Hello, My husband aged 38 recently went in for an Angiogram, and was told that the blockages were so severe he would need a coronary artery Bypass graft, he was diagnosed with Severe triple Vessel disease and sent home, and told to wait for an appointment.
He has had no further information to this, and feels in limbo like he is a heart attack waiting to happen ( he has not had a heart attack previously) he has tried contacting the consultants secretary, only to get a response a week later saying she was on holiday and it had now been referred to the surgeon.
He has been suffering with chest pain for 2 years, and was initially referred by his GP in June 2023, was seen in rapid access chest pain Clinic in July 2023, and had a CT angiogram in April 2024, followed by the invasive angiogram in August 2024. He is now on lots of medication, including a GTN spray but he has no idea what the process is or what time frame he is looking at.
Does anyone have any experience of having a CABG prior to heart attack and how long they waited, I appreciate different NHS trusts will differ. Rightly so he is concerned about the mention of 'Severe' in his notes. He is really struggling with the lack of information he has received.
Thanks
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Hart2202
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There are members on here that have had Bypasses without having a heart attack and hope when they see your post they will reply
I had heart attacks and then a triple Bypass
Once they did an angiogram after my third heart attack and found that I needed a triple Bypass I waited about 3 months to have the op
I know this can vary but I am sure as soon as they can they will do the op in the meantime the meds he is on our helping to protect him so that is a positive
Try not to focus to much on the word severe I imagine all of us having to have Bypasses might have had that written as this is mostly the reason they do this op and even though he does need it doing if they thought it was an emergency they would have kept him in but they must feel he can wait at home on the medications they have given to help
Make sure and ask that he can also go on the cancellation list as sometimes for one reason or another cancellations can happen and if he will go in at short notice then that has happened before and people have had their ops quicker so always worth been on that list to
If it has now been referred to the Surgeon that is good as they are so good in what they do and with the results and scans etc they get sent they know how fast they need to act so that actually is a positive a Surgeon is now going to be looking at his case
There are the BJF Nurses that are really good in answering any questions you may want to give them a ring
Staying as healthy as he can with diet and gentle walks is something he can be doing to make sure he is as fit as he can be ready for the op
My age 44.. pain on 13th July during run.. Angioplasty and stent placed on 17th.. Referred to surgeon for CABGx3 ... had first appointment with him on 27th Aug and he told to wait till mid to end October for surgery.. I am on medication till then to prevent an attack.. hopefully these medicine works till surgery..
thanks for your response, he was seen in rapid chest pain clinic in July 2023!! i am hoping his appointment on the 19th will give him a date for surgery!
I was almost exactly the same. Told of needing a CABG at the time of the angiogram. It was about a month or so for a conversation with the cardiothoracic surgeon and then a further five months for the op.
In the meantime, you find yourself not knowing how serious the blockage or artery disease is, but the professionals don't seem overly alarmed if it's stable angina and you are managing it well and not over doing things - hopefully this is your case. Make sure to ask at appointments.
The wait is frustrating, but I dealt that with keeping busy and the belief that the op is for the better in the long run. Hope all goes well and the wait isn't too long - keep as fit as you can and keep a good diet as you can prior to the op!
Hi I had a triple bypass 3 months ago. No heart attack diagnosis of angina early December and angiogram mid Jan and told while still on the table that it was worse than expected and would require triple bypass .saw consultant in March and told it would be 6 months waiting list . I'm in scotland and involved a round trip of 350 miles to visit him for 5 minutes However I went downhill in may and after contact from my Dr was taken in a week later for the operation. So I would say a waiting list is only a guide if your condition changes so does your place on the list as they really would prefer us not to have a heart attack.
I found the BHF site the best source of information that's how I realised my condition had changed and required a visit to Dr.
The waiting is hard but as long as you are stable he should be fine but if anything changes make sure to contact your Dr the cardiologist seems to take their opinion more than mine 😅 hopefully the waiting list will be shorter in your area but this site is the best thing I found while waiting and we all understand the anxiety involved 😊
38 is very young. Is that a heart condition that runs in the family or does he need to adjust his lifestyle (with medical approval) in order to get fitter or lose weight for example?
