Still waiting

[Pam79]

Hi I posted a few weeks back. Still no word from the hospital regarding what’s next and the results from my angiogram. How long should this take to get consultants appointment ? The waiting is very anxious

[Urssy]

Oh I thought you would get angiogram results there and then ? As they did it.

Mines Tuesday...do you have to wait then ?

[Pam79 in reply to Urssy]

They did say that there was some heart disease and they would meet with other comsultants to discuss what’s next. Not heard anything yet.

[Urssy in reply to Pam79]

Oo...I hate waiting. I start googling lol

I hope you hear soon.

There is always so much testing then waiting...and lots of 'limbo' time

[Rosei in reply to Urssy]

Why don't you ring the Consultants secretary? I would, in fact I have done. It tends to bring your notes to the top of the file.

[Shoshov in reply to Urssy]

hi urssy i got mine straight after. maybe depends on this so called postcode lottery. good luck on tuesday you’ll do fine. i was quite nervous about mine but really it was a walk in the park. the worst part was the cold. the lab was absolutely freezing. i was shaking like a leaf with teeth chattering. i had about 6 blankets 🤣

[Urssy in reply to Shoshov]

Oh ty. I'm feeling a tad nervous to be honest.

Xx

[Shoshov in reply to Urssy]

as everyone said to me. it’s a piece of cake. which i know is easy for us to say. not so easy when it’s you. you’ll walk it❤️

[Urssy in reply to Shoshov]

😁

[Pilgrim1956]

I was told the outcome as they finished the angiogram! Odd why they wouldn't tell you. If you know the consultants name ring them up and chase it via their secretary.

[Jamse in reply to Pilgrim1956]

PAs are the best way to get anything done ..they dont get mired down in Protocol they just give it straight ...I have 3 phone numbers for three different hospitals on my speed dial

[marypw]

Always chase it up with the consultant's secretary. Please don't just wait!

Cardiology departments are incredibly busy and things can go astray!

[Bluebird1234 in reply to marypw]

Yes that is true that they are very busy. Definitely chase the doctor or their secretary.

[willsie01]

Hello, I do hope you are not kept waiting much longer. Do follow up as has already been suggested in another post. I was much luckier than you when I had an angiogram on the 9th May. Finding out the results very soon afterward while in the recovery ward.

[granniea]

Hello.

Hope you have heard by now. Do follow up asap.

My husband is having his angiogram on the 21 June at the local hospital - he then will have surgery in London. He was supposed to have had the angiogram in May but local hospital never got around to processing him. Thanks for all the advice. I will make sure that if he doesn't know immediately, he will follow up within the week. We are supposed to go to a wedding in Scotland and then a river cruise in October so want him to be in best shape possible, or we will have to cancel.

[elliebath in reply to granniea]

I do hope you won't have to cancel your lovely river cruise but don't wait too long to update your travel insurance. They are very wary about us heart people when we're still under investigation. I suggest you start talking to them now. (I've had my angio result but still attempting to get insured for USA in Sept.)

[granniea in reply to elliebath]

Thanks. I am actually going to buy MY travel insurance today. Hopefully all will be well. I am dreading his recuperation as he doesn't listen to me at all and won't follow anything up. I wish you well with your op. Hearing other people's experiences does help me a bit although I am a nervous wreck about coping with him.

[BigT2013]

Usually u have a little wait.

They have Multi Displine Team meetings every so often. Where all the consultants discuss various cases and the way to go or how to treat when it is decided what the best course of action is the consultants will call or send u an appointment to discuss and inform you.

I was called in approximately a month after.

I required urgent surgery but nothing to do with my arteries or results of Angiogram. I had other heart problems.

[Cassiek69]

Phone up your consultants Secretary they can tell you what is going on

[benjijen]

I was given the result at the time but had to wait a couple of weeks as they wanted to do a bypass and I didn't want surgery, so they had to discuss with consultant if I could have stents instead. I had the stents. As previously said, ring Consultant's secretary or ring GP as they may have heard and letters can go astray.

[Dolphin14 in reply to benjijen]

May I ask where you all live. I am in the USA. Things are handled so differently here.

[benjijen in reply to Dolphin14]

I'm in the UK. I'm using the NHS. However, if I were using private healthcare, either self-funding or through insurance, I would expect even quicker responses.

[Dolphin14 in reply to benjijen]

Thank you for the response. I just can't imagine the stress you are all under waiting for results and an action plan.

I wish you all well.

[Fortepiano in reply to Dolphin14]

MDT ( multi-disciplinary team) meetings for more complex cases have been the standard of care in European guidelines since 2010. The US has now adopted this but I don't think it's been implemented in all hospitals yet.

