Still having heart symtoms even after stent placement.

[keithandpam6974]

My husband had an angioplasty 2 days ago. He had two blockages in arteries going into the bottom of his heart. On in the front of his heart was 100% blocked and had rerouted itself into another artery in the back of the heart but the artery that it had rerouted to was 90% blocked.  The doctor placed a stent in the one in the back but not the one that had rerouted.  Prior to the stent operation he had shortness of breath and pain in his right arm iwth activity (walking long periods). He is still having these problems two days post stent placement. Is that normal? If so how long should it take before he notices improvement?

[CCF HeartMD3]

When patients have symptoms, the cardiologist who is doing the heart catheterization must ask two questions:
1. Are his symptoms related to the blockages?
2. Which blockage is causing the symptoms?

When symptoms persist after performing a stent, it is usually either because a) there is a problem with the stent b) there is another blockage that is causing the symptoms c) the symptoms aren't related to the blockages.

I would discuss your husbands situation with his physician so that a plan can be developed which will help your husband start to feel better.

[ed34]

By re-routing, I assume you are referring to collateral development. If I am correct, then the formation or improvement of such vessels can take a while. I had collaterals feeding from the bottom of my Circumflex into the bottom of my LAD and they were working quite well. I developed 2 blockages (98%) in my Circumflex which closed those collaterals considerably and I felt a lot of chest pain. Two stents were used to open the two blockages and the Cardiologist expended the vessel much more than its natural width to encourage collateral growth. I honestly thought the stents must have been placed in the wrong area because I felt MORE chest pains after the procedure than before. I also had a lot of throat discomfort and shortness of breath. I was told to drink lots of fluids to help the arteries and to flush out all the dye. After two weeks I still had the discomforts but then each day from that point, my symptoms got less. After three weeks, there was no discomfort and I could exert myself much more. Now it has been two months and the difference is incredible. I believe the hope that collaterals would reform has actually happened. I believe some collaterals form almost immediately, such as at the time of an MI, but sometimes they seem to take longer to form. Maybe it's because there were some already existing, slowing the process down?

[Irishking23]

I don't know where you are located but I believe it is time for a second opinion.   Our Prosecutor here in Marion County, Indiana just underwent a triple bypass operation yesterday after suffering a mild heart attack last Friday.   He has an excellent heart surgeon.