Those who know my story will know I had an Angiogram 3 weeks ago and was told there and then I need an urgent triple bypass. Of course I've been in shock and only now have I begun to come to terms with it. I was told by the Cardiologist who did the procedure I would need to travel for my surgery to Leicester amd it would be 2/3 months time . That was a long enough wait but it wasn't critical so I accepted it. I've now received my first appointment letter with the surgeon and it's not until 5th January! Assuming there will be a delay to get my pre-med etc I guess I'm looking at at least six or seven months before surgery.i was hoping I'd be getting better by Christmas. How long did you guys all wait before surgery? This doesn't feel very urgent and I'm scared somethjng will happen before then.
How long did you have to wait for 3x... - British Heart Fou...
How long did you have to wait for 3xCabg?
Hello 
From when I had my angiogram and been told I needed a triple Bypass and yes it was urgent I had to wait 3 months and I was having it done that was this time last year
I think it all depends how many are on the list and so on but try and be reassured that they know how urgent it is and if they thought you were not safe to wait till January if that is when you think it might be they would have you in sooner
I know the waiting is the worse but you will get there x
I know I have to be patient but the anxiety is giving me chest pains! I will try to relax and keep popping the tablets! X
Hello
I know how you feel those 3 months they felt like forever and with every twinge and pain I got I would go into panic mode but as someone said if you could go on without needing notice ask them to consider putting you on the cancellation list
Also it could happen sooner you never know but those meds are protecting things while you are waiting , you can do this and you will and we will soon be talking about recovery and how well you are doing x
I have not had this procedure but in your position I would immediately put myself on the depts. cancellation list.Cancellations do happen.If you can be ready at a few hours notice it is well worth doing. My husband got a hospital dental appintmen this way(the wait was six months) and he was seen within a week due to a cancellation.Two weeks ago I got aYAG laser treament on my eyes in the same way.
Yes I definitely will! X
I can only comment on my own situation. I had a heart attack and required an urgent stent to save me. Remained in hospital two weeks Five weeks later I had a triple bypass as I was deemed an urgent case. This may depend on the area you live.
Hi. I was airmeded for angiogram from Isle of Man to Liverpool 21/4/21 in the middle of covid lockdown. After it was done they said I needed triple CABG, and they did not want to discharge me to a remote island - a flight away - with arteries in that condition, so they kept me in. They couldn't tell me when it would be done but it would be "soon". Couple of days later they said it would be on 30/4, but 2 days after that it was cancelled. Then they came up with 7/5 and that's when it was done. Including an initial stay in hospital in Isle of Man, I was in for exactly a month, but at least it was done. I've wondered since what my experience would have been had I lived locally in Liverpool and they had discharged me to wait at home. As it was I was blocking a bed so they wanted to shift me sooner rather than later. No complaints apart from the monotony in there. All medics superb.
Hi Sljp. I feel for you as I found the wait from my diagnosis of needing a CABG to actually getting the surgery was difficult and stressful. From having my CABG, where I was told immediately I would need a bypass, I had to wait 5 months and I was on the priority list. This was pre-covid so it's possible that waiting times may have increased since then but I got the impression its a bit of a lottery between how urgent you are, any emergency cases they have to deal with and where you live.
I didn’t come out of hospital after my angiogram & had cabg the following week- so I think there may be different degrees of urgency. Getting on a cancellation list seems a good idea
My situation was the same although I had to wait around 12 days -all in hospital-between the angiogram and the operation.
I would have had the operation earlier but there wasn't an intensive care bed or in those wards immediately under, where you are transferred a day after the operation. Due to closure of local hospital beds there were quite a few 'bed blockers' awaiting discharge after surgery but who needed more care than they could get at home and would have been ideal candidates for the lower key cottage hospitals we used to have.
Initially they were going to do a triple bypass but then decided on a quadruple. Presumably thinking it might otherwise need attention shortly anyway.
So the question revolves round whether the triple is sufficient and it is therefore deemed perfectly safe to wait or if there might be a need for a fourth. A January date to see the surgeon doesn't sound 'urgent' to me.
All in all I would expect to see a copy of the tests and resultant medical notes. I would then want an interpretation by the consultant or another expert so the decision to wait 4/6 months for the operation can be explained and justified. I think Sljp needs to push a bit on this one as otherwise anxiety will take over.
I going to ring the Cardiologist in Derby where I had the Angiogram on Monday and ask them what they mean by urgent. Thank you for replying again xx
Yes will definitely do that. Its just scary when they tell you how severe things are then leave you for months to worry. X
You will tell us how you got on, won't you?
Dear Slijp0000
Sorry to hear that the delay in your surgery is causing you to be anxious and rightly so after being given such a diagnosis.
There is nothing stopping you in finding out why you have been classed as urgent and I am sure that your heart team / GP will tell you the reason, it maybe a term used by your cardiologist to get you onto his “books”
Mine was classed as critical { by the cardiologists letter to my GP } it took four months to get into the ward and then was cancelled six times { two with pre-med given } the reasons were that there were worse of patients than me needing the op.
