Hi I am five months post STEMI then cardiac arrest ànd two stents fitted.I'm just wondering when or if there will be follow up.. I've not seen cardiologist or gp since hospital discharge. had bloods done once to check liver and kidney function. Still feeling exhausted some days and weight gain is depressing.
I've phoned to get gp appointment but was told these things are to be expected. Just feeling a bit abandoned 😞
Hello 
I do feel for you we can sometimes feel we have been through such a big thing and then just left with no support and reassurance
Did you get any Rehab Nurses telephone numbers or been offered Rehab Classes as most do amd you if you had the numbers could ask the Rehab Nurses these questions but maybe you have not been given any which if not I would phone the ward and ask for their contact details
As for follow ups they can be different time frames depending where you live and how long the waiting lists are but I would have thought you should have had one by now or in the next month
Meanwhile I would try and get to speak to your own Doctor again not always easy depending but make an appointment and tell them how you are feeling
The weight gain I know can be down to some medications and can be depressing sometimes they can change them to help this but you do need to talk to someone and I really hope you will push to find out when that will be
Let us know how you get on and you can always come and talk with us x
I would have expected by now that you woulkd have been offered a rehabilition course, mine was done online due to Covid, it was brilliant and really boosted my confidence. Three months after my procedure I had an appointment with the cardiologist, before I sat down with the cardiologist I had an ECG, BP measured and weight checked. I spent about 15 minutes with the cardiologist and he made a few changes to my medication.
You need to be proactive re your diet and taking exercise, Ive shed over 2 stones in the 18 months since me heart attack and feel so much better for it.
"I'm just wondering when or if there will be follow up."
The follow up that seems to be fairly standard, and what i experienced following bypass surgery, is as follows.
- One interview back at the hospital some weeks after discharge. Unless there's an actual problem this is often with a fairly junior doctor who will be working from notes as they've never previously met you. It is however an opportunity to ask some questions.
-A six week Cardio Rehab course conducted by specialist nurses. This is when you'll be given the all important knowledge to manage your medication and life style changes, which are the two things that can really reduce the risk of future heart attacks and strokes. What's more Cardio Rehab seems to be getting back to a face-to-face basis, which will make it even more valuable. This is organised by the hospital that treated you, not your GP, if you haven't received an invite to attend one of these courses then contact the hospital.
-An annual cardio check-up with your GP or a specially trained practise nurse. These consist of measuring your weight/BMI, discussing your life style, a basic ECG, and a series of blood tests. The blood tests are really important as they monitor things like how your organs are responding to the medication and if there's any drift towards Type 2 diabetes which is very common amongst heart patients.
Apart from these follow-up is by exception, in other words only if you experience symptoms or have other concerns.
You mentioned weight gain. That's not good and deserves some focus. Maintaining a healthy BMI is one of the key life style changes that will reduce your risk factors. Furthermore weight gain is also a serious risk factor for the common heart disease co-morbidity of T2 diabetes.
I'm sceptical about giving anyone diet advice, what worked for me in terms of dropping a couple of stones may simply not be relevant for you. But somewhere out there is a weight loss solution that has got your name on it and will work for you. What's important is that you have the information and motivation to go and find it.
Good luck!
Did you get a copy of your discharge notes? If so, did they give an indication of follow up? My GP had to chase up the relevant referrals when they didn't happen. Though the first GP I spoke to just told me to follow the medication and they would see me in a year! It took a few attempts over the next few months to get to a GP who was actually useful.
my so called follow up (echo scan ) 6 weeks podt mi never happened. My follow up is on the 9 th Jan .
It's funny -- I thought I'd been followed really closely after having similar problems, but I was going through my records not long ago and realized that after my discharge I didn't see my cardiologist for 5 months, but I did have rehab that started at 3 months post-discharge (including a baseline stress test), at least. All with the caveat that if you have problems, go to the hospital...so I guess you are within the margin of error.
Rehab always has a long waiting list, like a popular restaurant...
Weight gain is interesting, not sure if that's related to being sedentary after you were more active. I lost a lot of weight as I just didn't have any appetite, but did gain it back after about a year and have stayed fairly stable.
I didn't have a cardiac arrest, just HA and 2 stents with a follow up angiogram to check 2 other blockages. That was it- discharged back to GP; never even saw a cardiologist except when he did the angiogram. Seems to be standard treatment. Unblock the blockages and send you away. Have you heard yet from cardiac rehab? If not then chase it up. Just phone the switchboard and ask for the number for them. It was about 4 weeks before I heard from them but that was 4 years ago
Still no follow up appointment with cardiologist 
Follow up 
Follow up appointments - Covid 19
Bypass follow up.
Follow up appointments
