TOO MANY STENTS????

First of all I want to say hello to everyone as I am new and this is my first post.  I have a question that has been bothering me.  I have 5  DES stents in the LAD , 3 from a previous MI and 2 from a blockage 1 year ago. I had a cath recently and the results were good ,no blockages.  My new cadiologist says that  , that is too many stents for 1 artery ,that I should have had a bypass rather than put more stents in that artery. I got a copy of the CD of my most recent cath , I could see all of the stents back to back with no gaps inbetween them and they measured a total of about  3 & 1/8  in.  I know there is alot of controversy lately about stents, but I don,t understand why my cardiologist would think that 5 stents is too many in one artery.   Does anyone have an answer to that?            Thanks,

[Momto3]

Just a quick note to say HELLO and WELCOME to the Heart Forums.  I hope your find the forum informative and supportive. I'm not too familiar with stents and CAD, but I know there are several members who can probably help you out.  In the meantime, if you click on the "People" link at the top of your screen, you can search for other members who have similar interests.

Also, you might want to try posting your question on one of the EXPERT forums.  The links are on the right side of your screen.  You can try the Cardio Prevention, Interventional Cardiology or the Heart Disease experts; the doctors are wonderful about answering quesitons.  The expert forums take a limited number of questions, so you may not get in right away.

I hope that helps.
connie

[Hopeful39]

Hi, I also do not have a lot of stent experience.  Just two points:  1)  The most significant stent controversies surround the issue of coated stents vs. uncoated.  I have not heard of a magic number for stents.  2)  Different doctors have different oppinions about many issues (does not help with anxiety).  However, the doctor that recommended the multiple stents surely had a good reason for thinking it was the best treatment.  Maybe you contact that doctor to understand his/her reasoning and what lead to that decision.  Good luck.

[francine27]

Thanks so much for the info,  I am really lost here. I guess it will take awile to learn my way around.     Thanks again,

[jabber3340]

IN 2004 i had to have 2 stents put in.  10days later due to complications i had another one put in.  2 years later they put a stent inside of a stent to open it back up.  This past year they went in again and the artery was completely blocked off but i had grown 2 new arteries on my own.  So i know they can put stents inside of stents in some patients.

[Southern_woman]

Hi,, I have 5 stents in my heart,,and 3 weeks ago they had to go in an re-stent 2 of them
and they had to put 3 more in the 3 three new arterys I had grown,,they can do wonders today.

[jude6262]

I have got 5 stents, 3 needed unblocking. My cardio, who is into the bioabsorbable stents told us that up to 18 stents can be done.

[deannaroze]

I recently had 4 stents...it was a whirlwind ordea. I came in for a mild case of the flu which I found out immediately was not the problem. An vein was closed from plaque had obstructed another artery. I am post operational 3 days. I will let you all know the drawbacks of the surgery.
Unforturnately. at the time stents were my only option. They are giving me beta-blockers and I really don't like them. I wonder can stents ever be removed after the vein heals? As for soluable stents, my doctor did not mention them to me. I would have preferred to have went that way as something foreign in my body, plus the meds one has to take are not a good thing for me. I prefer natural ways. I will check back here later after i am healed. Good luck to you all as we all have joined the stent club...like it or not.