Hi everyone in September 2020 I had one stent fitted in my main LAD artery which was 75% blocked. Ive been on Ticagrelor, Aspirin and Atorvastatin ever since. I feel great, exercising, eating as healthily as I can (albeit not as strict as I was in the beginning). My question is Ive started to worry about the future and if the artery with the stent it could reblock? and if so how long would it take? My other arteries were clear apparently. Ive never had high cholesterol, lead a healthy lifestyle, always exercised so they didnt understand why this happened to me but said the plaque could have been building up since I was a young girl. I know nobody has a crystal ball but is there anyone who has only every had one stent for a long time?
Can a stent reblock?: Hi everyone in... - British Heart Fou...
Can a stent reblock?
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Lizbeth61
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Interesting question and sadly I don't know the answer to this.
However, I had bypass surgery in June 2017 preceded by an angiogram in January 2017 which only identified the initial blockage.
In October 2021 I again suffered angina pain and was sent to hospital and ended up having 2 stents fitted by drilling out the artery, the doctors carrying out this procedure said they were surprised that the stents were needed as there were no indications in 2017 of any problems.
I now take 80 mgs of Atorvastatin and another statin enhancer even though when tested my cholesterol is low.
So while I have no idea if a stent can become blocked in my case within 5 years 2 more arteries had furred up needing stenting!
I hope that helps?
Hi Heather, thanks for your reply, sorry you had to go through a further procedure 5 years later I guess I can only hope that my arteries will behave themselves over the next how many years! Ive never heard of arteries being drilled out, glad you are ok now
Rotablation (drilling) is becoming more and more common. It allows a stent to be fitted where in the past it would have required a bypass.
How lucky are we to live in a society that has that medical advancement!
Amazing! They were considering a bypass with me as the blockage was at the mouth of the artery but thankfully they managed to stent it. Keep well Heather x
Would disturbing the plaque during drilling not lead to loose plaque and possible clot or blockage ?
That is a possibility but it is also a possibility during an angiogram (plaque loosening). I speak from experience has I had a mild stroke following my angiogram which luckily left me with nothing more than an occasional mild twitch in my right hand although it was a little worse when it happened.
They get us to sign documents accepting that these things may happen and we accept the risk.
I believe there is a risk of early restenosis (blocking back up) with all stent placements, but this is typically only for several months, a period you have passed.
Beyond that, I don't think it is much different from the rest of your coronary arteries. If you are able to address the issues which led to the blockage in the first place (typically some sort of chronic inflammation), then there's no reason not to enjoy a long and healthy life.
Hi Alfred thanks for your reply yes I was aware that in the first year there is a higher risk of restenosis. And hopefully I am doing enough now to prevent another blockage. A long and healthy life to you too
"My question is Ive started to worry about the future and if the artery with the stent it could reblock? and if so how long would it take?"
There's good news and there's bad news. let's get the bad news out of the way first.
Our heart disease/atheroschlorosis is both incurable and progressive. Which means stents or bypass surgery don't actually provide a lasting fix, we've got this disease for life. And left to it's own devices it will only keep getting worse.
Therefore the answer to your question is that if you live long enough then it's virtually certain that you'll have future problems with more arterial blockages. No-one can predict exactly when, but your GP can calculate and quantify your risk of a heart attack or stroke. In fact you can calculate these for yourself as the software that the NHS uses is public domain.
Now for some good news. Even though we can't cure our heart disease most of us can, with a bit of luck, slow its progress to an absolute crawl. We have two (but only two) weapons in our armouries, medication and life style changes. When I found myself in circumstances similar to yours I took some time to reflect on exactly how I would use those two weapons to their absolute fullest extent. I suspect that when many people go through this exercise they discard the stuff that's inconvenient or unpleasant, and end up with a few token gestures. But this is a chance to use our "worry"constructively and really get on top of both our medication and all the life style changes that the NHS and the BHF recommends. There are quite a few of them. Some, like 150 minutes of serious exercise per week are pretty challenging. Others, like reducing sodium to no more than 2.5mg per day, a bit less so. But it's not a list of options, we need to get them all done.
But do that and the prize is pretty amazing, many extra years of active, healthy life. To put that in context, a 61 year old woman like yourself, who has managed all of her risk factors to within NHS guidelines, has only a 5.1% chance of a heart attack or stroke within the next ten years.
They're not bad odds.
Good luck!