The lack of MDT meetings in private care is one of its disadvantages - it's no good having an operation /stent done quickly if it's the wrong choice!

[Dolphin14 in reply to Fortepiano]

In the US there are team meetings on complex cases. Not on cut and dry cases.

Drs will consult all over the country if they need to. In the event there is something some other area in the country has more knowledge in.

Sorry to upset you.

[Fortepiano in reply to Dolphin14]

You didn't upset me at all. The point about team meetings and why the AHA/ACC wants to introduce them generally is that it helps to have several opinions on whether to go for stents, bypass or medication and make a team decision.

This avoids the US scandals of individual doctors over stenting: they assured their patients the case was cut-and-dry!

I think real improvements could be made in the NHS system in communication with patients.

[Dolphin14 in reply to Fortepiano]

You are using exclamation points so I got confused.

I have read many entries on this website of people frustrated with the waiting times. That's why I asked the question.

I've worked in the cardiac field for many years. My husband works in the cardiac operating room so I'm familiar with choices that have to be made and why.

Thank you for your response.

[Dolphin14 in reply to Dolphin14]

I came to this site to learn more from other people. You can never have enough knowledge.

My brother recently had a triple bypass and an aortic valve replacement.

My brother in law is in the hospital now with afib, VT and cardiomyopathy waiting for an ICD

My husband is a heart transplant survivor.

[Fortepiano in reply to Dolphin14]

Sorry the exclamation point confused you. It is simply a punctuation mark used to emphasise a point, and is used in normal conversation.

It doesn't mean anyone's upset ( exclamation point😊).

I certainly agree it would be helpful if waiting times were shorter, but also better communication would help to reassure patients.

All the best

[Dolphin14 in reply to Fortepiano]

That's fine the exclamation point means something different here when used in writing.

Thank you for your time.

[Fortepiano in reply to Dolphin14]

How interesting. It's like ' quite' which to us means 'a bit' and to Americans more like 'very'. I remember when an American friend came to dinner and wrote 'I quite enjoyed it' - I was not best pleased till I lived in the US and learned the difference.

When I told American friends I was going for a paddle ( to you - wade) in the sea they were puzzled by my lack of a kayak. I also mystified them by calling any kind of dessert 'pudding' etc etc.

As they say, 'divided by a common language'.

[Dolphin14 in reply to Fortepiano]

So true I have a friend from Canada. We say things differently as well.

[Ashleigh_BHF]

Hi Pam79

Sometimes after an angiogram, the decision on treatment isn't clear cut-there may be some coronary artery disease present, but the cardiologist may want to present your findings to an MDT (multi-disciplinary team) meeting which is cardiologists and surgeons who get together to discuss particular cases, and make a decision together on the best course of treatment for the patient.

They usually meet once a week, so you should have a decision soon but it's a good idea suggested by several others to contact the cardiologists secretary to chase them up.

Take care,

Ashleigh

[Shoshov]

hi pam. i had angio on friday and doctor came round later and discussed it. i had restenosis of original stent. he put another one inside it. must be awful to wait all that time ❤️shiona

[elliebath]

I think it's a case of no news is definitely good news or at least not bad news. It seems that people needing surgery get told within hours /days. But the system is slow for the rest of us.

I get occasional exertion angina. I had an NHS angiogram on 29 March, a letter to my GP (and myself) was dictated on 5 April but not typed til 7 May. I then received it on 11 May. In my case I have minimal tiny plaque and no intervention needed.

[Heather1957]

I was given the results of my angiogram the same afternoon. The cardiologist who performed the angiogram explained what he'd seen and that a bypass was the best option.

[nitwit]

You should definitely phone the hospital (probably the cardio catheter dept) and tell them you are getting anxious as you have been waiting quite some time. I had to take this action myself to get an appointment for an Angiogram and again to chase up an appointment for angioplasty (stents). I hope you get information soon and wish you good luck. PS having stents was a very comfortable experience (dental treatment is much worse!).

[Russ65]

I'm going through a similar situation and I have to say it's very maddening. Had an MI nearly right weeks ago at the age of 54. Was sent out of area to be treated.

Sent home three days after the event and told to take tabs, take it easy, blah blah.

Told I had to have an mri of heart. Had that nearly two weeks ago. Rang yesterday to see if I was due to see a consultant for updates and results, and w told that I wasn't on anybodies list to be seen nor were there any results available.

So, Pam, I feel your anguish and I hope you get your results, etc soon.

[Urssy]

That's good to know.

[Handel]

Get hold of the consultant's secretary. That's what I did after waiting forever for hubby's results and it's amazing how quickly things move then!! Good luck xxx