The better condition he is in when it comes to the operation the quicker he will recover.
Hopefully holidays are ending and he will be able to get better guidance from the secretary or consultant.
Hi I had the same 2.5 years ago with no previous heart attack.I think there must be degrees of severe as I wasn't allowed to leave hospital and was put straight in to bed attached with monitors 24x7 until they could find a slot for an operation and that took a month of waiting. So hopefully some comfort there.
I would say that your husband should absolutely be careful and not over strenuous in any way. Avoiding having a heart attack before the CABG will really help especially in terms of rehabilitation.
Worth asking if you can get the operation in some other hospital as often some will have capacity while others are permanently rammed.
Hi last august I collapsed on my mountain bike never smoked or drank, got taken to hospital had a angiogram was told I need a triple bypass and they said I had angina. Was given a spray and meds. I waited 10 Months for my operation had my operation this June at Brighton hospital. The nurses and doctors were beautiful, it's the system that is bad, they saved my life I am now back doing my sport. You will be okay it's the shock of it all, keep on to the hospital and your G.P. keep taking the spray if you want to ask me any questions you can. Take care and I hope you don't wait long for your operation.❤️
I was diagnosed in April 2023 with Coronary Artery Diseas. My initial symptom was unstable Angina usually at night when lying down. My disease was very severe with 90% in the first branch of my LAD. This was classed as the widow maker. The second blockage was on my right coronary artery disease at 70%. The third blockage was at the very bottom of my LAD that my surgeon decided not to operate on as it wouldn't cause me any issue.
Whatever his fitness is I would recommend for him to go daily walks and try not to dwell on it.
If he is overweight, I would definitely recommend him to lose weight. I started to lose weight before my diagnosis and I lost 25kg in total which I have kept off.
I waited just over 4 months from my initial Cardiologist appointment to the op but I was private.
13 month on and I am off all meds and I have cycled 2600kms since April.
You have the right to know what the percentage of the blockages are but I believe anything above 80% is severe.
Not having a heart attack is the best blessing anyone can have as I am not on any meds that accompany anyone with a heart attack.
That's the best positive news that you can hold onto and I wish you guys a very quick journey.
thank you for your reply, he is having trouble with sleeping as he is getting the pain when lying down, i don't know whether he told them about this, it seems to be happening more frequently. He has an appointment with the Surgeon next week and i have told him he needs to tell them about this.
The worst part of it was sleeping on my back, around week 9, I could sleep on my left side and by week 14, I could sleep on my right side.Even after this for the next 3 months it was sore after sleeping on my side.
The nerve pain in the leg was pretty bad and slept with the leg outside of the cover.
That took nearly 12 month to manage but still today have some pain around the ankle scar.
It's not an easy journey but a journey that I am so glad I went down.
I have a raised chest scar with Keltoids but currently the sun in Greece is helping to break up the Cortisone in this scar.
It seems for now at least, that your husband is "sorted"! He has been seen to and has been given medications until he can undergo more intvasive treatments, unfortunately the waiting lists are long.
If he gets any worse just take him up to accident emergency.
Very wise words on here as always, please take comfort that they are coming from people with direct experience here. And I say that as someone who went in for my double CABG last Tuesday and came out Sunday.
I had a 99% blockage on my left anterior and another 70% elsewhere. Doctors were not overly concerned and just put me on the pathway to pre op tests and then a wait for surgery. As others have said these doctors know who needs immediate attention and who can wait a little, they are the experts.
They are also so dedicated. After my surgery at 8 am on the Tuesday my surgeon and his registrar came to see me at 1:40 on the Wednesday having not yet gone home. He had done two CABG that day then stayed on for an emergency. He promptly returned at 9 am Wednesday morning to check up on me again..
