hi
jan 28th had a heart attack and was taken in and had a stent fitted,the diagnosis being angiogram showed critical lad stenosis. now on my release notes there is a box called echocardiograpy. in that it states...post pci lv function moderate lvsd (lvef >30%-50%}
what does that mean please?
Hello Jon welcome to the forum. Post PCI just means after your stent procedure. LVEF is the left ventricular ejection fraction which means how well the heart is pumping and this was determined by the echo scan. If I were you I would give one of the BHF Nurses a call (0300 330 3311) as they are experts in this area and will be able to talk through your result. All of us who have had a heart attack usually have some sort of damage to the heart and this can often be improved with exercise and recovery. Have you heard anything about being invited to rehab sessions yet.
hi
i have a followup with the heart people next month.ive talked to the rehab team on the phone the trouble is the hospital i was in is 60 miles away so the meeting is going to be at the hospital closer to me but thats still a fair treck. i elected for their home based rehabilitation which im gona discuss when i see the nurse..i should have ask a bucket full of questions when i was in hospital but all i really wanted was to get home and not worry..ive only just really read the report and saw the little box..from what ive googled the figure is a bit low..
Remember it's only a figure on the day of the Echo scan and it can change. It sounds a wide range 30 -50% - I have read in the past that 50 can be regarded as normal. Its difficult living a distance from your nearest rehab unit. I know what you mean about not asking enough questions when in hospital. I found there wasn't much opportunity and my GP wasn't much help. I found browsing the posts on here useful and also looking at sites like heart.org and mayoclinic.org Be cautious about Google though you need to choose well respected sites of which the one I mention are regarded as reliable. The BHF Nurses would be your best option I think if you have specific questions. Regular walking is a good form of exercise you can do before your rehab is sorted out. Start of gently though and increase the pace gradually. It's early days for you so don't push yourself too hard. Things will get better Job take it easy be positive and ask your questions on here at anytime as well.
i wasnt in hospital long and by the time it came to go home i was that tired as cant sleep so well on hospital beds and being wired up to the machine didnt help, i couldnt really think straight never mind what questions to ask..for the last 2/3 weeks ive just been resting so didnt want to stress out reading the report. ive seen my gp and he is ok but didnt say much other than u had a good blockage..ill ring the bhf nurse tomorrow . it is a problem for me that the hospital i got taken to is well out of my area i was taken to the nearest one first but then relayed up to james cook.
I had my treatment at the Freeman but rehab via Sunderland. I hadn't slept for days before my stents - I was in hospital for 7 days prior to stents on a very noisy ward so like you I felt sleep deprived. Give the Nurses a ring and be good to keep in touch find out how you are getting on. I am on holiday tomorrow for 3 weeks so won't be on line quite as much as usual. I had read that many people felt amazing immediately after stent procedure. I was really disappointed to feel exhausted for weeks. I think a lot was due to reaction to some meds. After about 2 months and while starting rehab I noticed I was feeling more energetic. It was a gradual process so don't get disheartened it sounds like you are doing well as it's only 3 weeks for you.
Hi Jon like Nathan I was treated at the Freeman and discharged with a heart manual to follow whilst waiting for rehab to start. Your rehab will be held locally I live on the border of Newcastle and County Durham so had rehab in Consett run by the cardiac rehab teams. They were fantastic. Whilst I was waiting I did gentle exercise each day. Building up from 2 minutes just doing walking on the spot or standing up from a chair step ups on the stairs etc as well as starting walking firstly just to the front pavement and back (about 10 steps) building up to 30 minutes after 6 weeks. If you do a list of your questions before your appointment so you go in prepared and don’t worry about getting the list out in front of them!! I always do! As Nathan has said try not to focus on the numbers as they have not yet been put into context for you. Your health will improve gradually over time but at the moment you are still in shock. Take each day as it comes and hopefully you will get your answers soon. Take care. Zena
thanks
making a list is defiantly the way,in hospital i couldnt think straight. ive built up to taking short walks round the village but nothing more than that.im 20 days post stent so still taking it in small steps. i suppose the lvef number will change as the fitness returns, it does seem a broad number right now.
I recommend that you watch the film "Forks Over Knives". It will show you that you can clear out your arteries. It is on a website of the same name, Netflix, and YouTube. It is about medical dietary research, including a massive study of 800,000 Chinese people. You might find it helpful, I did.
The ideal BP is 120/80. Mine has been as high as 240/140 but went down to 190/100 with treatment in 2016. I still had a mini-stroke in 2017 though. I started a Whole Food Plant Based (WFPB) lifestyle in March 2018. My BP is now 120/80.
The ideal cholesterol is below 5. Mine was 6.5 for years, nothing budged it until this diet. It is now 3.7.
My weight was 14.5st and is now 12.5st, the same as when I was in my twenties.
If my arteries were still blocked my blood pressure would still be up. This means that my arteries must be clearing out.
Newbie looking for advice
Newbie recovering from a stent 
Very surprised newbie
Newbie - hello everyone
HI, I'm Shonna a Newby
