Ever Had A Cardiac Stent Installed?

[Mowingmaniac 24/7]

If so, was it a major or minor deal?

Did you feel better after or ...?

 

[oldag]

Not personally. Know many who have had one or more (as many as over 20!). Most said it was not bad.

 

[ATN2]

Well, it is definitely a major deal but it should not cause you lots of pain or long recovery. Some people have them done in the morning and go home that afternoon. But, take it very seriously and follow the doctors orders and you should be fine. I used to work for the company that made them and we tried to make them right !

I did not have stents but a had a quadruple bypass surgery. That was a little bit unnerving and took some time to get recovered.

I didn't feel any better after because I didn't feel bad before I had it done but the heart attack I had kind of alerted my doctor when my next EKG at my annual physical told him that I had the heart attack and he sent me to the cardiologist.

Good luck to you and hope you have a quick and easy recovery.

 

[Mowingmaniac 24/7]

oldag and ATN2,

Thank you both!

 

[jimbo]

If so, was it a major or minor deal?

Did you feel better after or ...?

I have 6 stents. The last two were in 2006. The procedure is not painful. The recovery time for me was just a couple of days taking it easy. And every checkup has been great.

 

[Mowingmaniac 24/7]

jimbo,

6?

Wow!!

Were they done with a local or did they knock you out for the procedure?

And thank you for your input.

 

[jimbo]

jimbo,

6?

Wow!!

Were they done with a local or did they knock you out for the procedure?

And thank you for your input.

Done in the hospital. For me, a sedative is used and a local and i was awake but no pain. And if you want, you can watch the procedure on a monitor. The recovery is to allow the small incision to heal for a few days but you can walk after being released from hospital. Most hospitals have all the modern equipment to perform the procedure. I had all of mine done at HEB Hospital in Bedford, TX

 

[Mowingmaniac 24/7]

Jimbo,

Once again, thank you Sir!

 

[Whistler]

I have four, if they can go in through your wrist the recovery is quicker. They put all of mine in that way else they go through your groin and it takes a minute to recover.

 

[Otto_Mation]

Yes. In 2016, I had a heartburn feeling and some pain in my back. My doctor told me to get to the emergency room. Long story short, I ended up having a heart attack in the hospital. The doctor rolled me into the cath lab and made an incision in my inner thigh (groin) and blasted the clot and then inserted a stent. I was awake and talking to him the entire time and watching what he was seeing on a monitor. It's pretty amazing technology. I was back working a couple of day's later. Afterwards, I had energy that I hadn't had in years. There was damage to my heart (EF of 45) but it has now completely healed and my EF is 65.

 

[jimbo]

Yes. In 2016, I had a heartburn feeling and some pain in my back. My doctor told me to get to the emergency room. Long story short, I ended up having a heart attack in the hospital. The doctor rolled me into the cath lab and made an incision in my inner thigh (groin) and blasted the clot and then inserted a stint. I was awake and talking to him the entire time and watching what he was seeing on a monitor. It's pretty amazing technology. I was back working a couple of day's later. Afterwards, I had energy that I hadn't had in years. There was damage to my heart (EF of 45) but it has now completely healed and my EF is 65.

My experience is similar. Glad it worked well for you.

 

[alternative]

Minor (unless you die) and yes felt better after.

 

[Texan79423]

I have had seven stints, a triple bypass and a 11 cm graft in left leg. Today's medicine / technology is great and recovery is not a big deal at all, trust me.

Some doctors and hospitals want you to stay overnight to see is you have reaction to antithesis drugs or make sure no FU and collect $$. Personally my cardiologist has done me so many times it slam bam thank you dude.

Here is the drill A-Z for me
For the stint you go in they shave just the groin area, it tickles and you get to show your stuff off too. Then they give you a shot or pill (valium) slip you into a gown hop on gurney and roll you to a cold cath lab area. Place you on the table next to a large monitor where the surgeon watches the tube run around your arteries.

