please help with suggesstions

my husband had  widow maker heart attack may 10,2009,,sustained massive  damage to his  heart. did thankfully survive.In oct 2009 he  had a defibulator, implanted ,,his  injection fraction is 23 %
he just had a  vo2 stress done  his vo2 max was 14.7
  his functional capacity is 46%
  his anaerobic threshold is 31%
what does this   mean,,were do we go from here ? next step? heart  pump? transplant?


This discussion is related to VO2Max  exercise stress test.

[grendslori]

What does his doctor suggest? Transplantation is a serious step and it doesn't fix the problem; you are only replacing one problem for another. Life spans are increased but the patient is still classified as being terminally ill. Some patients live 20 more years, some don't make it off the operating table. The drug therepy is unforgiving; miss 2 doses of the anti-rejection pills and it's given by IV. Has your doctor mentioned seeing a transplant team?

[kelly212]

no ,,not as  of yet ,they are gonna  play  with his  meds for  a month or  so  and then  see were to go  from here.Im just trying to get  all the  info  we can to make an informed decision,the  whole thing is  scary..thank you for  your  input,it is  appreciated

[grendslori]

I see. The pump can sometimes be used to help a person survive until a transplant can be found. When you see the transplant team you will all be evaluated (you won't know you're being evaluated though) to see if you and your husband are strong enough to accept what it takes to face going through a transplant. We've been there, our daughter had her transplant when she was 22 due to Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy. If I can help, just let me know.

[kelly212]

omg.. what do they  do if your not  emotionally  ready??do they  just write you  off?

I thought they  had   pumps that  help were the  heart  is  weak,,and you didnt have to get  a  transplant.. looks like i  need to  do  some  more studing  on this,,,
I do  hope your  daughter  is  well.

[grendslori]

Don't panic! LOLs! They don't just write you off......you will probably be talking a lot with a hospital social worker who deals as part of the transplant team. To go through transplant can be a rollycoaster ride; there are both good and bad times until the doctors get your husband to where he needs to be which is feeling A LOT better. They just want to make sure that your husband has your support and that he is stable enough to realize what it takes to take all of the drugs for the rest of his life and after transplant that can be a pretty long life: 20+ years. I may be mistaken, but I don't think so, when I say that the pumps are usually placed to give a person life until his new heart can be found. I don't think they put them in to just put them in. You will do just fine! Take care