Hi I have written before that my mum was diagnosed with heart disease in August of this year she has plaque build up in her arteries she has a look recorder fitted which is working well. She has seen her consultant and is currently waiting for a stent to be fitted a professor is doing the stent as the consultant said it is a difficult one she has got a date the 29th of November all being well. I would just like to ask what other people experiences where when having a stent fitted I am aware that all cases are different my mum is feeling really down due to worrying I would like to give her a bit of peace of mind speaking on here helps me also you fell like your not alone
Update from this post. My mum still hasn't had her stent fitted they keep cancelling the professor has booked her in for the 10th January all being well unless cancelled. My question is has anybody or no anybody who's had a stent and gone through both wrists they are saying they are going in through both wrists to attack the blocked arterie and clear it as it is completely blocked
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Kimberley0611
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I8 months ago I had 2 stents inserted following a heart attack. I waited 6 days in hospital and as the day approached I became more and more nervous and apprehensive as many people do. Whatever the procedure most people and their loved ones have some degree of anxiety especially during the waiting period so your not alone.
I stressed to the team that I wanted a sedative which definitely helped me to relax. Once the procedure was underway my anxiety level lowered greatly. The only discomfort I felt was the insertion of the cannula and a sensation of heat for a few seconds as the x-ray dye was injected. The team explained everything that was happening and often asked me how I was feeling. My procedure took about 45 minutes. Everyone's experience will have differences but mine was painless and went smoothly.
I am sure you will have more replies but on a final note remember to the Professor and his Team these procedures are done on a daily basis - if needed I would have no hesitation in having a further PCI (stent). Wishing you both well ask away if there is anything else you want to ask.
Thankyou for your reply it really helps to hear other people's experiences she is feeling really anxious and because her consultant isn't able to do it and has passes it to a professor this has made her anxiety worse l. I'm sure everything will be fine for her I have said to her that they do these daily and know what they are doing think with any heart procedure it's the not knowing.
Nathan53 is quite correct in what he has said. Unusually, I have 11 stents over 10 procedures. My first 3 were at the age of 36 in 1996. Professor did mine and on occasion, when it wasn’t, I worried he wouldn’t have the experience. One of my stents was a Cypher (now discontinued) stent that fractured. That caused difficulties then and is the reason I had to have another two stents last November. Long story. But please rest assured that any issues are rare. The experience itself is as described by Nathan53.
Thankyou for your reply I think she is just worrying about any issues that might happen during the procedure it really helps to speak to people that have gone through it just so I can put her mind at rest
I had 2 stents fitted last year 1 in August due to having HA and another which was planned 6 weeks later. Personally I had no problems it didn’t hurt didn’t really feel it, tell your mother not to worry it’s a doddle
Had a stent fitted in march. Absolutely no discomfort at all (however tbh that might have been the morphine as had my sudden HA three hours earlier). A bit of a problem with meds after but once they were tweaked all is now fine.
Thankyou for your reply glad everything went well think it's just the unknown I'm sure all will be fine I feel a little better with the reply puts your mind at rest a little I know its not the same for everybody
Thankyou for your reply I hope it's that straight forward for my mum she's very anxious because her consultant isn't able to do it and has passes it on to a professor she's worried that things won't go to plan. Really glad it all went well for you. She's fine I'm herself but does get out of breathe easily when walking and does have slight pain but nothing major she has a loop implant in aswell which is monitoring her heart
I had 5 stents in 2015 in 2 procedures, nothing scary about the procedure. There are some good video's showing the procedure on YouTube, worth looking for and watching so she knows what to expect.
Thankyou for your reply glad everything went well it's just the unknown I think she's worrying alot it will be nice to put her mind at rest. I'm sure she will feel 100 percent better when she's had it done. Thankyou I will take a look
Hi, I had a heart attack in August this year. It was pretty much out of the blue. I had six stents fitted four days later. I will be truthful it was an unpleasant experience but you will be sedated throughout. Because I had so many my sedation wore off a little early. I have been fine since. I am currently halfway through a Cardiac Rehab course.
I too had a professor doing my 3 stents due to complexity. She and the team were amazing. But I must say that I did have chest pain and needed pain medication during the procedure. Staff were watching me and immediately helped when I asked. The procedure for me took 90 minutes. And following the procedure I was SO tired. I felt like things moved in slow motion for weeks.