Thanks, and i completely appreciate they are the experts and know who needs immediate attention and who doesn't, but he has been told nothing, and has been given no reassurance that he falls in to the ' can wait a little category'. its the waiting and lack of information that is causing him distress, if he knew it was going to be 3, 6, 8 months and they reassured him that that's ok, i think he would be managing it much better.
Hi, my husband is waiting for a triple CABG and has not had a heart attack. He had his preop three weeks ago and we were told they should perform the surgery within three months or they have to do preop again. Unfortunately it’s not the surgeon that causes the delays, it’s intensive care beds being available. I have a niece who is a senior cardiac nurse. These can be taken up in an instant if someone is rushed in as an emergency. We were told to go to A&E immediately if my husband became unwell or his chest pain became worse.
My husband was told in April this year he would need a triple bypass and that it could be up to a 9 month wait. We heard nothing again until the end of August when he was told his operation would be on 2nd October. I think this is pretty usual but if he has concerns the BHF nurses should be able to reassure him and so many kind people on here who have been through what you and your husband are and will have advice. As many have said he is very young which is all to the good when it comes to recovery (my husband is 79) but of course a great shock that he need a bypass. I wish you both good luck on your journey and let us know how you get on.
On the BHF website , chat option or get a call back . They have been a great resource for me after quadruple bypass following Nstemi heart attack July 2023.
I posted quite a bit ( with monthly photo updates, might help hubby see the improvements ) on my rehab and journey. Wishing your hubby and you the best outcome , speedy and comfortable rehab. Loving my rebirth ❤️❤️❤️
I had the same experience, I went in for an angiogram at Southampton General Hospital with the possibility of a stent, but was told that I would need a triple bypass. Enormous shock as I was not getting angina pain and hadn't had a heart attack. I was immediately put on various meds including Isosorbide Mononitrate which dilates blood vessels and mitigates the effects of the severe stenosis I had, thus reducing the chances of a heart attack.
This was on 13th of March this year and I went in for the op on 6th June having had a surgeon consult on 4th of April. Because I am the sole carer for my disabled wife, my experience in this may not be typical but the surgeon was expecting a three month wait and was surprised the op date came quicker.
I was able to do most of the things I normally did in between the diagnosis and op, but cut down my regular swimming from 5K a weekto 4K. I wasn't given much info on the severity of my condition after the initial release notes following the angiogram but the release notes had quite a lot of detail in them.
I was told by people I knew that had already had the same operation that if I had a dangerous condition, they wouldn't have let me out of the hospital. Just over three months on, and having been signed off by the cardiac surgeon, if I can give any advice to anyone it would be to not listen to your worst fears in the absence of information. Talk to the BHF, perhaps your GP, or anyone you know who has been through the whole process. You may be surprised how many people have had successful open heart surgery once you start talking about it. Anyway, I wish you both the very best for your future and hope your husband gets a date soon.
I am 52 and I got diagnosed with heart disease in June 2024. I had an angioplasty procedure yesterday at St Thomas's in London and was told while lying on the table that more arteries were blocked so they took lots of images didn't put in any stents and had a meeting with the surgeons today, they have decided that I should have a heart bypass operation and I have to wait to have a meeting with the cardiologist and surgical team. The Dr that did the angioplasty said if I decided on stents then I would need 5 and because of my age he thinks a bypass would be better for me. I am feeling very overwhelmed by it all and scared.
Had my CABG x 3 in April. Similar situation - went for angiogram and expected stent (at worst) and told during procedure that CABG was advised. Met my surgeon two days later who confirmed diagnosis and put me on waiting list. Expected wait was 10 months but I elected to go private and was operated on within the month. The potential wait for me was the worst from a mental perspective I asked the surgeon what could happen and he said probably nothing but no one knows what will happen tomorow and that i should take it easy! The op and recovery have been a challenge but my surgeon and the medical team have been superb throughout and although it was all a big shock and very scary I’m just happy that I was diagnosed before anything really bad happened e.g. heart attack. Tell your hubby to talk to the medical team and get as much info and support as possible. Best wishes for the op.
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3 weeks post CABG surgery
stopping medication
HA and further blockages
Worried 
