Re: Is my Doctor doing everything possible for me?

Posted By Ronald V. Miller on April 10, 1999 at 19:50:24:

In Reply to: Re: Is my Doctor doing everything possible for me? posted by CCF CARDIO MD - CRC on April 08, 1999 at 14:27:53:






I am a 45 year old male. January 6,1998 I had a heart attack. My doctor did a heart cath. I had a 95% blockage in my right coronary artery. Angioplasty followed 3 days later with a stent implant. I changed my lifestyle, I was given Toprel XL x50 and Lipitor x20. In May 1998 I had more chest and arm pain. Another heart cath. was done and another blockage in the right coronary artery. The blockage was at the beginning of the previous stent implanted in January. A stent was implanted here also. I also had a 70% blockage in my LAD artery. A week later a stent was implanted here. My meds. remained the same and I started cardiac rehap. More pain in September. Another heart cath, right coronary artery blocked between the two stents. A stent was implanted again on Sept.28,1998. December more pain. Another heart cath. The stents were kinked. On December 8,1998 another stent was implanted to open the kink. Lotrel 5/20 was added to my meds. March, more pain. Another heart cath. 99% blockage in right coronary artery. The same spot! He just implanted another stent on March 30, 1999. Increased my meds. to Toprel XL x100, Lipitor x40, Lotrel 5/20, Folgard . He is sending for some blood test to see if I need the folgard, but started me on it now. I'm still having some chest pain, Dr. thinks it's spasams. ( By the way, my cholesterol is only 143) He says everything that can be done is. There is nothing else he can do. He also say's no more stents, I will need a by-pass. My question is in 3-4 months I may have another blockage. Can anything else be done about me? Is everything being done that can be? Or is there something my Dr. is missing?  
:Ron,
     Hi my name is Ron also and it sounds like you are going through exactly what I have.  In Jan. of 98 I had my first angioplasty with 2 stents.  about a month later I had another angioplasty and 1 more stent.  about 2 months later the stents collapsed and I had by-pass surgey.  that was in may of 98.  During all of that time and up until about 3 months ago I had 11 angiograms because I was still having alot of chest pains.  most of these were negative.  i have since been on the Dean Ornish Diet for reversing heart disease and most recently I had a new procedure done with radiation and a stent.  this is suppose to stop scar tissue from growing back into the stents which seems to be the problem with the stents.  I also had 4 blockages when they did the surgey, but 2 of them were too small to correct.  the good news to this is that in Feb. of this year I had the radiation done and those 2 blockages were gone or they were  opening up.  I can't say for sure but the Dean Ornish diet must be working!!  There is alot more I could tell you but I'm sure we are out of space. However my E mail is VIRGIL_ MILLER_ 99 @ YAHOO.COM  ____