moderate exercise, meditation and other
stress management techniques, and group support are the others. • It is possible you have an allergy to chrome or
nickel. Stainless Steel stents set these heavy metals free. Our stent (surface
is diamond) prevents the release of chrome and nickel. • Thanks to Jorgen and Dean for answering my question.
Dean - you mention Dr. Ornish - I have heard of this in a few different
places - how can I get hold of a copy of his program? • In early October, I had angioplasty with stents
in 3 arteries, 80% blockage in one and 70% blockage in the other two. The
early results were quite good with all angina gone and stress echo looking
excellent. I just went cross-country skiing at over 7000 ft elevation with
no problems. Since I am 46, my primary concern is how to prevent progression
of the underlying coronary artery disease. I have decided that the best
bet is a very low fat vegetarian diet a la Dr. Dean Ornish. I am also incorporating
the exercise, meditation and group support facets of his program as much
as possible. My serum cholesterol went from 251 to 147 in the first two
months, aided by Lovastatin (20 mg/day). There was also a big improvement
in the LDL/HDL ratio and a reduction in triglycerides. I only wish I could
see into my coronary arteries! • Good Luck John. 70% didn't return, Just watch
yourself, I'm one of the 30%. I have since May '95 clocked up 14 trips
to cath lab, six of them balloon jobs. I'm carrying 6 stents, and I'm proably
soon due for another trip, I'm going to my cardiologist next month. Who
knows, it may take 5 or more years before you get into trouble again, so
why worry unnecessarily. posted by John Griffiths, patient, UK, January
18, 1998 |
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