CHI Specialist in Atlanta and newbie questions.

[Jbinatl]

Background.
My father (72) is currently being treated for CHF at Northside Hospital in Atlanta. He has approximately 40 pounds of fluid trapped in his belly.

After a few rounds of unsuccessful home lasix treatment his doctor wanted him to go to the hospital for IV Lasix treatment. Easy enough or so it seemed.

Fast forward a week and they are now saying this his right side of his heart is so damaged it's not pumping enough blood to the kidneys and the lasix isn't working.

His blood pressure has been very low 105/60 and now they're saying that dialysis is not an option

They're trying different combinations of drugs to get things going but they've said the prognosis is not good and he may not have any options and if he doesn't do anything they can keep him comfortable for a month or so.

For whatever reason heart transplant hasn't been presented as an option.

Now the questions.... and I than anyone in advance for advice.


My father likes his Northside doctors but they don't have the best online reputation . Is there a heart failure specialist anyone can recommend. From what I've read St Joe's is a top notch facility.

Are second opinions common? Do I ask his current doctor for this?

Has anyone been through anything similar?

Thanks for the advice.

[erijon]

My 86 year old father just went down the exact same road in November and ended up getting released to hospice care as they said he could not recover. Well, he comes off hospice care very soon as he has made a full recovery. Your father's doctors are doing everything my father's doctors did at the prestigious IHC Heart Clinic in SLC.

A heart transplant is very unlikely and a person your father's age, it just doesn't happen very often. They are doing everything they can to get his heart stronger, give it time.