Scared of stents

[mm901]

Husband had CABG x4 Jan 2010, 2 svgs closed, 1 80% open, angiogram report (May2010) said due to small caliber arteries and clotting factor. LIMA to LAD is open.
Recommended: stents to 2 natives and 1 svg or RE CABg, or contact teaching hospital for alternatives (laser, cutter cath).  Told he is a "complex" case and this is a rare occurance.  He decided defer any further intervention for a while and try meds and fat free diet. His BP is beginning to go up and energy level is just enough to get through work.  Any advice from those who have faced similar and found relief/answers would be very much appreciated.  We feel "out there" with no support.  

[mm901]

I can't tell you how relieved I am to read your post.  Have you experienced a return of energy from the increased flow?  The stents are also scary to us because of his high clotting factor.  He is currently taking Effient and it's bringing his high platelet level down some, still not normal though.  Sometimes it seems so complicated, you have got to love research and  a challenge to deal with all of this.  I am truly thankful for the wonderful support of this forum and all of the information available here.

[ed34]

Your husband is in the exact same situation that I was in. I have a LIMA and two veins grafted. My Lima was/is fully open, but both veins closed up. However, the surgeon grafted my LIMA right over the blockage making it useless. So, when the veins closed my LAD was blocked at the top by a 2.5cm lump of plaque which was also on a curve. I was told by cardiologists from three hospitals that this was impossible to treat. Even a redo-CABG would likely not work. A research hospital in London (imperial college) heard of my case and the man who inserted the very first stent in the UK decided to take on my case. He is the kind of guy who will not believe anything is impossible. He simply told me that he has lots of little tricks up his sleeve and he managed to remove the blockage. He then cleaned three quarters of the LAD and stented it. I still have two very small blockages at the bottom of the LAD which need addressing but I am in discussion with him over those. It is scary having rotablation or laser because you are aware of what's going on, but once over you are so glad you had it done and the peace of mind is like a huge weight being lifted off your shoulders.