communication!!!!!!!!!!

[horac]

aged 76 I suffered a triple heart bypass aged 74. Since I packed up playing rugby in 1983 aged 40 I have suffered chest pains despite playing badminton and tennis to a later age. I learnt long ago that there is a nerve traveling from your anal area to your chest and irritable bowels can cause chest pains! To the extent that I seem to remember in my 50's I had a camera in my heart with NO results (heart OK) but was diagnosed with IBS by a consultant with her finger in a very personal place!

My bypass was 3 months after a very stressful 6 months 24/7 nursing of my wife with a brain tumour leading to her passing away . My new cardiologist said he would have put a stent in and medicated me such that I did not need the triple bypass and I would not now have dehiscence/hernia! Problem is that within the NHS the medicos NEVER talk to each other!!!! There is a lot of medical information in society but it does NOT get passed around and there is NOT a means for them to communicate with each other. Thank God for the British Heart Foundation and the Society of Cardo-thoracic Surgeons !!!!!!!! Many of the other medical organisations do NOT offer the same opportunity for communication either within their membership OR with their CUSTOMERS (patients) !!!!!!!! Communication in the NHS is so bad that most of us do not have the ability to COMPLAIN about our treatment; which is why there are so many lawyers making a fortune out of medical negligence!!!!!! Which is another story!

[MichaelJH Heart Star]

Sorry to hear you have got an ongoing problem with your sternum. Hopefully it will be resolved before not to long.

I am slightly surprised your new cardiologist said he would have put in a stent and medicated you as you mentioned three vessel disease. Four of my arteries were affected. Whilst initially stents were planned after further tests and a peer review it was felt a quadruple bypass was the best option. The decision was not made by one person in isolation and included a cardiologist from one of the specialist heart/lung hospitals. Obviously you will often get a degree of disagreement in the best way forward but all are thinking iof your best interests at that stage.