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Current Postings on This Page (8):
• Liz from Oman -- will the doctor being going in
from the leg/groin (femoral) or wrist (radial)? Angiograms are
safe procedures, although there is always a risk with any medical procedure.
Complication
rate
for femoral is 3-4% -- half that for radial. Also, the doctor may wish
to treat the blockages with angioplasty and stents as an extended part
of the diagnostic angiogram (it only adds a little time onto the procedure)
-- so you're not surprised, you should discuss this with the cardiologist
-- what the implications are, what medications will be needed, etc. Good
luck and let us know how things turned out.
Forum Editor, Angioplasty.Org, August 18, 2010
• My mother is 69 years. And has 4-5 blocks Doctor says. And has become
weak just had a pressure problem to 210 now normal but she feels weak can we
go in for an angiography as doctor suggested. Hope it's not risky.
Liz, Oman, August 17, 2010
• Steve, I'm glad everything has gone so well for you so but now, in retrospect,
you might want to check these links to see if you were given all the information
a patient in your situation should really need to know before undergoing an invasive
angiogram. Please let us know. http://www.ptca.org/news/2007/0904_CONTRAST.html
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2006-12/sfca-sir121006.php http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/070326120919.htm
Gerald O, Illinois, USA, October 4, 2007
• Steve - I had 14 angiograms and made it through
each one (obviously). I have 16 Stents, (inserted in my coronary arteries
in four years) the last one was inserted on the 13th of Sept. 2007. I had
a few well wishers there say
to me -"Well, we hope this will be the last one you will ever need" - I replied "Oh
Hell no, the only way that can happen is if I die". See, Stents are not a cure
- they just let you live long enough to have the need for another one (if you're
lucky . . .I think). My first Angiogram was negative - 7 short years later BAM!
So stay smoke free, lose the weight, exercise and eat healthy! It's a better
way to go through life - trust me! Peace . . .
RayZ, San Marcos, California, USA, October 3, 2007
• I had the angiogram on monday and was back home
in the afternoon. The person doing it could not find any blockages
and said i was fine. Keep off the smokes, heat more healthy and lose 25
lbs. I wasn't sure if i was relieved or suspicious of not finding anything.
Honestly I had built up a whole scenario of me been sent off for bypass
surgery and worse. I'm a bit sore and taking the rest of the week off
work.
I want to thank the folks in the cardio dept of ST Rose Dominican Siena
in Henderson NV. They put my mind at rest and looked after me real
well
throughout the day. Thank you as well for your kind responses.
Steve, Nevada, USA, October 3, 2007
• Hi Steve, This note comes to you from the beautiful
island of Barbados in the Caribbean, I had a heart attack 1 Feb 2002, like
you failed a stress test
and had angiogram done...which reveal 60% blockage in the RDA, was placed on
meds, but had pain in the chest again on March 2003, had another angiogram..found
90% blockage on the same RDA...was send over to the States, Holmes Regional
Medical Center, Melbourne, Florida. Had another angio done and stent placed.
This is
going now four year and some months..(knock on wood) and no major problems
as yet. So just keep your chin up and do what your doctors suggest...ask
your doctors
loads of questions, read information relating to heart disease, and most of
all keep on your meds..and never never smoke again..so all the best, and
I hope I
was of some comfort Regards Hal
hal, Barbados, October 3, 2007
• Steve, Understand your anxiety. This procedure
is relatively routine these days. I have had two (2) done with the last
one resulting in the insertion
of 2 "drug-emitting" stents done on August 10 of this year. After the procedure
I wondered why I was so concerned. I chalked it up to fear of the unknown.
D., Washington DC, USA, October 2, 2007
• Steve -- an angiogram or catheterization or "cath" is
the gold standard for determining what the actual status of the coronary
arteries is. It's a common procedure. Sometimes stress tests are positive,
but a cath turns out to show little disease. However, sometimes a definite
obstructive
blockage
is found (also called a lesion or stenosis). Our suggestion is to discuss
your options with your
cardiologist before the cath, so you are clear what might occur.
Is his/her plan to open up any significant blockage found with a balloon/stent
during the cath or will this just be a diagnostic cath procedure? If an
interventional is performed, this is called an ad hoc angioplasty and is
usually done when there is no question that
this
particular
blockage
is
significant and is causing a problem -- the angioplasty takes very little
addiitonal time and saves having to perform the entire cath procedure again
at a later date. If a stent is planned, will
the cardiologist
be
using
a
bare
metal or a
drug-eluting
type? Just
be aware of the requirements for patients to stay on antiplatelet therapy
for a year or more after drug-eluting stents to prevent late stent thrombosis.
This is not usually a problem, unless you are going to need surgery, or
unless
you
have bleeding
problems
or
are allergic to Plavix or aspirin. Your cardiologist knows about these
things, but make sure you do as well and let your cardiologist know if
there might be circumstances that could prevent you from complying. And
let the Forum know how you do. Good luck!
Forum Editor, Angioplasty.Org, September 30, 2007
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