I had posted a few weeks ago about my husband having a 2 nd heart attack as a result of a stent blocking. He had by-pass as they were unable to open the stent. The cardio took him off plavix one month prior to the 2 nd attack also supposedly passed a myloview.

After the surgery the surgeon said my husband had a 40% blockage, the same amount and same area was seen durning his stenting the year before. We saw the surgeon 3 weeks later and I asked him about more blockage and he said just the 40% and we will watch that. Thurs. we were at our G/P her report from the surgeons office said he has a 60 and a 70% blockage. She tried to call the surgeons office to find out what was going on but the office was closed.

Would a surgeon not be honest and let it up to the cardio or your G/P to tell you? Why didn't they do whatever was necessary while they were doing the surgery if he had these blockages? We are seeing a new cardio on Monday and hope he can give us some answers.

Is plavix that important to stay on? Right now my husband is on 1 mg coummindin. 81 mgs aspirin, amoridine and b/p meds

Thanks, Linda

I wonder about the docs taking him off the Plavix. When I had my 3rd attack the docs told me it was caused by my not taking my plavix for 3 days since I kept forgetting to stop and get my refill, personally I doubt that 3 days would have done it. And as for the sudden jump in the blockages...I had a full blown stress test(with the radioactive dye and imaging, not sure what they call it) just about a week and a half before my last MI, and at the time of the test I was told everything looked good. In the cath lab after the attack I was shown where I had blockages again of up to 70-80%(and yes I was taking my plavix religeously)...so perhaps the docs aren't lying or being dishonest, maybe it is possible for an artery to clog off that fast.

Hi pa,

"Thurs. we were at our G/P her report from the surgeons office said he has a 60 and a 70% blockage. She tried to call the surgeons office to find out what was going on but the office was closed."


Usually, greater than 70% is the guideline for invasive intervention. Obviously there may be exceptions (pain, etc. but there shouldn't be any ischemia unless there are other deficit contibutors to the heart muscle). G/P's belief the blockage meets the standard for no intervention! And the surgeon's report does (based on guideline), but wait and see.

Stent's disrupts tissue area of the implant and plavix is recommended until the site is healed (usually 6 months, some recommend a year). There are blind tests that indicate plavix and aspirin have a better record to prevent restenosis in the short term.

I had a heart attack 12/03, since that time I have had 12 more caths with a total of 7 stents. I have had a restenosis in just a few weeks. I was hospitalized the middle of April with a blockage of around 60%. My doc didn't think the pain was coming from that blockage, but from a collapsed stent in the lad. He did angioplasty at that time. 2 weeks later, pain was increasing, went back to hospital, my blockage was around 80% at that time. I am only in my 40's, great cholesterol numbers but horrible family history. I have been on plavix and 325 mg aspirin since my first attack. I am now on coumadin and 325 asa, still having chest pain. I do share your frustration, but I'm tired of feeling like a whiner, so I just sit home and have pain. take care

I had a heart attack 12/03, since that time I have had 12 more caths with a total of 7 stents. I have had a restenosis in just a few weeks. I was hospitalized the middle of April with a blockage of around 60%. My doc didn't think the pain was coming from that blockage, but from a collapsed stent in the lad. He did angioplasty at that time. 2 weeks later, pain was increasing, went back to hospital, my blockage was around 80% at that time. I am only in my 40's, great cholesterol numbers but horrible family history. I have been on plavix and 325 mg aspirin since my first attack. I am now on coumadin and 325 asa, still having chest pain. I do share your frustration, but I'm tired of feeling like a whiner, so I just sit home and have pain. take care

I hope your doctor is checking your PT/INR levels while your on the coumadin. If your blood is too thin that could be causing your chest pain too. On the other hand maybe you levels haven't reached therapuetic range yet which also could cause CP.

Yes my doc is checking PT/INR weekly. I have a hypercoagulation problem, so we are having a really hard time getting it regulated. I was on Lovenox, asa 325, and 5mg coumadin and I was only at 1.2. I was at 4.5 a couple weeks ago taken off lovenox and numbers finally got better, but barely in the therapeutic range. When I was in the hospital last week, I was at 1.2, but I had another cath so meds were stopped again. I just can't seem to get better.

Yes my doc is checking PT/INR weekly. I have a hypercoagulation problem, so we are having a really hard time getting it regulated. I was on Lovenox, asa 325, and 5mg coumadin and I was only at 1.2. I was at 4.5 a couple weeks ago taken off lovenox and numbers finally got better, but barely in the therapeutic range. When I was in the hospital last week, I was at 1.2, but I had another cath so meds were stopped again. I just can't seem to get better.

Yes my doc is checking PT/INR weekly. I have a hypercoagulation problem, so we are having a really hard time getting it regulated. I was on Lovenox, asa 325, and 5mg coumadin and I was only at 1.2. I was at 4.5 a couple weeks ago taken off lovenox and numbers finally got better, but barely in the therapeutic range. When I was in the hospital last week, I was at 1.2, but I had another cath so meds were stopped again. I just can't seem to get better.