Restenosis?

My husband aged 56 had a heart attack five years ago, LMCA, stented, good result.  Two years agohe had a pulmonary embolus, has been on Warfarin since, PT and PTT checked monthly with varying results and dosage changes.  He recently lost 40 pounds and got his cholesterol down to 140, (It was 399 at it's worst)

Over the last two weeks he has been having chest pain, worse on exertion, radiating to the left shoulder.  He says it is exactly the same as the time he had a heart attack five years ago.  I have been pleading with him to go to the hospital, but he wants to wait until the middle of next week to call his cardiologist, and says he hopes he just needs a new stent, and is worried he will have to have his chest cracked.  (He is an O.R. nurse).....what is the likelihood it is the old stent that has closed off as opposed to his needing a new stent in a different vessel?  Or that he will need a CABG?  When he had his pulmonary embolus two years ago they cathed him and said the stent was clear.....TIA

[Darcy Green Conaway, MD]

I suggest you have this evaluated immediately. There is virtually no way to determine whether this is his old stent or a new issue. I recommend having this evaluated immediately.

[fiona3637]

Thank you.  I have been trying to get him to go and am scared to death.  They say doctors make the worst patients.  Nurses must be a close second.  He got mad at me and told me I was going to nag him to death before he could ever have a heart attack.  :-(