Thankyou for your reply I think because they have said it's a complex procedure that's why a professor is doing it she's worried but I know they will be amazing and know what they are doing. Glad things went well for you
Yeah think some consultants word things differently like they said to her your a difficult case which makes her more anxious and the waiting isn't helping either she saw her doctor yesterday and they said the only way she will have the stent put in any quicker is if she went in hospital with chest pains which she doesn't want so it's a waiting game now.
I had 5 stents in 2016 and another 1 in 2017. As others have said I had no pain whatsoever with the last one but the fist set were said to be difficult as they were where an artery branched into 2. The difficulty was only discovered after they had started. I did get angina when the balloon was inflated but as soon as I said, the consultant had me injected with morphine - no problem after that.
I have made this comment elsewhere - when they say they are taking you down - go to the toilet! They will wait. If they access through the groin you have to lay flat for several hours afterwards and you are not allowed to sit up for any reason! On my second stent I was told beforehand that they would access through the wrist. When they started they couldn't get a line in and so reverted to the groin.
I think it is worse for the relatives as they don't know what is going on.
Really never felt a thing just some poking and prodding. And watching it all happen on the screens made the time pass. Really nothing to worry about. Not like having my heart attack now that was something to worry about. Hopefully the stents will stop that happening to your mother.
I had two stents fitted immediately after a heart attack then another angiogram a few months later to check other arteries. Absolutely no problems. I was given a sedative and a drug to thing the blood. I knew they were doing the procedure but felt absolutely nothing. A nurse chatted to me the whole time. I wanted to watch the screens but hey wouldn't let me. After the first one my arm was dreadfully bruised from wrist to elbow (didn't hurt) but the second one there wasn't even a mark where the needle went in. They put a pressure bandage on afterwards and release it slowly until the bleeding has stopped which can take from an hour to maybe 3 hours. The second time I was up and home an hour after the procedure. Honestly I felt nothing at all either time. I could move about at last without getting breathless.
I think it's rather more uncomfortable when done through the groin. Both mine were wrist and absolutely no problem. I agree about the not knowing. The second time I was having a pressure test with possibly two more stents and I was scared stiff. It was even easier than the first. I suspect they have called in the specialist because of the position of her blockages rather than anything else. Probably just more awkward.
I didn't worry when having HA, but did worry when i had an elective stent later, even though same surgeon and risk the same. 1st, the risk is minimal, 2nd you will have forgotten it soon enough. 3rd you'll feel so much after, and live longer. So it's all in the mind really, all you can do is be there in the psychology sense. Listen to her concerns. I can only tell you it's no worse than a visit to the dentist. Go well and live my lovely.
That is really reassuring it's the not knowing and because the heart condition came as a shock plus they've said it's a conplex procedure to to the build up of plaque. But I can now hopefully reassure her a little that all will be fine 😊
Hiya, I had 3 stents fitted 2 years ago. They tried my wrist first but apparently I have “thin, and spastic arteries” so needed to do it via my groin. The sedative helped me relax and you do feel some weird sensations at times but they talk you through it all. Everyone had said I needed a triple bypass but the consultant was brilliant and stunted. It did take 2.5 hours but was well worth it.
Worst bit was having an issue A few hours after when I passed out but apparently that can happen do to the procedure in the groin stimulating another nerve. More scary for hubby but the crash team were there in seconds and all I recall is wondering why all the fuss. Went home the next day.
I had 2 stents aged 47 last year - was terrified and I’m not sure anyone could have helped me with that. The procedure itself probably wasn’t a big deal - but that and the worry wiped me out for a couple of months. Here I am nearly a year on feeling stronger by the day. I thought my recovery was maxed out 6 months ago, but every month I look back - I realise I’m stronger than I was before.
In summary - will be tough if she’s a worrier like me. Only thing that helps some of us is to live though it....no pep talk or insight would have helped me. I wish I’d taken more time off work afterwards in retrospect (take whatever is given). My son came home from university to sit with me for a couple of days at home and cook me dinner. That meant everything to me - still does.
I worried myself sick before my angiogram and stent. I needn't have, the staff were fantastic very friendly chatty. They gave me something to relax me, I didn't even realise the consultant had put the catheter in and was ready to start until he said. They made sure I was ok all the way thru and afterwards before I went back to the ward. The consultant came to talk to me about what he had found and made sure I was ok afterwards. I felt such an idiot for getting so worked up. I'm sure your mum will be fine, good luck x
i had stent fitted in oct last year mine was painful had chest pain once the started and had to stay over night, All the staff and doctors were brill am well now.
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