Hi Chappychap, once again thanks for very informative reply. I will take all of this on board and try not to worry too much about the future as long as I stick to the BHF guidelines as best I can. Thanks for the Odds too. Good to know! Merry Christmas to you and yours 
Do you have a link to the NHS software you quote on risk or give a pointer to how to Google it? Thanks.
I'll answer your question with the "start chat" facility.
Hi there, thanks for your reply. I think you are right maybe what I thought was a "healthy" diet wasn't quite so in my early years growing up ie alot of meat and dairy. I eat very little red meat now, mostly fish, chicken and lots of vegetables. For some reason now I have developed a sweet tooth which I never had before bizarrely! So probably need to cut down on the sugar. Once again thanks for your reply and Merry Christmas to you too!
Thanks for your reply much appreciated
I had one in 2014. Had scans in 2021 and it was still OK.
Hi Lizbeth,Based on my own experience the answer is yes! I had a stent fitted on 2010 which was resented again in 2015. Earlier this year I had an angiogram to investigate why I was getting increasing angina pains and my LAD was blocked again in the very same place. I was offered a by pass which I am now recovering from. The interesting things for me is I have controlled cholesterol (3.6) and have been on stations since 2002! Also all my other arteries are in reasonably good condition. I noticed on the angio photo that the position where the blockage occured there was a strong fold or curvature in the LAD. Did this contribute to accumulation of plaque always in the same place?
My conclusion is that we are all different both in our physiology and response to diet, lifestyle, and medication. It is difficult to find holistic advice on the controversial issue of CHD that fits everybody.
Keep positive and listen to your intuition! Wishing you a long and healthy future.
Hi there. Thanks for your reply. Interesting to read whats happened to you. I am sorry you had to eventually have a by pass but glad to hear you are recovering well. Thank you for your kind wishes and the same back to you too
Hi- I think it’s very interesting you’re mentioning a strong curvature of the artery where you had a blockage- O’level/GCSE geography and rivers springs to mind! I too had low cholesterol, slim, healthy diet (though plenty carbs), cycled a lot and got a blockage- I also have had hiatus hernia plus slept ‘very still’, on the left - I now change my position far more, and the left often aches anyway so sleep more in the right - but I wonder if the blockage was also a slow zone, catching little bits to form a nice bank?! I wonder what research is being done on the ‘No obvious reasons’ folks? Stay moving in any case! All the best.
I’m wondering why you are still on Ticagrelor more than a year after stenting. It’s normal to stop after a year. It is used to stop restenosis for the first 12 months as this is the time when a stent can block up. Please speak to your doctor as I suspect that the current situation in GP world has lead to no one picking up on this. I am a pharmacist
hi Jenny. My cardiologist advised me to continue for three years due to a study that was done on Ticagrelor ie there was some benefit to continuing the treatment for up to three years so I agreed. 60mg twice a day along with 80mg atorvastatin and 75mg aspirin. I will come off Ticagrelor in September 2023.
Following stenting of my LAD two years ago I was prescribed Ticagrelor 90mg for one year followed by Ticagrelor 60mg for life, together with aspirin. Is this normal ??
I was on Ticagrelor 90 for a year + Aspirin 75. Then just Aspirin 75.
I have been prescribed Ticagrelor 90mg for a year after having two stents. This has just been reduced to 60mg (at the end of year 1). I will stay on it for another 2 years before coming off, whilst continuing with my Aspirin, Statins and Beta - Blockers.
tTheyre changing the protocols by the sounds of it. Interesting
Hi liz 2yr on im on same tabs as you im ok blocked main artery was dead for 45 min ..iv got my problems . Mentaly physically..hope this helps happy Christmas...
To JennyRx , as a pharmacist if you aren't, you should be aware of current NICE guidelines for high risk cases (eg multiple vessel disease, high stent count) is to continue ticagrelor at 60 mg bid for up to a further 3 years. I'm on 60mg after being on 90mg for the first year along with aspirin, statins and mild blood pressure medication.
It's possible the OP has been forgotten about, it's also possible their cardiologist has decided to continue if the ticagrelor is well tolerated.
This patient has a single stent. So seems to not fit the high risk category. But from what I understand different Cath labs are using different protocols beyond and outside NICE guidelines usually through research study schemes.
For me it's a no-brainer with an NSTEMI that caused no heart damage but ending up with 6 stents in 2 arteries I'll take any meds I can to reduce my chances of further issues!
