Angiogram results

[willsie01]

2 weeks ago my cardiologist thought the angiogram would show either no problem or a very minor problem. Yesterday it actually showed a blockage and several instances of narrowing. Oh dear! Subsequent heart scan showed no damage. This was good to hear. I was offered alternative approaches. The first, a programme of operations over time, the first of which would be the blockage, then as the narrow sections became a problem they would be dealt with. The other alternative was to opt for bypass surgery. This is the option I have chosen.

I waited from February 2018 for a year for spinal surgery. I wonder if I’ll have to wait as long for a bypass.

1 thing that concerns me is I read on the NHS website that 90% of bypass surgery patients require another one after 10 years. That’s a concern.

[Deanosbeano]

I believe in the case of elective surgery ,t's sixteen weeks or less from the moment you see the surgeon , the consultant who did the angiogram usually writes to the surgeon if they re not one and the same , you have a consultation and from that appointment it's sixteen weeks or in my case about a year from.yhe first treadmill clinic .

[willsie01 in reply to Deanosbeano]

Thanks for info. It is a different surgeon that will operate.

Have to say I’ve been lucky so far with the speed of getting to this point. It was 4 weeks 3 days from being advised to go to A & E with chest pain to having the angiogram yesterday.

I have a pressing need now to find a way of exercising that works for me. Walking is so limited as to appear to be valueless.

[Deanosbeano in reply to willsie01]

E bike is what I chose ,thinking was if I got into trouble I could use the battery to get home

You are lucky I went to x-ray for the two profusion scans before angiogram .

[Fitandfearless]

Yes but think about how much surgery will have advanced in 10 years ! It’ll be a whole lot quicker and easier if you do need further surgery

[willsie01 in reply to Fitandfearless]

I’m thinking very negatively this morning. I appreciate your post but my negativity conjured up a picture of May & Trump and the possibility of our NHS been sold down the river of a certain path is followed. But hey that’s politics and It’s probably not appropriate for this forum except it definitely affects my mental state which in turn influences my physical being. Apologies if this is deeply inappropriate. I watched QT last night.

[Chappychap]

"1 thing that concerns me is I read on the NHS website that 90% of bypass surgery patients require another one after 10 years. That’s a concern."

When I went into my bypass operation I had similar concerns.

The surgeon emphasised that the risk of a bad outcome (such as a stroke or a heart attack) during the operation itself was about 2%. However, I guess this was a legal requirement, in other words that consent to the operation be "informed".

My bigger concern was the relatively high percentage of bypass operations that fail very quickly, well within twelve months. I've heard some figures that this can be as high as 20%, generally because the veinous grafts were either already diseased or they were damaged during the harvesting. There have been people on this forum who fell into that category and it must be a crushing blow to discover the bypass failed. I understand the 20% figure could be out-of-date and even though the surgeon wouldn't or couldn't give me a specific figure for my hospital he did say it was down in single figures.

We all make our own choices for our own reasons, but if I'd been offered an alternative I would have put bypass surgery last. First I'd have wanted to try stents, medication, and pretty extreme lifestyle modification. For example medication, diet and exercise have now made massive improvements to my blood pressure, resting pulse, and lipid levels. So I know this stuff works!

By the way, if walking is difficult is swimming an option?

Good luck!

[willsie01 in reply to Chappychap]

Unfortunately, swimming not an option due to back problems.

[Wadeowen]

Hi, I hope you will be alright. I am recovering from a triple bypass and whilst not a doctor, my surgeon and cardiologist said, things have changed a lot since the past and all being well the new pipes are good 15-30 years or even longer deoending on lifestyle, diet etc.. worse case may need some stents.

Best wishes

[willsie01 in reply to Wadeowen]

Thanks, that is promising. I’m 71 so I’ll take the 30 years if I may!