Reopening blocked artery

[Pops19]

5 years after a quad CABG one of my vein grafts is failing and has not reacted well to stenting. The plan is now to reopen one of my blocked arteries in a procedure called Chronic Total Occlusion Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (cto pci). I just wondered whether anyone has had experience of this procedure

[Chappychap]

That's an interesting question. I have heard of this procedure, but only in Canada not the UK. I've read back through some notes I took and although they're a bit sketchy I believe it's a procedure that utilises the heart's facility to grow new arteries around a blockage. If I've understood this correctly, for reasons that aren't fully understood, this is unique to the heart, in other words this process doesn't happen anyone else in the body. This gives an opportunity to use these freshly grown small arteries as routes to delivering angioplasty.

In any event there will be lots of people on this forum very interested in learning more, so please do keep us posted.

Good luck!

[Pops19 in reply to Chappychap]

Thanks for your reply Chappychap. I was told to expect an appointment in a few weeks time. I will keep you posted.

[Hidden]

Hi Pops, if you don't mind me asking how did you become aware that one of your grafts failed? I only ask as I had a 2xCABG performed 2 years ago and over the last couple of months angina symptoms have returned which I am currently having investigated.

[Pops19 in reply to Hidden]

Hi Judge_Dredd, No problem with you asking. I had a heart attack out of the blue when one of my vein grafts closed up back in May. My cardiologist put a stent in and arranged for me to have another angiogram after 6 months, was yesterday. The vein had narrowed again by 50% at the location of the stent and so he re-inflated it. In view of these failures, he is recommending that the original artery is opened up again with this procedure.

To be more encouraging, I also had what I thought were angina pains 2 years after my CABG. I had them checked out and after an MRI it was confirmed that they were not cardiac related. I hope you get a good result from your investigation.

[Hidden in reply to Pops19]

Thank you, I'm sorry to hear that you have had such a difficult time of late with that graft and had to go through all that. Good luck and I hope the procedure finally sorts it out for you.

Its very encouraging to hear about your experiences at 2 years post CABG, it's good to know it's not an uncommon event.

[Prada47]

Hi I am interested to know what Hospital performs this procedure ??

I have a blocked RCA and my Cardiologist will attempt to reopen it should the Stress MRI indicates it may help. I also have a bypassed LAD which needed stenting 3 years after the surgery, and now I seem to be back to square one. Waking with Angina Type pain and feeling like someone has put a heavy book on my chest.

MRI should be before the New Year but the Hospital is having a scanner changed out so they are running at half capacity !!!

Very interested in the procedure Thanks

[Pops19 in reply to Prada47]

Hi Prada47, I am under the care of St. Peter’s Hospital in Chertsey, Surrey. All the best with the MRI

[Prada47 in reply to Pops19]

Thank you for your reply

Regards

[Pops19]

An update on this post as promised. I am now scheduled to have the PCI procedure on 24th March. I will let you know how it goes

[Andy_roo in reply to Pops19]

Best of luck

[Pops19 in reply to Andy_roo]

Cheers Andy_roo

[Hidden in reply to Pops19]

Fingers crossed mate, hope it goes well

[Pops19]

Thanks Judge_Dredd, appreciate it

[Pops19]

So I had my PCI procedure back in March but it was not successful and I am now scheduled for a second attempt on 23rd June. They could not break through the blockage in the artery and there is a limit to how long they can work on you due to the radiation from the x-rays and the contrast dye. So we go again! I have read that it often takes more than one attempt.

[Pops19]

Not sure if anyone is still following this but they managed to reopen my RCA on Thursday at the second attempt and insert 4 stents during a 5 hour procedure. Blood flowing well through it now. Hopefully great news going forward