Stents

[lbuxton]

Hi my husband suffered cardiac arrest 4 1/2 years ago. This has left him disabled and severe hypoxia brain injury and needs 24/7 care. He has never had any intervention as it was feared bypass would give him further brain injury. He has been managing quite fine with medication up until this year. He has recently had two heart attacks. Cardiologist now feels he needs stents. Question I want to ask is after these stents have been put in will his breathing improve and his general fitness. Walking etc at the present time he cannot do

Much in the way of fitness. Thankyou.

[bridgeit]

I can offer thoughts about cardiac stents, but I'm not medically trained.

I know a couple of people who've had stents in relation to cardiac issues and they say that life has returned to them, with some adjustments. They can exercise and enjoy activity without the previously ever-present breathlessness and exhaustion. These are both active people, who enjoy exercise and generally being out and about. Both are over 70 years of age.

Both are also now on blood thinners, which bring their own set of problems. This was considered an acceptable trade-off for improved quality of life.

However, I am aware that the bane of stent surgery is re-occlusion, where the vessel becomes blocked again and needs revision work. This can be repetitive and happens more frequently than surgeons would like to see. My limited understanding is that this is more likely to happen when someone is inactive and has co-morbidity issues.

I think you could do with more information about risks, benefits and trade-offs. I suggest having a word with your husband's GP and taking a look at the British Heart Foundation website if you haven't already done so. Here's link to the 'stent' section:

bhf.org.uk/search?keyword=s...

I hope this is helpful and that others with more personal experience soon reply to you.

[lbuxton in reply to bridgeit]

Thankyou

[Pairofboots]

Hi, any procedure has pros and cons. Previously the risks to your husband may have been considered too great. But decisions based on risk change over time. If they do nothing at this point, what is the prognosis? This may improve your husband's quality of life. I hope that the care team will give you enough information to make an informed decision.

Best wishes 🍀

[lbuxton in reply to Pairofboots]

Thankyou