You have to remember that at the time I was put on a concoction of drugs to stop another heart attack { something that I was never on before } maybe its the same for you and they feel that on that medication that it is safe for you to wait?
These are really only answers that your medical team can give you.
You time will come
Take care you are in my thoughts
Oh poor you. That must have felt awful being delayed so many times. I guess they think I'm safe now on the drugs I am on amd other people must be more needy than me. I just wish they hadn't have given me a false promise to start with however it was my local hospital talking about another hospitals waiting list. They must be up to date on wait times. X
It took me a while to get the CT scan, I had that on the 6th Jan and the consultant called me on the 7th and told me to go directly to hospital.
I was then hooked up to a heart monitor 24x7 and put on 4 hourly checks. I had to wait until the 19th January for the quad CABG.
They seemed to reckon I could have gone at any time so I guess there are variations of urgent. But that does sound a long time.
Can they get you in to another hospital, mine was Papworth in Cambridge
I guess I could see if there are other hospitals but I sorta think I'm messing with fate if I do. I waited since November for my CT then 2 weeks for my Angiogram. They told me on the bed there and then I was urgent and it would be 2/3 months. I'm gonna see if I can get a cancellation xx
Definitely do that, once you have had your operation life starts again afresh ☺️
My wait was 10 days from angiogram to cabg. However, mine was deemed important due to age and condition. They seemed surprised I was still so active and my disease so advanced.
I was also treated as an inpatient which meant I never left hospital between angiogram and cabg.
My procedures where completed at Leicester. It is one of the best places by reputation. Care was amazing.
Hi Sljp0000. I was diagnosed as needing triple bypass in August 2020 as needing urgent CABG as bad 15 blockages in one artery and 2 other blocked arteries. Good I would have to stay in hospital till a bed was found. Had a big conference 're me and sent me home on a cocktail of powerful drugs. Waited nearly 4 months and had my surgery on 14/12/2020. Made a very good recovery Thank God. In the meantime do whatever exercise you can and get as fit as possibld. I didn't as I was terrified I was going to die. Wishing you good luck x
They told me 'not to do much or except myself'. I'm gonna ring on.monday as I'm feeling pretty confused. I'm on a load of meds to reduce my angina x
Presumably there are degrees of urgency? I was admitted on a Tuesday, had angiogram the following day which showed 4 arteries 95% blocked, had urgent CABG x4 the following Monday.
Well I'm hoping they would have definitely kept me in if that urgent. Thank you for replying x
It all depends on how critical they see it as, I wouldn’t compare to anyone else especially as the waiting list is huge, at any point other people could bump you down the queue which was the case 22 years ago when I had a triple.
HiHad my bypass done in Leicester Glenfield.
Was on the list but I had really bad pains one day and paramedics took me to Glenfield.
I was in then about 5 days before they did my operation
Good luck
I have already replied but then read more thoroughly the other responses and your past history. What is on your side is your relative youth!
However I think we need to recognise that the definition of 'urgent' seems different between my layman understanding and that of the expert consultants.
There seems several people here (myself included) who appeared to be in a similar condition to you and had much quicker operations. Of course we shouldn't directly compare one person to another as we are all so different with weight, age, past heart history etc all making a difference between those who can safely wait and those needing urgent (By my definition 'very quickly') attention and those who with the right medicines can safely wait with little physical effect (anxiety being a different matter) .
However, for your own peace of mind I do think you need to gather together all your tests, angiogram results and other medical notes and get your consultant to interpret them and reassure you way before January.
There are private consultants who might be willing to do this for a fee but waiting until January to get to the next step seems unreasonable.
I think so too especially as they said they could keep me in 4 weeks then transfer me to the operating hospital but thought I was best at home for my mental health. To go from that to 7 months seems unreasonable. I'm definitely gonna ring on Monday for some clarity. Thank you for replying again x
Hi There, I was taken ill on holiday back in March 2020. Came back on Air Ambulance and waited till June for Cardio because of Covid. Was told need urgent quad bypass waited till November 2020 for CABG. Was told I'm a heart failure patient and I'm actually in Kashmir as I reply. Yes it's very hot here but you carry on taking the meds and lose weight and change diet. We have a family history and can't change my dna . All the best and just try to relax and take it easy.
Hello there. I can only say what happened to my hubby. Angiogram in June 2018 and following lots of cancelled ops, he finally had a quad bypass in November 2018. A 5 month wait for surgery that was also classed as urgent.
In fairness to the medical staff and our GP, hubby was monitored via phone appointments and had a cocktail of drugs to thin blood, make it less sticky and one to open up blood vessels a bit. GTN was also prescribed.
We were just told to phone 999 if there were signs of a heart attack!!!