My husband had second ha twenty months after first, then after his second he needed another stent as first had blocked , he did have symptoms when it blocked. So it was dealt with privately during lockdown. I think he was told that stents usually cause issues within first year normally if they are going to. Please try not to overthink, if you have symptoms obviously get them checked. . Latest procedure was early 2021 . He is now 76 and has high cholesterol which he is on meds for.
I had one stent in LAD in 2016, and it's working fine .
Many ppl stents are working fine since 20 years ,and some failed in 6 months.
Don't think about it. Take your medicines regularly . Follow healthy life style. You can even eat unhealthy foods sometimes.
🙂
Enjoy your life.
thanks FarhanH. Positive thinking and good to hear you are fine 6 years later
Yeah, this is what I"m trying to do, too. My boss's father lived 30 years(!!!) with a stent, surviving until his mid 90s. I, on the other hand, well, let's just say the first stents I had were a "trial run." But I am trying to control the factors that I can, but genetics in my case (Lipoprotein A) are working against me...
Hi, I had 3 stents fitted 5 years ago, I was on anti platelets for a year after that. This year I had a angiogram and my stents were ok. I’ve heard various comments on stent longevity , whatever time scale is mentioned I guess makes us anxious.
From what I understand we have to do our best to keep healthy through diet and exercise . I’ve been on ‘ phase 4 ‘ ( external to the hospital and paid for by myself ) exercise since my stents were fitted . In this case is around 3 hours exercise a week from a cardiac trainer. My diet isn’t always as good at it should I must admit. Being aware of our condition and what we can do about it helps I guess.
This year I was diagnosed with prostate cancer and had major operation which I was worried about my heart coping with. So I’m blessed to have come through the operation.
I’m also intrigued why you’re still on anti platelets over a year after your procedure. Sometimes you have to remind your doctor how long you’ve been on them.
I wish you the very best and a merry Christmas 🎄
hi Oaks6 thanks for your reply. Good to know your stents are still ok 5 years later. Can I ask why you had another angiogram? And well done on the cardio exercise. I run twice a week around 3k each time and also walk 6km every day i need to get back into the gym again. I am sorry about your cancer diagnosis but pleased to hear you came through your op ok this is good news.
Re the anti platlets my cardiologist advised me to stay on them for another two years. I am aware it’s normally only one year apparently there was a study on Ticagrelor which showed some benefits to 3 years of treatment i imagine I will come off it in September next year wont miss the bruises! Merry Christmas to you too
The reason I had a angiogram was that I had a heart attack in June, I think it could have been the operation in April and /or stress might have contributed to it. I’m on Clopidogrel for a year. I’m open to continuing if it’s beneficial.
hello I had my first stent 21 yrs ago then another 2 in may this year plz try not to worry like me I did at first but now I have total heat failure but I still get on with things yes it’s hard but we just have too get on with life what will be will be happy Christmas and I hope you have a great new yr xx
A stent is a pipe. Like any pipe it can block
Dairy products are now considered by many to be a good thing. Fashions and medicine changes.
I Had 2 stents and they worked for only 6 months due to Restentosis think thats how its spelt resulting in me having to have a Bypass . I think usually stents work perfectly well though i was unfortunate. But im doing ok now . I Hope you are doing good health wise .
sorry to hear you were unlucky but glad you are doing ok now. Im doing fine thanks
Don't want to tempt fate but I had 3 fitted 2008.Don't think there is a problem although now have AFib.
At only 61 I would be surprised if the technology would be the same should you need treatment in the future.
oh my your early years diet does sound delicious but can you imagine eating like that now! i don’t think we had quite so much meat as you did LOL. You made me chuckle thank you. Keep well
I had 2 stents at the time of my heart attack. I was referred for bypass surgery and was told by the Cardiologist / Surgeon that I had two options. Although I was (and indeed had been) doing the right things in respect of lifestyle, his evaluation was that I might need further intervention in around 10 years if I had further stents to deal with the remaining moderate narrowing of the arteries, whereas a bypass should give me 25 years. This was his personal opinion in respect of my situation. I opted for the bypass operation and one of the bypass grafts actually bypasses the stents.
thanks for your reply. I was told that a may need a by pass but i so didnt want one at the time and was relieved they were able to stent it. But yes ive heard that too ie that a bypass is a longer fix. Keep well
my cardiologist told me story of a patient who just consulted prior to me. The patient had 3 stents installed a couple of year ago and had to get another procedure on the same stent location which got blockage again. So i asked why only a couple of years, apparently, patient after recovering went back to his old ways.
