Posted by Sue on May 11, 1999 at 15:51:01
My 59 y.o. stepfather had double
bypassHeart bypass surgery
Heart bypass surgery - series surgery on 3/31/99. His hospital stay was short; went home; is healing fine. He does c/o diminished
hearingAge-related hearing loss
Audiology
Hearing loss
Hearing or speech impairment - resources in right
earEar barotrauma
Ear discharge
Ear emergencies
Ear examination
Ear tube insertion
Ear tube insertion - series. Audiogram today (5/11/99) revealed, in his words, 60% permanent
hearingAge-related hearing loss
Audiology
Hearing loss
Hearing or speech impairment - resources loss in right
earEar barotrauma
Ear discharge
Ear emergencies
Ear examination
Ear tube insertion
Ear tube insertion - series. An MRI is scheduled in 2 days. The
earEar barotrauma
Ear discharge
Ear emergencies
Ear examination
Ear tube insertion
Ear tube insertion - series doctor suggested possible "small stroke"; my mother also notices increased forgetfulness and attention deficits since surgery.
My questions are: 1) If MRI reveals small stroke, what should we do next?? Consult a neurologist for full neuro eval?? 2) Might some cognitive tx help his cognitive deficits?; he had some forgetfulness prior to surgery.
Thank you for your opinions.
Posted by CCF CARDIO MD - DLB on May 11, 1999 at 19:56:26
Dear Sue
1. If it is a small stroke, consult a neurologist. If the stroke were due to the bypass surgery, there is nothing that can really be done. However, it is important to see if he is at risk for strokes in the future.
2. Honestly, I doubt it. The forgetfulness is probably just him and not the surgery, though bypass surgery can certainly produce all sorts of neurological and behavioral changes.
I hope this has been useful. I wish you the best of luck. Feel free to write back.
Information provided here is for general purposes only. Specific questions should be addressed to your own doctor. If you would like to make an appointment at the Cleveland Clinic Heart Center, please call 1-800-CCF-CARE or inquire online by using the Heart Center website at www.ccf.org/heartcenter. The Heart Center website contains a directory of the cardiology staff that can be used to select the physician best suited to address your cardiac problem.
