Treatment

What is the treatment for Ischemia in Apex Wall. I am scheduled for an arteriagram in two weeks.

[ed34]

The angiogram will show the cardiologist where the blockage is and give him a good idea of the best way to treat it. Maybe it will be an easy job of inserting a stent, or maybe he will decide a better option is a bypass. The overall picture of all your coronary arteries will be seen and a long term decision will be made on those images. If they decide to stent the blockage during your angioplasty procedure, you may just feel a small amount of chest pain for about 5 seconds as they inflate the balloon. This is because it temporarily stops blood flow through that vessel until the balloon is deflated.

[kenkeith]

An arteriogram/angiogram is procedure with contrast dye to establish whether or not there vessel stenoisis (narrowing) that may effect the blood supply to specific heart location.  The arteriogram can be an interventional procedure (cath moved through femur vessel) or non-intervention with CT scan that takes images.

What procedure have you had to determine ischemia (low blood supply) to the heart's apex of a heart wall? Do you have symptoms for the ischemia?  Have you been or are you being treated for chest pains (angina), and if so is there relief from angina with medication? Is there an expectation to do a stent implant during the upcoming appointment? Reading between the lines, it appears your doctor is expecting to do a stent implant.

Some individuals do well with medication to treat symptoms usually chest pains.  I have a 72% circumflex artery blockage for more than 6 years with no apparent progression and treated effectively with medication. Before a cath angiogram, you should discuss stent implants as an option, because you can almost be assured there will be a stent implant with the prep for the procedure, and the procedure makes it convenient and sometimes it is unnecessary.  

Trestment for ischemia can be medication, stent implant and open heart bypass.  If medication is ineffective, then the next step would be a stent if appropriate based on size and location, if not, then by-pass.

I don't mean to be confusing, but based on the limited information with your post and the seriousness for a good decision requires consultation with your doctor and hopefully the informtion provided will give you some insight for an effective discussion with your doctor.

If you have any followup questions, you are welcome to post. Thanks for sharing.