Me, i had 3x cabg more than a year ago, and im not going back to my old ways.
thanks for your reply. All the more reason to keep to the program of a healthy lifestyle!
I’ve been wondering the same thing, Lizbeth. I have two stents. I hope you get some answers!
Hi I had a heart attack in 2001 I've had 2 stents one needed one precautionary in 2001 I don't have anymore angina and haven't suffered since I take a statin everyday 40mg .I believe the stents are coated with something and I hope you don't worry to much .I never think about it anymore
Hi Wellservicer, thank you for your reply this is so good to hear you are well all these years later! Keep well and Merry Christmas!
After my stent was fitted the consultant said I must take statins and he was happy as long as my total cholesterol was comfortably below 4.
I think this is the most important element to prevent further blockages.
10 years after ha and still going strong.
Good luck
And a very merry Xmas and happy new year to you also,and please try not to worry .I'm sure your cardiologist is keeping a big beady eye on you .with I think your annual check up at your local docs
Hi Lizbeth, I had an unnoticed heart attack in 2006, when I was 58 yrs old. My GP said it is mascular pain. I was treated after 12 hours. Due to 80% block in LAD, stent was fitted. Things were ok. After 16 yrs, I had chest pain. Angiogram showed 4 blocks including one at the mouth of LAD. I hv undergone bypass with 4 grafts in Feb,2021. Today after 1 yr 10 month, I am feeling fine. Reason for blocks- I stopped taking blood thinner & Statin tablets after 2012-6 yrs after fitting stent, thinking I am fit & fine. All the time,My total cholesterol is within limits, LDL is also ok, HDL is low. I don't know, why & how my arteries are getting blocked. At 75 yrs age, I am fit & fine. So don't worry, take blood thinner & statin tablets as per doctor's advice & enjoy life. Wish you a healthy & happy future life.
Hi Jayshreepower thank you so much for your reply. Good to know it was 16 years before you had to have further treatment I wonder if it was partly to do with you stopping the statins and blood thinners as you say, strange that your total cholesterol all that time remained within the limits too as was mine Ive never had high cholesterol. Wishing you too the best of health for the future!
Hi how are you...can I ask how does gum disease affect the heart please
Hi there… I do wonder the same. I had one stent in August as 99% block. Apparently genetic as I did have a fairly good lifestyle in think, two others are 45 and 55 blocked but not considered severe enough to do. I came out feeling amazing and full of life and energy. Now, however, I seem to have a constant funny feeling back in middle of chest and there is a dry feeling up to my throat. Feels funny in back of throat too. Not sure if unrelated but how would you know. I wish you could have a follow up angiogram after fist year maybe. Though I realize this is unrealistic as so costly 🤔
Hi there, thanks for your response, seems like alot of us on here are wondering the same! If you are still not feeling great I would say go back to your GP or cardiologist to be on the safe side. Yes I know I wonder if having another angiogram or CT scan would help but what if it only showed up further blocked arteries which were not severe enough to stent as in your case perhaps that would make us worry more! The cardiologist said to me to keep exercising as that was the best thing I could do to keep my heart healthy and would show up any further issues ie if we remain stationary we would never really know if there was a problem until it may be too late
There have been a variety of books on food this last year. The one I got was called 'The Great plant based con' by Jayne Buxton. It is full of peer reviewed references and large parts of it make good sense and can be checked.
I wish I could have a pound for everyone on this forum who says they have been eating healthily yet still had heart or other problems so perhaps healthy needs to be redefined.
At the very least its a good read even if you ignore the findings. . As a vegetarian I bought it because I am fed up with meeting vegans who believe their diet will save the world. It won't and potentially they are harming themselves
It is a bit of a double edged sword isn’t it. But I’m totally with you, I’m walking lots and planning to get back to gym in New Year. Also got a team entering London to Brighton bike ride next year, so need to get training for that. I told surgeon I was going to try and raise the 8,750 my op would have cost privately and pay back to our cardio unit. So grateful to have been diagnosed and treated. Many are struggling to get seen. You have a great Christmas and New Year and keep doing what you are doing I would say 😍
yes it can
Hi Lizbeth61 , just a reminder that content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and your doctor. Please avoid making any changes to your medication or advising others to do the same, without speaking to a health professional first.
