Feeling very stressed and frustrated. I have been diagnosed with triple vessel disease - 2 totally blocked arteries and the 3rd narrowed. Referred to Kings College hospital in London for a bypass. Had initial appointment with consultant 2 weeks ago. He told me it would take a couple of months to do various tests and scans but he thought I would have the operation in August. I rang the admissions officer today for an update and she said there was no way it would be done in August that I would have to wait at least 3 months. We have cancelled our holiday based on what the consultant said and I have also told my workplace. I see on the BHF website it says most people are having to wait that long and 1 in 4 are waiting 4 months. Does anyone have anything more positive to report? I'm terrified of dropping dead while I wait.
Waiting Times?: Feeling very stressed... - British Heart Fou...
Waiting Times?
Unfortunately that is just the situation we're in at the moment... wait times are just long at the moment.
If you were in immediate danger though, you would have been rushed through.
that's what the admissions officer said and the cardiologist who performed my angiogram said I have good collateralisation which the consultant confirmed. I suppose I should feel relieved that they feel I am able to wait. I am just anxious about something happening in the interim period.
As CB writes, if you had been in immediate danger you would have been fast tracked.
I was sent to the Hospital assessment unit by my GP and they kept me in until I had my quad bypass 9 days later. As has been suggested do put yourself on any cancellation list and be prepared to move fast if space becomes available.
I can not stress enough that the actual bypass operation is nothing to be feared, it is carried out by experts at the peak of their skills. . However you do need to prepare for coming home, as you will likely be pretty helpless for several weeks -depending on your age and fitness prior to your enforced holiday.
Keep phoning for updates every couple of weeks. Plus....t put yourself on the cancellation list.When someone drops out, and they do, you can be ready to take their place.You may get a few hours notice or if you are lucky a day or two. We have done this regularly and been lucky about half the time. It is well worth it.
I will do that - thank you
Hi MotherPeach
I agree with others on here, please keep calling the cardiology department every couple of weeks to check for cancellations and to see if the appointment can get moved forward.
I can imagine it’s a daunting wait. I was told I would have to wait over a year to see a cardiologist. 8 months in I called them and told them I couldn’t wait any longer as my symptoms were getting worse, so I was able to see a cardiologist the following month.
Keep pushing to get the bypass earlier if you can. In the meantime, if you’re ever worried about your symptoms, please call 111 or 999.
All the best.
Tos
Thank you very much for your help and time. It's much appreciated.
Thank you so much for your wonderful response you have really helped by just laying things out for me as they stand. I really value your honest advice. Thank you 🙏
I'm afraid that this is just how it is these days. The surgeons no longer control their own lists - its now the responsibility of the admissions managers who consult with the surgeons so that clinical need is not overlooked. Keep in touch with your GP - if that is possible. I had an outrageously long wait for my surgery and my GP was brilliant and when he thought it had gone too far he intervened. And make a good friend of that admissions manager......and let us know how you get on.
I think a positive may be it isn't as bad as you may think.When I had my first CT scan there was no rush and they said I would get the results in two weeks or so.
They called me the next day and told me to go straight to hospital, I was then confined to bed and plugged in to a monitor 24x7 and not allowed up out of bed until they could find a window to operate three weeks later.
So things may not be as bad as they appear but definitely avoid stress and anything strenuous
I am sorry to hear about the elastic date of your operation, but it is actually not quite as bad as you think. If the was a real chance of something bad happening you would probably be on the table right now.They triage patients, I went from angio and we will be giving you a stent, to oh s*** you are having a bypass in five days.but Eric in the bed oppersit had been waiting for about six months. He was in the "needs a bypass but isn't likely to die grouping" I was in the "phone your family and have a chat about things that you need to clear up while you can group"
So you can take a little bit of comfort in the fact that your team think that you can be pushed down the list, but now is the time to get the elbows out. Put the cardiac department on your speed dial and phone asking about cancelled operations, keep in touch with your doctor, I assume that you are on quite a lot of medication ask your doctor exactly what you can do day to day, that puts him/ her on the spot they don't like having to give a definite answer to this sort of question, so they will start to bother the surgical team to get your operation done and you out of their hair.
I can appreciate that missing the holiday is disappointing but the bigger picture is that you are able to be disappointed, they will give you the surgery, but as they are shifting the date it means that it's a elective surgery, important but not immediately required.
