spontaneous coronary artery dissection

I have a history of SCAD (of the distal left anterior descending artery). How rare is this? What are my chances of recurrence?

[Flycaster305]

I've had what was called Spontaneous dissection of the Right Descending artery, and I think it's not common.  

In my situation, I was going through a particularly difficult period of active Cardiac Artery Disease, I was getting narrowing of the arteries and clots frequently, requiring stents every few months.  After receiving two stents and having a heart attack, I was in physical rehab and they noticed that I was struggling, and an emergency trip to the cath lab revealed the dissection diagnosis.  The dissection happened to occur between two stents.  I questioned this pretty aggressively, it simply didn't make sense to me that the artery would spontaneously split.  It was finally agreed after the fact that the condition was in all probability caused by the harmonic effect of the heart beat affecting the area of the artery between the stents.  A long stent sealed the area but it was considered an emergency procedure, I was in a compromised condition. However, the Spontaneous Dissection diagnosis remains in my file.

I do know that women can have Spontaneous Dissections during child birth, and believe John Denver is thought to have this condition that resulted in his terrible plane crash.  What are the conditions that resulted in your diagnosis?

  

[skydnsr]

I only know of one other person who had a coronary artery dissection, and it happened as the result of a familial vascular tissue disorder called TAAD (Thoracic Aortic Aneurysms and Dissections).  She had to have a heart transplant.  Here is her story.  http://www.bicuspidfoundation.com/Stories_of_Hope_Jen_Lopez.html

[ed34]

Mine wasn't spontaneous, but the surgeon during my last procedure caused a dissection of the LAD while chipping at the hard plaque. I was informed that he had not completely gone through the artery wall, if he had then I probably wouldn't be here today. He put a stent across the dissection and said it will heal up nicely. I'm also aware that
a dissection can occur when a piece of plaque breaks free. Still attached to a section of torn artery wall, it hinges down like a flap. If a dissection occurs where it penetrates the artery wall completely, I'm not sure how long you have to survive, but I shouldn't think it would be very long.