heart cath immediately followed by valve replacement surgery

[blanka56]

Is it safe to have a heart cath immediately prior to iorta valve replacement?

[David T.]

Fully recovered.

[ed34]

an angiogram is the images taken using a catheter, injecting radio isotopes into the
blood vessels to show up on an imaging system. As I've said before, all procedures carry some element of risk but some are obviously much lower than others. Angiograms are about the lowest you can get, but by law you have to be warned you could end up with a stroke or other organ damage if some plaque is knocked out of place. There is also the risk that the coronary artery being viewed can suddenly close up when 'tickled' by the catheter, but this is very rare indeed.

[blanka56]

I meant a heart catheterization.  Is that the same as an angiogram

[ed34]

wow, that was quick action by the hospital. Are you fully recovered now?

[David T.]

I had an angiogram then had a double by-pass and aortic valve replacement surgery all  performed within 24 hrs.

[ed34]

Im not sure what you mean by a heart cath? do you mean an angiogram using a catheter?  If so, all procedure carry a risk, it is not possible to tell you that any surgery
is 100% safe. However, the odds of anything going wrong with catheter based surgery
is very slim. I was told there was a 6% chance of a problem, and a 2% chance of the stent closing within one year. Now two years later I have had 4 angiograms and the stent is still very good but most importantly, Im still here.