They put in a tube in your arm for fluid and sedative you are on Micheal Jackson juice your not totally out you can hear everything and reply if needed. You just don't give a flip you don't feel pain, Then they stab groin and femoral artery with a probe and insert the tube to begin. You feel the stab but only for second. It's cool if they place the monitor where you can see your arteries and the probe on the monitor. Real science fiction stuff. Better than staring at ceiling. The whole process takes about 2 hour 45 minutes in cath lab

When they pull the probe out they is a plug placed in you and they put a ton of pressure on the femoral artery you will think holy crap. Once in recovery they tell you not to move leg "at all" if you pop the plug loose your femoral opens you can bleed to death in seconds.

In two hour you can get up walk to car your still a little drunk so you need a driver. Two days rest and your better than before. Not a big deal at all. Now bypass surgery totally sucks.

Good luck

 

[dsgrey]

I had one almost 15 years ago for a 95% blockage. The little hole in your groin is no big deal and the stent shouldn't be either. Unfortunately, I was not under deep enough and when they ballooned the stent, I woke up due to the chest pain. But they quickly put me back under. Recovery is a breeze - no pain and not climbing stairs for a day or two due to the groin plug. I checked in that morning and was released around noon.

 

[Geezer]

I have a friend back in South Carolina that had one. He was on a motorcycle trip to ride around the perimeter of the US. His 3rd day out he was on the Riverwalk in San Antonio when he had a heart attack.

He was taken to the hospital and he had a stent put in, they went in through his wrist. He stayed a couple of nights in a hotel in San Antonio. He said he felt great and continued his trip. He was gone for 2 months.

He felt great because he had blood flowing again. He said that if they had gone in through his groin, he wasn't so sure he could have continued with his trip. He's still doing good and still riding.

 

[benenglish]

Once in recovery they tell you not to move leg "at all" if you pop the plug loose your femoral opens you can bleed to death in seconds.

OP, this should no longer be the case. You can't do jumping jacks in recovery, of course, but there are alternative methods of closing the incision that don't require perfect stillness, clamps, and/or sandbags on your leg to maintain pressure for an extended time.

The older techniques still work and can be used, of course, so be sure to ask well ahead of time "Is this one of those things where I have to remain motionless with pressure on the incision for quite a while when in recovery?"

If the answer is "Yes." then MAJOR PROTIP make absolutely sure you ask for a condom catheter before the procedure. Not having to move to urinate while in recovery is hugely important.

 

[benenglish]

There was damage to my heart (EF of 45) but it has now completely healed and my EF is 65.

That's great! IIRC, 60 is considered healthy and anything over that is just icing on the cake.

 

[bbbass]

Mm.... I had an angiogram about 5yrs ago. It was easy peasy. IV in the prep room. Roll into cath lab, shave the pubes just in case they want to use the femoral. Mine was in the wrist. Lidocaine in the wrist. Punch a needle into the artery, insert artery expander (hurts like hell), then the wire up (the artery into the heart area) and you can't feel that.

After, they put a pressure thing on my wrist and I had to stay in the post surg room until they were satisfied it wasn't going to bleed.

They could have done a stent at the time, but I didn't need one.

The biggest problem with that particular trip/procedure was that I spent so long there. Cuz when I was in the cath lab the first time, and they had done all the prep except for inserting the expander, they booted me out because of a cardiac emergency from the OR needed the room. Phugg. It was well over two hours later when the head cardiac surgeon came in and told me that MY doc had left, and he would do the procedure for me. So I went all that time w/o eating since the night before. Was NOT happy!

My dad had an event of bad chest pains at the golf course... they took him in the ambu and he got two stents. No prob. Felt better after and no more heart issues.


bb

 

[Mowingmaniac 24/7]

WOW!

Thanks all for your responses.

Much appreciated.

 

[Whistler]

Good point, they installed my stents over 3 different occasions. Once I wasn't sedated quite enough and could feel (and watch) the entire thing. That time was moderately painful going up my arm and in my chest.