Aa
how many stents
The doc has me set up two days after my stress test for a heart cath. How many stents can be put in? He seemed concerned but I have had no discomfort, chest pain or shortness of breath or tiredness. How long do stents last? I heard that the medicated ones from Boston Scientific are not all that great.
Yes totally agree with the other posters,it seems strange to jump right to an angiogram and stents with NO Symptoms!in fact Ive never ever heard of that situation!.
Having an angiogram does carry a risk(Low) from bleeding or heart attack!.
please try to go for a second opinion,this seems crazy honestly!.
You could as the other poster said have a CT angiogram which would or could also give you a calcium score,but please make sure that you go to a cardiologist that is expierianced in CT Angiography as some cardios are just well,IDIOTS! and thats the truth.
Good luck.
John.
Having an angiogram does carry a risk(Low) from bleeding or heart attack!.
please try to go for a second opinion,this seems crazy honestly!.
You could as the other poster said have a CT angiogram which would or could also give you a calcium score,but please make sure that you go to a cardiologist that is expierianced in CT Angiography as some cardios are just well,IDIOTS! and thats the truth.
Good luck.
John.
At the Executive Medicine Center: We don't rely on stress tests alone but start with assessing how your heart is functioning now and ask you whether you have current symptoms of heart disease:
Chest tightness or pain with exertion
Undue shortness of breath
Feeling faint especially with exertion etc
Without symptoms requires another opinion, unless as Jack states there is an awareness of congenital abnormality, etc. Question: OBAMA has other tests been positive. It seems a big jump to angioplasty without symptoms, are you in a high risk group?. Does the stress test EKG show evidence of prior heart damage. Or other clues such as rhythm disturbances or aberrant electrical EKG changes. "If your risk is at an intermediate level (not low), we will often encourage you to have additional testing which involves looking at an artery directly for evidence of plaque, assuming the exercise test is normal". QUESTION: Are you in the high risk category?
***In CT scan angiogram (non-interventioanal procedure) the imaging is critical because, in our practice, if plaque is present over and above the normal amount for your age, we would offer you “long term management” with intensive measures. Sometimes this involves lifestyle and medication to slow down the progression of plaque. We also recheck your plaque load over time to make sure you are on track.**** Medication can be the appropriate therapy. I have been on medication for the past 4 1/2 year...totally blocked LAD (collateral vessels) and 72% blocked circumflex with no advancement of condition and no symptoms (angina with exercise, but nitrate provides releif).
Chest tightness or pain with exertion
Undue shortness of breath
Feeling faint especially with exertion etc
Without symptoms requires another opinion, unless as Jack states there is an awareness of congenital abnormality, etc. Question: OBAMA has other tests been positive. It seems a big jump to angioplasty without symptoms, are you in a high risk group?. Does the stress test EKG show evidence of prior heart damage. Or other clues such as rhythm disturbances or aberrant electrical EKG changes. "If your risk is at an intermediate level (not low), we will often encourage you to have additional testing which involves looking at an artery directly for evidence of plaque, assuming the exercise test is normal". QUESTION: Are you in the high risk category?
***In CT scan angiogram (non-interventioanal procedure) the imaging is critical because, in our practice, if plaque is present over and above the normal amount for your age, we would offer you “long term management” with intensive measures. Sometimes this involves lifestyle and medication to slow down the progression of plaque. We also recheck your plaque load over time to make sure you are on track.**** Medication can be the appropriate therapy. I have been on medication for the past 4 1/2 year...totally blocked LAD (collateral vessels) and 72% blocked circumflex with no advancement of condition and no symptoms (angina with exercise, but nitrate provides releif).
Based upon the known and published inaccuracies of stress tests, a cardiologist would never perform a cardiac catheterization on a person that does not have any symptoms of poor coronary artery flow, unless s/he suspects some type of congenital abnormality of the arrangement of your coronary arteries, that have been documented in the past, and s/he is aware of, whether you have diabetes or not.
Sometimes there are no symptoms. If your doctor wants to do an angiogram and is concerned, you should listen to him. Blocked arteries especially in the main ones are serious. Our family has the coated stents and have taken Plavix for a year or lifetime along with 81mg aspirin for life. Coated stents can cause blood clots, which is why the Plavix is strongly recommended and needed.
I have eight stents, I believe 4 coated, 4 non-coated. Some are Boston Scientific. I've had virtually no serious problems with resenosis of stents. I took Plavix and 81mg aspirin for a year after my last coated stent. Sometimes, in arteries that are small, I believe coated stents are more difficult to fit in place. In my opinion, an angiogram is a very safe way to get a very good look at the condition of the heart arteries. Proceed with confidence, and keep us informed.
If you don't have any symptoms, why has the doctor set up angiogram and stents?. Are you diabetic? Sometimes there is ischemia (lack of blood flow) to the heart cells, and no symptoms with a diabetic. If you aren't diabetic you may want to get a second opinion and take appropriate medication.
Drug eluding stents are better than bare bare metal stents in that there is a reduction to restenosis. But DES has a greater risk for blood clots for about a year, therefore some cardiologists prescribe aspirin and plavix as antiplatelet therapy for up to a year or more.
Drug eluding stents are better than bare bare metal stents in that there is a reduction to restenosis. But DES has a greater risk for blood clots for about a year, therefore some cardiologists prescribe aspirin and plavix as antiplatelet therapy for up to a year or more.
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