Member Comments are provided by individuals and reflect their personal opinions only. Under NO circumstances should you act on any advice or opinion posted in this forum. ALWAYS check with your personal physician before taking any action regarding your health! MedHelp International and our partners, sponsors and affiliates have no obligation to monitor any comments posted on this site, or the content and/or accuracy of such exchanges. MedHelp International does not endorse the views of any user.
Heart Disease (Expert Forum)
Side Effects
This forum is for questions and support regarding heart issues such as: Angina, Angioplasty, Arrhythmia, Bypass Surgery, Cardiomyopathy, Coronary Artery Disease, Defibrillator, Heart Attack, Heart Disease, High Blood Pressure, Mitral Valve Prolapse, Pacemaker, PAD, Stenosis, Stress Tests.
Side Effects
by Don__0__0, Nov 06, 1998 12:00AM
My father had angioplasty 5 weeks ago because of a 95% blockage in the main artery of his heart. A stint was put in successfully and heart pain is gone. Since then, his feet have turned purple, almost bruised looking. His doctor, which is excellent, said the cholesterol was disturbed from the procedure and has moved into the small blood veins in his feet. He is 65 years old in good health. He has been checked and the doctors say it is not life threatening, but that his feet will stay this way. They have taken him off of blood thinners thinking it would help, but it did not. A possibility later on is the removal of a toe. This is very painful to him, and his doctor could not find a new procedure or medication to help him. Do you know of anywhere he can go, or is there anywhere I can do research to see what we can do to help him. His kidneys have been checked and are fine.
Doctor's Answer
by CCF CARDIO MD APS, Nov 06, 1998 12:00AM
Dear Don,
This "blue toe syndrome" as it is sometimes called is a common complication of
cardiac catheterization and intervention (angioplasty and stenting.)
It might be a good idea to see a vascular medicine physician who would know how
to optimize the blood flow to that area. This may have already been done, in which
case, there are no options except to follow the course as the body attempts to heal
the toe or toes. Unfortunately, the more underlying vascular disease that a patient
has, the more likely it is that the patient will get the syndrome, and the less likely
it will heal quickly and good. If you would like a second opinion at the Cleveland Clinic
simply call 1-800-CCF-CARE and ask for an appointment in vascular medicine with Dr. Fonseca
or one of the other vascular medicine physicians. Good Luck. I hope this information has been
helpful and informative, and I apologize that there is no where to search for anything but what I
have said; there is no one who understands this disease process better than a vascular medicine physician.
Feel free to write back with any further questions.
Information provided in the heart forum is intended for general medical informational purposes only,
actual diagnosis and treatment can only be made by your physician(s).
