FIL going in for angioplasty - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Kuan · #1 10-06-2006, 04:11 PM

So what occurs in an angioplasty.

Scratch that. Should I be worried or relieved?

Mistress · #2 10-06-2006, 04:17 PM

Kuan, why does this need to be done, is it for a clot or atherosclerosis? They insert a catheter with a small balloon(sp) at the end of it into the vessel and inflate it to dislodge the clot or blockage.

Kuan · #3 10-06-2006, 04:25 PM

All I know is that it's a blockage and he failed a stress test, "miserably" to quote my MIL. He's going in Monday first thing. It's not an emergency, so I guess this means I should be glad?

400E · #4 10-06-2006, 04:34 PM

Actually they go to great pains not to dislodge anything. They thread a thin plastic tube (called a catheter) up through a blood vessel in the thigh, which then goes into the blood vessel which feed the heart. They thread the tip of the catheter through the partially blocked artery, and then pump up a balloon which is near the tip of the catheter. This sort of "smooshes" the "plaque" (as it is called) back into the sides of the artery, thus opening up the artery. They then use a "stent", which is an expandable wire device which comes on the catheter, to hold the newly opened artery open. They remove the catheter and they're done.

Slick procedure - works great for many people.

Kuan · #5 10-06-2006, 04:38 PM

So it's apparently very safe. That's good to hear.

Diesel4me · #6 10-06-2006, 04:39 PM

Kuan, I have 4 stents placed, one was to stop my heart attack and the other three were a couple months afterwards. The worst parts about it are when they shave your "area" in the groin before they cut the hole for the catheter, and some mild pain walking for the next few days. He'll be fine. They will have a cardiac surgical team standing by in case something goes wrong (a blown-out artery) but that rarely happens. He's very lucky they caught this before he had a heart attack. Once part of the heart muscle has been damaged from a heart attack it does not come back.

Kuan · #7 10-06-2006, 05:27 PM

That's good to hear Bill, thanks. Man my wife is freaking out, guess we'll be tripping this weekend.

powerpig · #8 10-06-2006, 05:43 PM

I actually had an angioplasy done in my legs! I have PAD disease. Please make sure they check for blockage on his entire body. My heart checked out fine, but had full blockage on my right leg and 95% on my left. Three doctors missed it and I almost lost my right leg before it was diagnosed. Been doing great in the three years since.

John Doe · #9 10-06-2006, 05:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kuan

That's good to hear Bill, thanks. Man my wife is freaking out, guess we'll be tripping this weekend.

Xanax is a beautiful thing for anxiety--if she has a good GP she ought to be able to tell him what is going on and he may hook her up. She will do him more good if she is calm and not freaked out when he wakes up.

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Kuan · #11 10-06-2006, 05:53 PM

Man, one of the difficulties of having kids later is that grandparents are a little older. I really hope nothing happens until my kid is ready to handle it. Guess I'm gonna be frank about it to the kid.

"Grandpa is sick so he's at the hospital. The Doctor will make him feel better."

Something like that.

dynalow · #12 10-06-2006, 06:13 PM

Kuan,

As hard as it is to believe for most folks, this procedure, (and by pass sugery generally) is duck soup for a competent and skilled heart doctor/surgeon.

If all goes well, he'll be up and around and home in a day.Two tops.

Only wish I could have had an angioplasty instead of the chainsaw fifteen years ago, but, hey, so it goes.

Good luck to him and try not to worry.

Best Regards,

A264172 · #13 10-06-2006, 06:14 PM

Those seem to be going around.
I had my MIL go in last year for heart attack and they were able to fix her up real good with only one stent. While she was there one of my cousins showed up in the ward as her husband was having heart attack and needed bypass shortly there after. Just last month FIL had tripple bipass (downgraded from quadruple during the procedure) and will be returning to have his leg bypassed as soon as he heals up. Stents seem to make for a much easier recovery than bypass from what I can observe.

JCE · #14 10-06-2006, 06:22 PM

Kuan.

Sent you an email

Emmerich · #15 10-07-2006, 12:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kuan

So what occurs in an angioplasty.

Scratch that. Should I be worried or relieved?

Be worried. I had one where they put in a stent. The day after a clot formed on the stent which is what a MI (miocardial infarction) is. Long name for a doctor induced heart attack. Depending on which vessel it is in can be bad or REALLY bad. I vaguely remember that during one of the bazillion blood tests I had someone said I had a high clotting factor, so to me it means they should have taken more precautions against clotting.

I would make damn sure they thin out the blood as much as possible. There is no downside to that so they should not object. The alternative really sucks, and I have damaged muscle that will never heal.