Many thanks,
HU_Moderator
Lizbeth61 in reply to
Sorry but I wasnt advising anyone to make changes to their medication or indeed changing mines without the advice of my doctor. My post seems to have been jumped upon by people with differing opinions. I was simply asking the question if anyone who had one stent had suffered another blockage
You have just made my point for me. Most vegans I know are vegans because they want to save the planet. When you look at the total overall context then promoting meat as a major contributor to greenhouse gases is highly debatable. What about soya or coconut or Almond milk? Servers via our phones and computers or batteries etc ? all are larger creators of greenhouse gases and many are put to trivial use.
It is you that brought up saturated Fats. I think the book makes good arguments and is very well referenced. That is not to say I agree with everything in it but it is certainly thought provoking and the opportunity is there to research some of the references and see if you agree with the conclusions. The author is open to discussion by email and is a highly competent researcher and started with no vested interest which can not be said about most who write on nutrition who have their own fiercely defended views.
I don't remember anything about statins in the book. What is acceptable in food and drink often changes and currently cheese eggs red wine coffee etc are thought ok whereas a little while ago they were on the 'banned' list. So I don't think we know everything and no doubt what we should and shouldn't eat will change over the years.
Incidentally as regards CO2 don't forget that 96% of all co2 derives from nature and 98% is in the ocean. Of the 4% from man the UK contributes 1% of mans total contrbution. If the UK were to disappear tomorrow the world wouldn't notice. Ruining our farming industry for nothing doesnt strike me as sensible and if we want to blame man then China and India need to be the ones to be tackled.
Hi , I can understand your worries and concerns particularly if your cholesterol was not high. As you say it could well been a slow build up. I am about to go into hospital tomorrow for the third time to possibly have one or two stents fitted. I have the one in 5 variant of a ramus intermediate artery. My cholesterol is 3.8 and they have tried medication as its right on the branch so a very risky option. From what I have read it would not be impossible for a blockage. The only thing you can do is follow up your concerns with a GP. Mine was only picked up because I was lucky enough to be have private health care via work and a persistent cough and shortness of breath was my first symptoms.
My point was that we have been learning about nutrition for thousands of years and regularly change what is acceptable to eat or not eat. I don't believe we are at the end of that process and think we have still a lot to learn about nutrition and we will find things that were acceptable today that may not be so in the future and possibly vice versa.
As regards China I am looking at the data now. That country is by far the biggest culprit for emissions. It makes our dairy and meat industry look puny.
The book provides lots of interesting facts and many suppositions. Its fair enough if meat and dairy are off the menu for you. I haven't eaten meat since I was 13.
As long as the mut roasts dont taste of meat! This is becoming increasingly common as makers of meals seem to believe the only way to encourage vegetarians and vegans is to make it taste exactly like meat.
A happy Christmas to you
yes, I’m on 80g of that 🤔
just found it odd what the moderator said as I hadnt said anything to anyone about changing medication they clearly hadnt read all the posts. Got my back up this morning. Unjust
Thank you. Happy Christmas to you too
Oh, 80mg is a high dose too. Maybe it is that? I am six months post op in Feb so maybe they will decrease my dose then. I will definitely ask about it. Did you also have a dry raspy feeling going from chest to back of throat? Feeling like a bit of a lump in throat too? I would be so happy if it was my meds. Thank you…
I am like you, if it is medication I can put up with it. Just gets you worrying you are re-blocking sometimes. I think it’s a different sensation to before tho. So hard to be sure. I am 64 and had a pretty healthy diet before. Also eat no meat and exercise quite a bit. My cholesterol just shot up over about two years and it had always been really good. Now they think my problem is genetic, which is a bummer as food and exercise alone won’t do it alone. Thanks again tho. Sort of glad we are similar too.
MilkfairyHeart Star
My husband had a stent inserted into his left anterior descending LAD coronary artery 12 years ago.
His artery was 95-99% occluded.
He was in his mid 40's.
He has had no problems with angina since. He has developed atrial fibrillation in the last few years.
His stress echo 2 years ago showed everything was okay.
I live with a less common type of angina that is poorly understood. My Cardiologist has already told me I must try not to develop obstructive coronary artery disease on top of my angina without obstructed coronary arteries.
I have decided not to worry about what ifs.
I do my part to keep my heart healthy, take my medication and I am monitored by my Cardiologist.
Enjoy life.
Have a lovely Christmas and Happy New Year!
Hi how are you , maybe ask does gum disease have a big effect on our arteries, my dentist told me no connection, but a friend said it does ? Thank you 😊
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