Stents/ Heart

[rcalsop]

I would like to hear and share experiences good or bad after heart stenting ..not particularly a discussion of good or bad hospitals but what did you feel / sucess rate / after care / positives /negatives / mental impact . So who`s had them and what are your experiences .

To start the ball rolling my biggest suprise was many nightmares after what I thought on the surface was a stress free well coped with event ,well rationalised,balanced controlled event on my part ,but my subconcious told me other wise with nightmares nightly for about 10 days . They all related to my heart being shot , stabbed ,lanced , set on fire eaten by animals etc .

[Irene]

I would like to hear and share experiences good or bad after heart stenting ..not particularly a discussion of good or bad hospitals but what did you feel / sucess rate / after care / positives /negatives / mental impact . So who`s had them and what are your experiences .

To start the ball rolling my biggest suprise was many nightmares after what I thought on the surface was a stress free well coped with event ,well rationalised,balanced controlled event on my part ,but my subconcious told me other wise with nightmares nightly for about 10 days . They all related to my heart being shot , stabbed ,lanced , set on fire eaten by animals etc .

rcalsop,

I had my heart stenting three years ago. The procedures were so simple and successful on the main vessel. All doctors kept on telling me that it was not a heart operation but more like an intervention on the flow of the blood vessel. There was hardly any pain except for a small prick at your right groin. At first, we were afraid that once burst, the fragment could block the branch vessel. It was not so. Immediately, breathing was exceptional free and clear but subconsciously still felt of the beating of the heart. I did a lot of research prior to and after the balloon. All seems to warn of the first six months of the restenosis, i.e. collapse of the stent or hardening of the blood at the fixed points thereby blocking the flow again. So, I came out pretty good. Then I promised myself of having to exercise half an hour per day on the treading mill since the Almighty had given me a second chance. Todate, I rarely miss my daily exercise. My previous main cause of the blockage was due to lack of any meaningful exercise and nearly pass out on a flight to Hong Kong. I had a 99% blockage on the main vessel.

From your post, I am not sure whether you have gone through it already or whether you are on the point of going in. If it is the latter, I can assure you that there is no big deal. The failure rate is very very small. Even if there is a failure, there will be a fall back position of having the by-pass immediately. My son had also gone through the same situation six months ago. He even joked with the doctor on the operation table while the doctor asked him whether we could afford two stents since his blockage was unnaturally long. The current concern is whether the stent should be one with or without coating. There seems to believe non-coating is better. Do check in the internet and with your doctor.

Cheers!

[WitawatWatawit]

Nice information, Irene, thanks for that. I'm going to have some heart tests done this week -- just want to know that if I do need to have a stent inserted (hope that's all that's required) how much will it cost? Quite a few years back (12, I think) I had an angiogram at Chulalongkorn Hospital (nothing found -- problem appeared to be from the central nervous system and cured by traction and chiropractic treatment). That cost around 30k baht. Anyone have any idea of what such things cost today at a standard private hospital? When I go for my check-up, I'll try to find out as much as I can and report back, but just curious to know what others have had to pay.

Cheers.

Wit.

[guyham]

I had angioplasty at Bumrungrad 4 months ago. Two stents inserted for a cost of 400,000 baht. Plus have to take a medication named Plavix at 3000 baht per month. Still, living beats the alternative. Incidentally, the modern form of angioplasty prefers the insertion of the fibre, ballon etc. via a vein in the wrist rather than the groin. I guess the surgeons don't like to have to stick their noses up the patients a*se while performing the operation.

[rcalsop]

I had angioplasty at Bumrungrad 4 months ago. Two stents inserted for a cost of 400,000 baht. Plus have to take a medication named Plavix at 3000 baht per month. Still, living beats the alternative. Incidentally, the modern form of angioplasty prefers the insertion of the fibre, ballon etc. via a vein in the wrist rather than the groin. I guess the surgeons don't like to have to stick their noses up the patients a*se while performing the operation.

Have they given any details of how long you are on Plavix ? Did you get issued with a bracelet stating you are on Plavix in case of accident or dental work .I understand that it is a recommendation , not one that my doc followed.

What stents did you have bare metal , partial short life medicated coating or the previously longer duration fully medicated type .

My doctor advised the mid way as the previously more popular long term medicated type have recently raised some questions .

Did you have any discomfort /pain or twinges after the stenting if so how long , also do you have an awareness of the stents

[guyham]

Plavix is for six months - just as a blood thinner and to stop coagulation around the stents. Did not get any wrist band etc. I have no idea what kind of stents I got - just that they were bloody expensive. No pain at all after the operation (none before either). I am not aware that I have the stents in my body - I had one inserted in Calgary 8 years ago and am not aware of that either.

[guyham]

I went back to check my medical bill and found the name of the stents they inserted at Bumrungrad. They are Cypher Select made by Johnson & Johnson. I checked on the internet about them. They are a drug-eluding stent (work that one, out but supposedly the only one on the market). Each stent cost 145,000 baht.