Hi all, l am going into Hospital in September following a CT Angiogram which revealed that my left coronary artery was showing signs of blocking up.
I have been referred for a coronary Angiogram, which depending what they find may proceed to stenting.
I am taking 10mg of prednisolone at present and wondered if the surgeon has to take any special measures due to the steroids?
Do any of you have experience of this situation?.
It used to be felt that a supplemental dose of pred was needed for surgery but the more recent practice has been to monitor the patient carefully post-surgery. It depends on the operator and their preference. You just need to make sure they know you are on pred. At a dose of 10mg you should be pretty much OK - that is more than your body needs anyway.
The angioplasty (inserting a stent) isn't a massive insult to the body - particularly when you remember this fairly much replaces coronary bypass ops with a nice big scar down from just below your throat half-way to your waist and the joy of having your sternum split so they can get at the heart! That, I'm told, was the worst bit!
If you are on an anticoagulant (warfarin) you'll need to stop that no doubt but you will have a pre-op consultation, usually a week or so beforehand, where they will ask all about current medication and tell you what to do about that. You'll be conscious, they just use local anaesthetic, and will be observed for a few hours afterwards so if you feel ill you can tell them.
Thanks PMRPro, glad to hear the pred is not going to be a hindrance in getting this done, I've had angioplasty before but unfortunately I am having to take more drugs now including the dreaded prednisolone.
Thank you again for your reassurance .
Actually, of course if you've had investigations to know this needs doing they should be well aware of your clinical history and medications - so it is up to them to make sure you are not on anything that would cause a problem. But for extra reassurance - check with your GP. If he doesn't know he should be able to find out.
My father in law had triple bypass in November 2014. The surgery was successful. he is fortunate to have had such a good team of doctors and nurses. When he woke up with the breathing tube he was not happy! Thankfully he came out soon and it all now seems like a dream. he is grateful for the lifesaving surgery after 3 heart attacks and 4 stents. He still had major blockages and had to have the surgery. He is hopeful for a long life.
Here you can read the detailed info:
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