Discussion
Hi, First time poster here
Firstly a bit of background. I'm 68 years old and have been a competitive runner for 50 of those years although the joints are getting creaky now. Anyway, last September I had an ablation to cure atrial fibrillation which went well and I started running again after about 3 weeks
. At first everything felt ok then in the new year I started feeling that something wasn't quite right, laboured breathing and tightening of the chest when running. Eventually had a ct scan of my coronary arteries a month ago and got the results last week. these show that I have a calcium score of 0 but mild or possibly moderate plaque in the proxima LAD. I now need to have an angiogram to give a definitive result which may show I need a stent in the artery.
Has anyone in PH land any experience of having stents fitted and can I expect to return to running afterwards.?
Thanks for reading and hope to hear from you.
Firstly a bit of background. I'm 68 years old and have been a competitive runner for 50 of those years although the joints are getting creaky now. Anyway, last September I had an ablation to cure atrial fibrillation which went well and I started running again after about 3 weeks
. At first everything felt ok then in the new year I started feeling that something wasn't quite right, laboured breathing and tightening of the chest when running. Eventually had a ct scan of my coronary arteries a month ago and got the results last week. these show that I have a calcium score of 0 but mild or possibly moderate plaque in the proxima LAD. I now need to have an angiogram to give a definitive result which may show I need a stent in the artery.
Has anyone in PH land any experience of having stents fitted and can I expect to return to running afterwards.?
Thanks for reading and hope to hear from you.
My father (aged 80) had a new heart valve, stents and recently a pacemaker and whilst he's not a competitive runner 
he has always been fit (ex Para) and he's back to being able to do more or less what he wants to now. He goes on relatively long walks (8-10 miles), does the garden etc. The only thing that slows him down is the medication rather than the actual surgical procedures.
I can't speak from personal experience (or a scrap of medical training) but from seeing the improvement in my dad's condition I don't see why a fit bloke such as yourself won't be fine after the vessels have been opened up again.
In fact my dad's cardiologist has encouraged him to get his fitness back, he said that his heart was strong enough to take whatever an 80 year old can throw at it.
Good luck with it all.
he has always been fit (ex Para) and he's back to being able to do more or less what he wants to now. He goes on relatively long walks (8-10 miles), does the garden etc. The only thing that slows him down is the medication rather than the actual surgical procedures. I can't speak from personal experience (or a scrap of medical training) but from seeing the improvement in my dad's condition I don't see why a fit bloke such as yourself won't be fine after the vessels have been opened up again.
In fact my dad's cardiologist has encouraged him to get his fitness back, he said that his heart was strong enough to take whatever an 80 year old can throw at it.
Good luck with it all.
Hi,I had my stent fitted in 2009 and have never felt better.
For the first few weeks it feels as though you have mild indigestion with something in your chest area,but this soon wears off.
I took part in a clinical trial at the same time to assess the effectiveness of taking steroids to combat the problem that some peoples bodies are rejecting the stent.I understand that the trial was a sucess and steroids are now prescribed for the first few weeks.Try to get a titanium stent rather that the standard one.
The operation was straightforward via local anasthetic in your wrist.Its uncanny to see your arteries on a large screen in front of you as you lie on the table.
Go for it,you will feel tons better afterwards.
The downside is that all you have to show for it is a small scar on your wrist.
For the first few weeks it feels as though you have mild indigestion with something in your chest area,but this soon wears off.
I took part in a clinical trial at the same time to assess the effectiveness of taking steroids to combat the problem that some peoples bodies are rejecting the stent.I understand that the trial was a sucess and steroids are now prescribed for the first few weeks.Try to get a titanium stent rather that the standard one.
The operation was straightforward via local anasthetic in your wrist.Its uncanny to see your arteries on a large screen in front of you as you lie on the table.
Go for it,you will feel tons better afterwards.
The downside is that all you have to show for it is a small scar on your wrist.
I had three stents fitted in July of last year. It's a very straight forward procedure done through your wrist or groin (mine was right wrist), under a local anesthetic - it's great being able to see your heart at work on the video screens. I was out of hospital (Northern General, Sheffield) the following morning, it should have been the same day but I was delayed going into the lab until mid afternoon.
