Post HA consultation

[Avagra]

So many of my fellow HA friends on this group have had medication changes and consultations with their cardiologist and here’s me that’s never seen a cardiologist since my attack Oct’22 and have had to insist on a doctors appointment who is now in the process of arranging a cardiac appointment with a cardiologist.Been getting dull chest aches/zaps intermittently for several weeks and apart from that I’m fine.It appears that after a HA and pipes are fixed the follow up after is different from area to area.

[BeKind28-]

Hello

I admit that different areas do have different time frames however from Oct 22 to now over a year is a very long time in not having a follow up

I know a lot of areas are very overloaded and are tending to prioritise patients who need seeing so try taking that as a positive even though you do need that follow up and I am glad your Doctor has stepped in trying to arrange it

Keep chasing it up with your Doctor and hopefully you will get an appointment soon

Meantime you know that if anything changes you would take yourself to A&E but hopefully that will not be needed

Let us know how you get on x

[Avagra in reply to BeKind28-]

Thank you and happy new year xx

[BeKind28- in reply to Avagra]

x

[AlfredV]

Good luck, I hope you get it sorted. I haven't seen a GP since I was discharged from hospital following surgery. That was April 2020.

[Avagra in reply to AlfredV]

Thanks and happy new year

[Lowerfield_no_more]

What do your October 22 discharge notes say regarding follow up? Were you discharged back to the GP, or was there supposed to be a follow up consultation with a cardiologist in the team that were (and perhaps still are) responsible for you. Were you supposed to be offered cardio rehab? In my case I was discharged from the hospital at the end of cardio rehab by the rehab team nurse practitioner about 10 weeks after my HA and hospital stay, and never saw a cardiologist again. If you haven't heard anything by the beginning of w/c 8Jan I suggest you ring the cardiology team medical secretary to find out if the GP has been in contact and then to find out what's happening.

[Avagra in reply to Lowerfield_no_more]

Thank you

[Hrty]

It does, unfortunately, seem to vary greatly from area to area. I'm very fortunate in that the cardiac rehab has been great for where I live and I've also has several face to face clinics with my cardiologist aince my NSTEMI in Nov 22. He has now moved me to "patient led support". Keep chasing and hope you get the support you need.

[Avagra in reply to Hrty]

Thank you and all the best for 2024

[Kristi74]

Happy 😊 New Year 🥂 to everyone.

[Mentdent]

March 21 for mine. NSTEMI and stent. No rehab and only a telephone appointment with cardiologist August this year at my insistence. The reason given was pressure caused by the disease that shall not be named. A lot of people have used that excuse for not doing their jobs.

[Gilling45]

It was same for me had a HA in January 22, left the hospital, had rehab and that was that. Lots of medication and haven’t seen a cardiologist since just GP.

[gorillaqueen]

Good morning Avagra I understand how you feel. After my diagnosis of Coronary Artery Disease with multi vessel blockage things progressed swiftly and I had a triple heart bypass in November 22. However after my surgery It felt as though all they wanted to do was get you home, that’s it job done off you go, next. I do not remember anyone speaking to me to explain how the surgery went or anything. My daughter says that a doctor came and spoke to me when she was visiting but I do not remember ( drugs) My eldest daughter had conversations both directly and by phone with the medical team and has relayed this to me but no one explained anything directly to me.

I had good care recovery wise but feel completely let down regarding aftercare. I had one phone consultation with someone from the medical team approx 8 weeks after my surgery and that was it discharged. Nothing has been explained to me no real opportunity to ask questions. I am very grateful for the care I received and how quickly my problem was dealt with but feel the aftercare could certainly do with improving.

I am also extremely grateful to the cardiac rehab nurses who were very helpful and caring. I do hope you get an appointment very soon as what you are saying is unacceptable, you should not have to wait over a year for a follow up. Yes every area is different but it should not be that long. Where are you ? I’m in Kent and had my surgery in St Thomas London. I wish you good luck 🍀and please let us know how you get on. Happy New Year 🍾🥂😊

[MountainGoat52]

After my HA and stents I was referred for bypass surgery which I decided have. As a result rehab was postponed until after the surgery and there was no support from any quarter until I actually had the surgery 11 months later. It would have been good to had had some ongoing support, especially as my wife was concerned about my situation.... myself less so as I felt fine and was back walking the hills.

To have no input from health professionals for 15 months is not acceptable. I do hope that your GP is able to instigate the follow up that you should have had.

Best regards,

Gerald

[JAVA12]

My partner had his NSTEMI in February and as it was missed and he was late presenting he was only in hospital for two days as the angioplasty they attempted failed.

He was discharged with lots of meds saying he'd be followed up in out patients. When the appointment finally came through over 3 months later, we were shocked and disappointed that it was a telephone appointment.

In the meantime, he'd been going to see various GPs about symptoms especially breathlessness (as per BHF advice) but was dismissed saying he should practice box-breathing or he had cardiac neurosis.

It took a friend's wife (a doctor in Sweden) to look at his meds and suggest it was Ticagrelor that was causing it. As a result he saw another GP and mentioned this so she wrote to the cardiologist (and my partner did too) and he got a cancellation appointment pretty quickly. The Ticagrelor was swapped for Clopidogrel and his breathlessness has pretty much disappeared.

But it's been a long hard slog to get that which isn't right when you've gone through a frightening and serious health issue. I definitely recommend writing to your cardiologist if you have any concerns that are affecting your quality of life. Good luck.

[Qualipop]

Same here; discharged, refused rehab because I'm in a wheelchair and seen no one at all since HA 5 years ago until I had a horrible arrhythmia in October last year. I was told I had two f urther blockages not quite bad enough to stent but had to persuade the GP to send me for an echo and monitor to check on things. Apart from the annual blood tests by GP there's nothing else. "We unblocked your pipes now go away". Even one follow up after the HA would have helped to explain what had happened and why.

[tangotese]

I suspect delays in follow ups will increase as non-urgent unless new symotoms so GP/111 referral. 3 years ago I had a couple of phone follow ups following bypass and resulting stroke then discharged in a year but they have been good at following up newly reported symptoms /TIA but no regular check just bloods once a year if I remind GP. SE London area.

all best wishes

[Lmcroy]

hello avagra

I had my first heart attack four years ago. My second heart attack April 2023. On both occasions I had a stent fitted. Between my first and second heart attack I saw no one and no medication review within the four years. When I saw my gp it was very much well you have to make appointment and get bloods checked if you want. I feel after cardiac rehab you are very much left on your own.

I felt quite naive that after my first HA I thought that was it stent fitted and prob solved. I did not expect to have a second HA. Just turned 50.

Take care

[Avagra in reply to Lmcroy]

Thanks for replying and look after yourself