LMS stent or bypass?

[N3ll1e]

Hi there, I came to hospital to get an angiogram 10 days ago and they discovered I have a severe narrowing in the left main stem I have been kept in since awaiting a decision on the best treatment bypass or stenting, they have decided that a stent is the way forward I am in good health 52 year old female with no other sign of blockages or plaque so would also be a good candidate for bypass,I am terrified about the risks of stenting this artery,I've been told it's risky! help

[MichaelJH Heart Star]

Hello and welcome to the forum! Both stenting and bypassing carry a degree of risk with bypasses carrying the greater risk as it is major surgery. Who said it was risky? I imagine it was not the cardiologist but maybe someone using the source of misinformation Dr Google!

[N3ll1e in reply to MichaelJH]

Hi ,thanks for your reply.

Well the cardiologist said it was higher risk than other areas but he is confident but I googled it!!

[Sunnie2day in reply to N3ll1e]

You have to be quite wary consulting Dr Google - your best sources of credible information are the BHF and NHS sites, also the American sites Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic, American Heart Foundation, and Harvard Med. In general, unless one of the aforementioned, sites that come up via Google are not at all reliable.

[COYW]

I’m sure you will be fine. I had two stents fitted while working in China and it was straightforward but I was scared too 😀🙏🏻😀

[Maisie2014]

Yes is scary but you need the treatment that’s right for you. I had a stent after being in hospital for a week and I’m fine. Try not to worry.

[MichaelJH Heart Star]

For clarity the LMS (left main stem) is also referred to as the LCA (left coronary artery) or LMCA (left main coronary artery). Unfortunately there is no consistency between hospitals and sometimes within departments.

[Jaycey]

I had a 99% blockage in the same area and had 3 stents done. Scary - yes. But if your consultant is confident I would just trust him and the team. They do this everyday, several times per day.