I'd had no symptons whatsoever, no chest pains or sensations, nothing. It was only during a pre-op assessment for prostate surgery that a heart irregularity was discovered. That was a few years ago now and today, apart from arthritic joints I feel perfectly OK. The only downside of it all is that I sometimes get tired during the day due to my medications' side effects: 'may cause tiredness' but otherwise I feel as well as I always did.
You'll most likely be prescribed anti-coagulants for a year after the procedure and you'll find you bruise easily but apart from that here are no side effects. My cardiologist signed me off after six months, back into the care of my GP, where I go every six months for a blood pressure check.
On good days, i.e. when my knees are OK, I'll walk six or seven miles so in my experience there's no reason why you shouldn't resume running. BTW, I'll be 68 in November.
I'd had no symptons whatsoever, no chest pains or sensations, nothing. It was only during a pre-op assessment for prostate surgery that a heart irregularity was discovered. That was a few years ago now and today, apart from arthritic joints I feel perfectly OK. The only downside of it all is that I sometimes get tired during the day due to my medications' side effects: 'may cause tiredness' but otherwise I feel as well as I always did.
You'll most likely be prescribed anti-coagulants for a year after the procedure and you'll find you bruise easily but apart from that here are no side effects. My cardiologist signed me off after six months, back into the care of my GP, where I go every six months for a blood pressure check.
On good days, i.e. when my knees are OK, I'll walk six or seven miles so in my experience there's no reason why you shouldn't resume running. BTW, I'll be 68 in November.
I'm 62, fit and active, 32''waist and 12 and a half stone, don't smoke, drink or take recreational drugs and eat a healthy diet.
18 months ago I had a suspected heart attack and ended up in hospital for tests. Had the first op next day and had two stents fitted. The op itself is nothing to fear and no worse than a normal trip to the dentist. As the actress said to the bishop 'I never felt a thing'.
After the op surgeon said he had never seen such a fit looking man with a heart in such poor condition. He couldn't be sure but I needed to go back in in a couple of months time for a further op as I may need more stents on the other side of my heart . Three months later back in as a day patient and three more stents fitted. After the op surgeon said. I have fitted the maximum size stents possible and it was touch and go whether I continued or stopped and sent you to Harefield for open heart surgery.
Anyway, after a slow recovery I am back to normal and doing everything that I did before and feel fine, just get tired quickly and have a rest if I do.
I'm on the standard medication of Asprin, Statins, Ramapril for blood pressure and Beta Blockers. checked every six months and GP very pleased with progress and no side effects from the drugs other than I bruise easily.
18 months ago I had a suspected heart attack and ended up in hospital for tests. Had the first op next day and had two stents fitted. The op itself is nothing to fear and no worse than a normal trip to the dentist. As the actress said to the bishop 'I never felt a thing'.
After the op surgeon said he had never seen such a fit looking man with a heart in such poor condition. He couldn't be sure but I needed to go back in in a couple of months time for a further op as I may need more stents on the other side of my heart . Three months later back in as a day patient and three more stents fitted. After the op surgeon said. I have fitted the maximum size stents possible and it was touch and go whether I continued or stopped and sent you to Harefield for open heart surgery.
Anyway, after a slow recovery I am back to normal and doing everything that I did before and feel fine, just get tired quickly and have a rest if I do.
I'm on the standard medication of Asprin, Statins, Ramapril for blood pressure and Beta Blockers. checked every six months and GP very pleased with progress and no side effects from the drugs other than I bruise easily.
Sorry I haven't replied til now but the forum has been closed to new posters, because of abuse apparently.
Thanks all of you for your very positive replies, just what I wanted to hear !
I have discovered that the waiting time for an angiogram in my area ( Cornwall ) is 4 - 5 months so I have bit the bullet and elected to have it done privately.
I just hate being in limbo. Once the diagnosis has been made I'll know if I definitely need stents but if I do, thanks to you I know the prognosis will be good.
Thanks all of you for your very positive replies, just what I wanted to hear !
I have discovered that the waiting time for an angiogram in my area ( Cornwall ) is 4 - 5 months so I have bit the bullet and elected to have it done privately.
I just hate being in limbo. Once the diagnosis has been made I'll know if I definitely need stents but if I do, thanks to you I know the prognosis will be good.
Gassing Station | Health Matters | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff