Heart Catherizations

[enie]

I am averaging two heart Catherizations a year now and not getting better. Sometimes they use Stents, sometimes Angioplasty. It takes me over a month to recover and then I have about a month of freedom from the almost constant angina, exhaustion, and shortness of breath. Then it starts all over again. I had a 5X Bypass 3 years ago.

Any one else out there that has to have frequent heart caths? How many can your body stand befor it starts being dangerous? I've had 5 in three years. I had one in April 06 and they are talking about have another one this month. And of course they say it is my decision.

Is this typical?
enie

[Lenin]

Oh, enie, that is so sad. You must feel liike a trainwreck every time you feel the symptoms returning.

What are they continually working on? Are these NEW lesions they are finding or are the replaced vessels clogging up over and over.
Is it possible that there is ONE lesion that won't stay open and they keep going after the same thing?
Are the symptoms of reclogging the same after every repair?


If I were you, I would make sure to keep my LDL below 60 to try to prevent any further clogging.

[enie]

lenin, thank you for your reply,

Yeah, the Doctor is always finding a new area blocked, plus she cleans up the old areas with angioplasty. As far as whether my symptoms are different each time; it does seem like it starts out in different areas; sometimes the pain is sharp or it comes with a lot of pressure. Like sometimes it runs down my arm more, sometimes the constant cold sweats, sometimes it's in my neck causing that choking feeling, but it is always the same ‘angina, extreme exhaustion, and shortness of breath‘.

My cholesterol IS extremely high despite the fact that I am very careful what I eat. I have been on a low cholesterol diet for twenty years. They say it is because of my liver, but It doesn't help that I am no longer able to exercise. I am only able to take zetia, because I can not take statins.

I know I have several other heart issues that come into play. I have a pacemaker that works constantly to keep it beating right, I have chronic dresslers from old heart attacks and I get fluid around the heart sometimes. Three years ago my heart surgeon said that my main problem was that my heart was being squeezed because of damage around my heart. It was causing a hardened crust of fat and scare tissue around the outside of the heart and it was squeezing my heart and arteries.
Yeah, you are right lenin, it does seem like there is always another setback and then another heart cath. just around the bend, (I think I can - Square one - I think I can - Square one - I think I can - Square one).
I am curious though, about how many heart caths a person's arteries can stand befor they started rebelling. I guess I'm wondering if that has anything to do with it taking longer and longer to recover after each heart cath.; or is it just because I'm getting weaker?

enie

[started04]

Hi enie,

There may be a metabolic reaction in the body that are not functioning properly allowing a buildup of cholesterol spreading through the vessels. Yes, a liver disorder and the production of cholesterol may be a factor. With that said, treatment with just opening vessels rather than treating the source may be not exercising an option.

It is not typical at all to have numerous caths, and a cath CAN DISTURB the epithelium (vessel lining) tissue and cause additional blockage, no doubt about it! How many caths? That is difficult to answer, but each subsequent cath is an addional risk. Epithelium cells are very sensitive and even cigarette smoking damages the cells as well. Pushing a probe through a vessel is especially traumatizing. I would get a second opinion, and attempt to treat the source as well.

[Lenin]

enie,

The most serious risk of repeated angioplasties is probably the risk of an eventual perforation either from overinflation or from puncturing a vessel with the tip of the probe both resulting in a serious internal bleed.

Maybe try statins AGAIN, perhaps a different one?

How do you react to purely MEDICAL treatment for the angina? Maybe managing with beta-blockade and nitrates might be wiser than repeated percutaneous intervention. But then there's always the lure: "Maybe THIS angioplasty will do the trick?"

There is ALWAYS the Ornish super-low-fat vegan diet as a last (or first?) resort.