Going to get a cardiac catheterization next week. questions ??

I'm glad to hear you've decided to proceed with the cardiac cath...it truly is the best way to know for sure what's going on.

The last I knew, my cardiologist at Mayo Clinic swears by the Cypher drug-eluting stent, from his personal experience and studies he's familiar with. I didn't have the chance to research the options until after I had one, as I had a 99% blockage. I've had mine almost 2 years, and have had no problems. A repeat cardiac cath was done almost 14 mos after placement, and the artery was as clean and clear as the day he placed it.

I do know there is good data to support that the drug eluting stents reduce the restenosis (blockage) rate from almost 30% to less than 10%, probably less than 5%. There is some data (though perhaps not very good data) to suggest there is a higher thrombosis rate, especially in the first 30 days, with the drug coated rather than bare metal stents, but if you take your Plavix and aspirin this shouldn't be much of a problem.

If your cardiologist prefers to use bare metal stents, I'd want to know why, as my belief is that the drug eluting kind are the "standard of care" these days.

As for how long they last, they are made of stainless steel, if my memory serves me correctly, so theoretically they should last forever....though that is a question I quite frankly haven't had the nerve to ask my cardiologist (and haven't happened upon any research that actually discusses it). I do know he told me if it ever closed up, he should be able to just thread another one through there and "layer" them in.

Hope this helps. Good luck, and hang in there!!! With luck, you will have no blockage, or only a minor one that can be treated with medication, diet, and exercise.

Hi there all,

DG do you have the name of the test you just had?  Did you get the results yet?  I do not need another Cath. I had an adenosine nuclear cardiolite 7 weeks ago and it was normal but I am not sure if that is a good one to show blcokages or restenoses?

Hope everyone is doing good.

Yes, they usually put in a stent at the same time as they do an angiogram if you need one and are a good candidate for one. You will be sedated for the procedure but will be awake. They will make a tiny incision in your groin (sometimes they use your arm, but I think the standard now is groin) and insert a catheter up through your femoral artery. I've had it done twice and had no pain, but did feel some strange feelings in my chest (though the cardiologist insists I shouldn't have felt anything). You will have to lie flat on your back, without moving your leg, for several hours after the procedure so that the blood will clot sufficiently so that the catheter can be removed. (Your femoral artery is NOT a vessel you want to bleed from). It's natural to be nervous, but in the hands of a good cardiologist, you will do fine.

I too am almost 56 and my mom is also 89...but I got my Dad's bad genes for heart disease. My mom's ticker is fine!!!

 i will chime in here also and say that an angiogram can be dangerous, however, i think problems are rare with a good cardiologist,  

ellie your story was awful what a travisty that your doc thought that was okay without permission.

Thanks for your info all. Actually, i went for a visit to my general practitioner today who did refer me to the cardiologist and now in looking over her copy of the other test results now wants me to have a second opinion before the specialist's office goes  ahead and books  the angiogram. She  feels  it's not necessary but does suggest a second opinion is needed. She also  feels my BP is very up and down due to the anxiety which i suffer with and believe you me during these passed few weeks i have been going through a lot of it with these tests!!!

Post Edited (Sonni) : 8/17/2006 4:26:12 PM (GMT-6)

 Sonni, so glad all went well with your angiogram, i am a bit jealous you lucky dog, no blockages, i am green with envy.  you can take a big sigh of releif now becasue it takes many years for blockages to take place,  good for you. 

Stents are titanium or plastic. As stainless would be dangerous if they put you in a MRI due to the magnetic fields generated by the MRI machine.

If they dug you up 500 years after you die the titanium stents would still be good.

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