Ejection fraction

[Gindeb]

I had my first MI at 36. No medical explantion. No obvious risk factors. Could have been a ruptured artery, and a blood clot ensued. After this EF was 69%. A stent was inserted. 2 years, 4 months and 16 days later, scar tissue  completely occluded the stent causing anothed MI. Ejection fraction dropped to 58%. Another stent was inserted in the same place. 6 years later the same thing happened. However, this time I was very fit. I worked out twice week, played tennis 4 times a week and was training for a sprint tri. Without prior warning  I felt pain in my left arm, and a decline in my general sense of well being. An echo revealed a massive reduction in EF to 38%. Given the fact that two stents had already been inserted, and it appeared that my body simply rejected them, a CABG was scheduled. Note that I did not suffer another MI, and presented with low blood pressure and a slow heart rate. After the bypass EF was at 40% after 4 days. I am only 45, and am so worried that I wil not be able to return to sport, albeit not at the same level. The cardiologist doesn't seem to hold out much hope for an improvdd EF, but he is extremely uncommunicative. Asian doctors do not feel the need to communicate indepth with patients, especially if they are female. I am not sure how much neucrosis there is, as opposed to how much of the heart was just stunned with a depletec blood and oxygen supply. Can I expect an improvement in EF? If not will I have to give up some competitive sport?

[ed34]

Did you take plavix and aspirin after the stent for a year or longer?

[ed34]

Very interesting case. I would make another appointment with your cardiologist and ask him this. "If my EF is the same after my CABG as that of before the CABG, doesn't that mean the CABG failed or was a waste of time? I would like you to evaluate my heart for tissue death and tell me if I have suffered an MI. I had not had MI before the CABG so what on earth is going on". My theory is that you have built up scar tissue where the graft is attached to the main artery, or they have performed the bypass incorrectly. Your cardiologist should order a nuclear scan or perform an angiogram to see what is going on. With scar tissue, why didn't they use a DEB before deploying the stent? or just use a drug eluting balloon? I think an angiogram would be best suited for you and ask for FFR to be done at the same time. This will measure the flow rate of blood in all your coronary arteries and is not part of standard procedure.

[tacolino]

What are your BP numbers like? Is it ever high? What are your meds? . . .that's the starting point i suppose