Bypass failure

My husband had a CABG x 4 in Oct 09 and was diagnosed with Diabetes Type 2 at this time. We came home and did everything right with rehab, diet, accu checks, meds. He had a heart attack July 12th and we have not been told to see the surgeon. All the cardiologists just say they have no idea what went wrong . He had a heart cath and all arteries were reblocked. At this time 2 stents were put in. We would like to get an opinion in Cleveland but is 413 miles and the drs in Indy now want to put in a defibrillator after a nuclear stress Thursday. This was all done in Champaign Illinois and now we have gone to Indy but again no trials and no consult with a surgeon. He stopped smoking prior to the Cabg and does not drink or use drugs and is not overweight. He is a very young 61 yr old that just retired after 35 yrs on the railroad. Really he has worked so hard his entire life and has had 1 yr of retirement and we are desperate.Thank you so much Debbie

[ed34]

I'm sorry to hear about your problems, but I do wonder something. You say you did everything which rehab suggested with diet etc, but what about stress. For over a year my disease progressively worsened even with my cholesterol low. It turned out that when I was having blood pressure checks, it was showing normal but when back at home it was high due to stress levels. I was just the type of guy who worried about anything and everything. I even used to worry if there was nothing to worry about. I had a few relaxation classes and then my disease seemed to stop growing. I really didn't realise how stressed I was until I had those classes, I thought I was quite laid back and easy going. Is your husband the stressful type?

[kenkeith]

QUOTE: My husband had a CABG x 4 in Oct 09 and was diagnosed with Diabetes Type 2 at this time. We came home and did everything right with rehab, diet, accu checks, meds. He had a heart attack July 12th and we have not been told to see the surgeon.see the surgeon. All the cardiologists just say they have no idea what went wrong . He had a heart cath and all arteries were reblocked. At this time 2 stents were put in.

>>>>>Sometimes chest pain is interrupted as a heart attack, but it is pain caused by blocked coronary arteries.  A heart attack (myocardo infraction) damages heart cells and impairs heart wall movement causing low cardiac output and requires emergency treatment to prevent cell necrosis (dead heart cells).  I assume CABG was to help control symptoms rather than a heart attack emergency.

If I understand the situation, your husband had 4 blockages that were bypassed in October.  In July there were 2 stent implants that opened the harvested vessels (there may have been some occlusion with thoe vessels) and the relationship to diabetes with complications to healing of from diabetes type 2. The mechanism behind the relation between diabetes and atherosclerosis is not fully understood. But diabetes dramatically increases the risk of various cardiovascular problems, including coronary artery disease with chest pain (angina), heart attack, stroke, narrowing of the arteries (atherosclerosis) and high blood pressure.  

I understand the stress you are under, and sorry to hear of your husband's medical complications, but I think there is a correlation of the current vascular problem and diabetes. Thanks for sharing, and if you have any follow up questions you are welcome to post.