Severe pain during cath procedure and next day

[jerrybee]

During my second angioplasty and stent implantation I suddenly experienced very severe, burning chest pain.  It lasted totally about 25 minutes.

It was *not* the "warm flush feeling" we get when they inject the dye;  it felt like a heart attack and I told them that during the procedure.

What bothers me is that nobody seemed to care or to understand what was happening;  I thought I was dying (obviously l didn't).  

The next day, at home, the same feeling happened and I went to ER where my blood pressure was discovered to be 206/110!  Nitrostat was given along with a nitro patch on my chest.  The pain went away and my bp returned to normal.  I was released the next day with instructions to "keep a close eye on your pain."  

I am very dismayed at the lack of info given to me at the hospital where the procedure was done, and I am also dismayed that no explanation for the horrific pain was offered even with my nearly constant queries about it.

Any others here with a similar pain experience please post about it.  

[Flycaster305]

When the 'balloon' is inflated in your heart artery to open a blockage, it blocks the blood flow and you will feel what a heart attack caused by a blood clot. I'm surprised that you weren't warned or an explanation wasn't forthcoming.  I've had a number of heart caths and always expect a little discomfort from the procedure when the balloon is inflated.  I can't comment on the next day pain.  Did you have a stent or stents applied?

[jerrybee]

Thank you for reading my post and responding.

1st stent was in 2000.  An angina event led me to this second one;  I truly thought my orignial stent had restinosis, but it was a different artery and they stented it.

I was not told of any pain on the balloon inflation.  I noticed also that the procedure this time was different than the first time, namely that in the first one, in 2000, I had to take deep breaths and hold them from time to time at the surgeon's orders during the procedure.  This time no such thing was done;  he just went ahead and poked the leg artery open and put the wire in and went to work.  The whole thing took only about 30 minutes.. the first time in 2000 it took about 45 minutes.

Thank you for telling me about the balloon inflating thing being painful;  I did not know about that.

The event the next day is still a mystery.

[Flycaster305]

Something else to consider... I'm given meds that make me forget what happened during a stent, and I always am sure to have my wife, friend or child to be with me when the doctor talks afterwards.  I remember very little about it. Also,  I often have some irritation in my chest a day or so after the procedure, but not great discomfort.  Chest pain always needs to be investigated, don't hesitate to have any future chest pain checked out.  Keep us informed and best wishes.
    

[lulama]

I have had an atherectomy and baloon angioplasty (no stent)......I had severe pain each time they applied the "rotorooter ", because of the cutting off of the blood flow to the heart,.....but absolutely no pain the next day.....

a year later I had a baloon angioplasty at the same place in my LAD.......I don't remember any pain with that, but then the doc did it very quickly........however there was again absolutely no pain the next day......

[jerrybee]

Thank you both for your input and good wishes.

I am beginning to understand the obvious:  all cath procedures with angioplasty and stent implants are not the same.  :O)

On a humorous note, there was a classic "drama queen" in the room next to mine at the cardiac hospital this last time.  She was certain that death was just around the corner and was having trouble keeping her feelings about that to herself.. quite loud.  My heart went out to her and I decided to pay her a visit in her room after I was okayed to get up and walk around.  She was asleep, they had administered "a relaxant," the nurse said while rolling her eyes.