Good luck and best wishes. Jan xxx
Hi Sljp - I'm a 62 year old female and live in Northern Ireland. I had a heart attack on the 10th January this year and was admitted to hospital, the angiogram the following day confirmed that I needed a triple bypass. I had to stay in hospital, was put on the usual cocktail of medication, monitored 24/7 and had the bypass five weeks later (it was planned and cancelled twice during this time due to a lack of post-op recovery ward nurses). I was told that if I went home before having the op it "really wouldn't be a good idea" as I would be put on a waiting list which was one year long! While I was there no-one mentioned how 'urgent' or 'critical' it might be for me to have the op (and I'm quite glad of that actually as, knowing me, I'd probably have panicked!). I was discharged only four days after my op and have thankfully recovered very well due to the wonderful surgeon and cardiac team who looked after me so very well.
As 10gingercats has suggested it sounds like a good idea to try to be put on the cancellations list. I'd also agree that medical terminology, in terms of 'critical', 'urgent' etc seems to differ between different doctors and medical professionals. It might be an idea to have a word with your GP if possible for some further information on your diagnosis and to let them know how anxious all this has naturally made you feel.
Good luck getting on that list and, in the meantime, take all those medications they've no doubt prescribed and look after yourself. It's easy for any of us to say but try not to worry, although you undoubtedly will unfortunately, but remember if you have any unusual symptoms help is only a phone call away.
I now feel really good after my op and went back to work part-time four weeks ago on a phased return five months to the day after my op. I hadn't realised just how very tired and run-down I'd felt over the past couple of years (I was putting it down to aging and life sort of getting in the way of taking better care of myself) but now I've been granted this new lease of life and feel so much better than I have for ages! I'm sure that you will too..... Carol x
Hi Carol. So glad you're are feeling much better. I was playing gold and wondering why I felt so weary so quickly. Always thought it was.my diabetes but that is fairly well managed.I'm worrying because I was told they could keep me in for 4/5 weeks before surgery but they realised it wouldn't do.my mental health much good. I don't understand why I've gone from a 5 week referral to a 7.month wait. I'm gonna ring up on Monday for some clarity amd see what urgent really means. Thank you formyour support xx
I was in hospital for five/six weeks before my op Sljp, but only because they said it wasn't advisable to go home. I'm usually very upbeat but, although they do their best, it was an awful time. Family weren't allowed to visit (due to the current unmentionable thingy) and I missed them so much - I live alone and don't have children but I'm very close to my younger brother and older sister and I was concerned about how worried they were. I have a wildlife garden and spend a lot of time outdoors which keeps me sane so I missed all my animals and birds and being outside with them too. I also lost a lot of weight (I've always been a skinny minnie and have spent my life trying to keep weight on) and that started to annoy me as well.
During the time before the op I was chatting with one of the older Registrars one day about medical procedures in times gone by (it was a fascinating yarn!). He told me that, many years ago, it was standard practice for anyone who had a bypass op to be kept in hospital for a full three months afterwards but they were puzzled as to why it seemed to be detrimental to their health. It was only then that they began to realise/discover how positive mental health played such a large part in terms of recovery and started to take it into consideration in all fields of medical procedures. He also said that, in the future, (and it's already being discussed!) that some people may be able to go home immediately after a bypass op. I'm sure it will happen some day, but in the meantime I was really glad of the support in hospital for the few days I spent there after my op - it was reassuring to know that help was so close at hand should I need it and it was the only time I was glad to be in hospital!
I'll be thinking about you tomorrow and I really hope you get some answers that will help to reassure you and I'm sure we'd all love to hear how you get on. Good luck with your phone call - I'd write a few reminder questions down before you call too as, if you're anything like me, you'll forget a few things you wanted to ask! Carol x
My fiancé had his angiogram in September 2019 and was told he needed a double bypass (which later turned into a triple)
He had all his preop assessments, met with surgical team etc just before Christmas in 2019 (at this point we were told it had become urgent as his condition had worsened so I am guessing it wasn’t classed as urgent until then.) He was offered a place on the cancellation list, but didn’t feel he could accept a very short notice appointment due to various reasons (they said it might mean less then 24 hours notice of surgery.)
He had his bypass at the end of January 2020 at a private hospital funded by the NHS (as it meant he could have it far sooner then in the NHS hospital.) This was all before the pandemic, so sure waits are longer now.
I echo what others have said and if you have new/worsening symptoms please contact the GP, hospital etc and fingers crossed you don’t have to long to wait.
I have even considered paying for private surgery to get it done but there are no private hospitals near here which do this surgery so I would have to push in the NHS hospital which doesn't feel fair. Not happy though, gonna push further xx
HiIt was great no concerns at all from me
I don't know who your cardiologist is mine was Elvid Roberts, the surgeon who operated on me was doing heart operations all around the country and he did mine off pump as I have kidney issues as well. Had a double bypass on a Thursday and came home on the next Monday.
I am waiting for another angiography as started getting angina again.
Hope all goes well with you
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