Stents

My boyfriend had a massive heart  Friday Oct 31 they went in and did two balloons and  one stent. He was then released from the Hospital on Monday Nov 3. I turned around and had to take him back to the hospital on Wednesday they keep him over night for observation. When his doctor came in Thursday morning he was told there was nothing wrong and was released again. Then on Friday Nov 21 he had his follow up appointment with the cardiologist. They said everything looked good and said they would not need to see him again until the end of December. However they never ran any test while we were in the office on Friday.  Then Monday the 24 he ended up back in the ER with what we thought was another Heart attack. Luckily it was not but they had to take him back to the cath lab and and do the angioplasty again and found another blockage so they put a second stent in. Now I am just wondering if that when I took him back on that Wednesday the was back and no one wanted to worry about the problem. Also now that he has been released from the hospital he can't stay wake before all this took place he would stay up until 10 or 11. Now he can not make it past 7 and I am just wondering if there is something else wrong.

[Encephalomalcia]

If he had a massive heart attack, he will most likely not have the energy he had before.  How much of his heart was damaged?  Also, I have known several people with stents and afterwards had symptoms such as out of breath and were not able to do as much as before.  Did the doctor say any restrictions?  Usually they do not want the person to use their arms a lot such as scrubbing floors etc.  If he has new heart medication and blood pressure medication, this can make him tired also.  He needs to take the medications that his doctor prescribes.  Is he taking Plavix to keep his blood thin so that no blood clots form?  My husband is on a water pill and he does not have the energy as you had before.  He goes to bed very early and used to stay up before as he is a computer programmer and likes to program at night.  Rest is good for him, so make sure he gets plenty of it.  Take care.

[kenkeith]

I'm not able to comment on your friend's inability to stay awake other than if it is fatigue it could be heart related or medication, and there would be a time period to adjust.

What test determined a heart attack?  If there had bveen a heart attack (MI) there almost always is heart muscle damage, and that condition can compromise cardiac output causing chest pain, shortness of breath, and muscle fatigue, etc.  

A simple blood test could help determine if your friend had an acute MI at the time..  The usual protocol that is followed when an individual has what appears to be heart related symptoms is a chest Xray,  EKG (monitor heart rhythm and sometimes detects heart muscle damage and occluded vessels), If the EKG is positive, then a stress test to determine bllocked vessels, If there are occluded vessels and MEDICATION does not control symptoms, then a cath angiogram and stent implant/s.

Sometimes a stent will recoil and cause a blockage or there can be restenosis caused by a clot.