Worried about my friend

[Siamo Uno]

I have a really good friend that I have known since I was in high school. He is 54 years old. He had a heart attack and quadruple bypass surgery in 2008. Since the surgery, he started having chest pains again and a heart cath showed the vessel that was bypassed on the back of his heart had collapsed. So they changed his meds around and put him on a stricter diet. He continues to suffer with attacks of angina. This past December, he had a bad episode of chest pain and went to the ER. Had another heart cath and the dr. told him he needed about 8 stents, but the dr. also told him if he tried to place that many he didn't think he would survive the procedure. So, they changed his meds around again and told him there is nothing more they can do for him. So what does that mean? Is he a walking time bomb and it's just a matter of time before he has a massive heart attack that will take his life? I can't believe there isn't something that can be done for him. This makes me so sad. All I can do is pray for him, but surely there is something medically that can be done to help him....

[skydnsr]

http://health.usnews.com/health/best-hospitals/heart-and-heart-surgery-hospital-rankings/

Sorry, I forgot to post the link above, but here it is.

[skydnsr]

He needs a second opinion, at the very least.  It would be great if he could go to a nationally known heart center such as Cleveland Clinic (that sponsors this site), Mayo Clinic, Texas Heart Institute, Debakey Center, or some place like that -- someplace where the doctors are used to seeing the very worst cases.  Things are different at the centers where patients come from all over the world as a last resort, after their local doctors have told them that they can't do anything more for them.  Here is a link to the US News and World Report list, which will give you an idea of some of the facilities in the US that are considered great.  If he isn't able or willing to go to one of these centers (and I don't even know if your friend lives in the US), perhaps he can at least get a local second opinion.  I will say, he is lucky to have a friend who cares about him as much as you do.