That may not be the thing you want to hear but it's probably better than the alternative.
I will keep my fingers crossed for you, now you get the Sharp elbows out and keep us posted.
Dan
Hi MotherPeach,
I’m in a very similar position to you, 2 narrowed arteries, yours is more serious though. I’ve been told it’s 4-5 months wait, ‘unless you have a heart attack before this!’ according to consultant. It’s very scary, knowing this is happening and no one doing anything about it. I just feel so rough and fatigued at the moment. I’m off work and think I may just run out of time waiting and lose my job in the mean time. I hope you get a cancellation or something happens to move it forward more quickly.
HAving recently had heart problems which could be connected to two blockages that weren't stented when I had my heart attack I was told it was at least an 8 month wait. Fortunately ( or not) I was blue lighted in on Friday and seen by cardio on Sunday who have been able to rule out the two blockages and changed my medication. It wasn't a good way to queue jump but it got results. Sadly that's how it is now. The only alternative is to go private.
My husband was in a similar situation but just waiting to see a consultant we paid in the end to see one privately and he arranged a load of tests and they stented him again, which is what was needed. We had to wait about 3-4 months between seeing the consultant and the stents. He was given blood thinners at one point as he was deteriorating and by the time he had the stents he had 99% stenosis. I think that they are expecting the medications to control the condition in a lot of cases. However he was told by the consultant that it was administration that was slowing things up and not the doctors. We actually went to another health board to get something done as our own health board were not seeing new patients until an 18 month wait and were only dealing with those in the system and not new referrals even if they were urgent. I think that you do need to nag. At one point they did want my husband to stay in hospital and be referred to the hospital where they were doing the procedure for stents the following week but as covid was on the wards my husband wanted to come home so that is when they gave him the blood thinners. Take care and nag but do not leave it.
Hi MotherPeach,I think it's the sane all over the UK unless you go private!! I was very lucky. I think my heart problem history helped too. I had three heart attacks in 3 years and 2 failed stents so I was lucky to be kept in hospital and put in the waiting list right away for a bypass I was in hospital 18 days in total, 5 of which included the bypass and recovery, so 13 days to wait till the op!! If they are asking you to wait it is because they are as sure as they can be that you are OK for now. I know it's stressful and horrible but I would just keep phoning and ask if you can be put in a cancellation list too. The operstion itself is fine honestly, but the recovery will be long. Lots if time needed to come to terms with it and just take your time getting well. The psychological recovery is the hardest and I think most people would agree with that unless they have been really lucky and not experienced anything!! You will be fine I promise you!! Let us know how everything is progressing.
Same hospital, huge catchment area. Waiting can be worrying but on the bright side at least you can wait but good advice about "dripping tap" reminders re date and being ready for a cancellation. Yes get dental care sorted asap. I had a silent heart attack July 2019 and was blue lighted and stented then promised several dates for triple bypass, each getting cancelled. Kept getting "bumped" as others in more urgent need and I needed 2 surgeons to include a new valve. The last time I was really up in arms having been guaranteed and booked live in care for my husband living with dementia (£2,000 a week) and really went to town with complaint and got surgery a few days after in December 2019. I was lucky no time to worry due to caring role but tought if you get anxious. Holiday is least of your concerns just postpone till a year after when you will really enjoy it without worry and yes be prepared for being looked after if you are lucky when you get home. Lots of luck.
Just getting used to the idea of having to wait 3 months for my bypass and lo and behold the Kings college hospital website is now saying that 9/10 patients are having to wait up to 22 weeks for surgery! I just feel so let down and that I'm going to die before I get there ☹️
My fiancé was told he needed a triple bypass in September 2019 after stents couldn’t be placed and had his bypass at the end of Jan 2020 (this was before the what’s recently happened to extend the waiting lists.) Approx 18 weeks I think. We understood (although the wait was terrifying, that those most at risk and most ill would rightly get surgery first.)
He had his pre op appointment just before xmas in 2019 and the results of this showed that the bypass was now urgent (guessing it hadn’t been before) and had it done within a month of being told this (at a private hospital paid for by NHS as it would be quicker.)
I have to say as soon as it became urgent things moved very quickly (he was also offered the chance to go on the short notice cancellation list but chose not to.) he didn’t even get the chance to have the dental check up etc before surgery due to Christmas and New Year closures.
I hope you get a date soon.
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