Angiogram, Angioplasty. Please help very scared. UPDATE!!!! OMGOMGOMGOMG!!!!!!

[AreaCode707]

Originally posted by: Epoman

Originally posted by: Joemonkey
dialysis huh? I'm the kinda guy who would give a kidney to a complete stranger, blood type is O+

Well I am O+ too. But that is a bold statement to make. I do not doubt you on your integrity it's just a bold statement to make.

BTW I live in California

If Joemonkey is serious and willing to actually do that, that would be the coolest thing to have ever happened on AT.

 

[Epoman]

Originally posted by: HotChic

Originally posted by: Epoman

Originally posted by: Joemonkey
dialysis huh? I'm the kinda guy who would give a kidney to a complete stranger, blood type is O+

Well I am O+ too. But that is a bold statement to make. I do not doubt you on your integrity it's just a bold statement to make.

BTW I live in California

If Joemonkey is serious and willing to actually do that, that would be the coolest thing to have ever happened on AT.

It's a nice gesture but we can't hold him to it. It's a very big decision and he may need his kidney to give to a relative or child one day.

 

[Epoman]

bump

 

[Jzero]

Originally posted by: Epoman
I need to stick around until I ship him off to Hardvard, Yale, Duke, MIT, Penn state, Stanford, Dartmouth, Cornell, any of those will do.

One of these schools is not like the other

Best of luck to you, Epoman.

 

[Epoman]

Originally posted by: Jzero

Originally posted by: Epoman
I need to stick around until I ship him off to Hardvard, Yale, Duke, MIT, University of Pennsylvania, Stanford, Dartmouth, Cornell, any of those will do.

One of these schools is not like the other

Best of luck to you, Epoman.

There, Fixed.

 

[Jzero]

Originally posted by: Epoman

Originally posted by: Jzero

Originally posted by: Epoman
I need to stick around until I ship him off to Hardvard, Yale, Duke, MIT, University of Pennsylvania, Stanford, Dartmouth, Cornell, any of those will do.

One of these schools is not like the other

Best of luck to you, Epoman.

There, Fixed.

:thumbsup:

 

[Demon-Xanth]

Okay, some descriptions here (this is my bag, baby):
Angiography: using an Xray and some contrast to view blood vessels
Angioplastey: perform a procedure on an artery, usually using a balloon or stent to repair a corraded artery.
Balloon: simply an inflatable balloon, very small by most definitions, that is used to expand an artery
Stent: a metal cage that resembles a chinese finger cuff that when expanded, stays expanded. These keep arteries from recollapsing

If a procedure is done in a cath lab, the equipment is inserted into your femoral artery, and you are usually kept for observation only. Sometimes you are conscious during the operation. You don't feel the stuff in your vessels.

 

[rahvin]

Originally posted by: Demon-Xanth
If a procedure is done in a cath lab, the equipment is inserted into your femoral artery, and you are usually kept for observation only. Sometimes you are conscious during the operation. You don't feel the stuff in your vessels.

Key point, you seem to be worried about feeling the wires going up your blood vessels, you won't. I didn't feel a thing till they released the dye. (Well besides the nurse that about got punched after missing the IV 3 times. :|)

 

[cerebusPu]

i work with several interventional radiologists and they do angiograms everyday. That stuff is really safe.

angioplasty and stents are another matter, but its still a very common intervention.

 

[Epoman]

Originally posted by: rahvin

Originally posted by: Demon-Xanth
If a procedure is done in a cath lab, the equipment is inserted into your femoral artery, and you are usually kept for observation only. Sometimes you are conscious during the operation. You don't feel the stuff in your vessels.

Key point, you seem to be worried about feeling the wires going up your blood vessels, you won't. I didn't feel a thing till they released the dye. (Well besides the nurse that about got punched after missing the IV 3 times. :|)

:thumbsup:

 

[abc]

Originally posted by: remagavon
I had an Angiogram done about 6 months ago and it went fairly well. The only major problem was that it took about 25 minutes to get an IV into my arm due to 'rolling veins', which I warned the nurse about.. needless to say I was ready to rip everything off and walk out before it began! (They ended up having the doctor get it in). It's a really easy procedure after that, just lay still and hold your breath for a few seconds every minute or so as a machine pumps dye into you. Not quite sure why, but it pumped about 1/5th of the vial of dye into my arm right at the end and that was VERY disconcerting, a huge rush of cold solution into your veins is extremely awkward, it felt like my vein was going to burst (but it did not hurt). Also they say it might burn as it goes through you although I did not experience that. Good luck, I've had a battery of tests done over the past few years (originally for IBS and now for hypertension) and I'm only 19. Also don't smoke/drink/do drugs.. not fair dammit!

wow... i think they're setting my dad up for this... they insert the dye via your arm? the whole test was how long?

 

[Phoenix86]

Epoman,

I wish you the best of luck.

 

[Mark R]

An angiogram is usually a procedure to look at arteries - it can be done to look at any arteries in the body: usually the coronary arteries (to the heart), the arteries around the brain, or the femoral arteries (to the legs).

The procedure involves X-rays and the use of a dye, usually injected directly into the area of interest through a fine tube inserted into an artery - usually in the groin (but arteries at the wrist or elbow can be used if the arteries in the groins are unsuitable). The doctor will put some local anaesthetic on the skin over the groin and insert the tube through a hollow needle. The tube will be advanced until it reaches the area of interest (e.g. heart) and then dye will be injected. You won't feel the tube as it is pushed up through your arteries.

If the procedure is simply an angiogram (i.e. to find out what is wrong) it can often be as quick as 20-30 minutes. If the procedure is converted to an angioplasty (where the artery is stretched with or without a stent insertion) it can take longer.

Depending on what is found or performed, the procedure can be done as a day case - procedure in the morning, home in the afternoon.

Following a coronary artery angioplasty and stent it's usually 24-48 hours in hospital.

In terms, of what you might find on a coronary angiogram - very roughlt there are 3 major possibilities:
1) very minor narrowings which do not need any procedures
2) one or 2 narrowings which need treatments - these can usually be treated immediately by angioplasty
3) multiple severe narrowings - these sometimes can't be treated by angioplasty, and bypass surgery may be recommended.

 

[preCRT]

My dad had an angiogram & angioplasty years ago. The only thing he bitched about was the sandbag they made him keep on his leg for hours after the procedures. That & being hungry because they made him fast before the procedures. The angiogram showed he had a 95% blockage in his Lower Anterior Descending Artery at the time & the balloon job opened that sucker right up. :thumbsup:


Good luck and don't worry.

Originally posted by: Epoman

Originally posted by: Jzero

Originally posted by: Epoman
I need to stick around until I ship him off to Hardvard, Yale, Duke, MIT, University of Pennsylvania, Stanford, Dartmouth, Cornell, any of those will do.

One of these schools is not like the other

Best of luck to you, Epoman.

There, Fixed.

PS: It's Harvard

 

[Epoman]

UPDATE!!!

 

[StageLeft]

Congratulations on it going well

 

[ThePresence]

Originally posted by: Skoorb
Congratulations on it going well

 

[Epoman]

Originally posted by: Skoorb
Congratulations on it going well

Yeah I would have considered it going well if I just needed 1 or 2 stents but I needed NONE! Yippee.

 

[SagaLore]

Originally posted by: Epoman
But now the question is what causing my chest pain?

What does the chest pain feel like? Sharp pain, dull pain, higher up, lower, left side, right side, short, or lasting, does it happen most when you're standing or when you're laying down, etc.

 

[tami]

i'm glad you're doing fine, epoman. this is great news!

 

[CRXican]

glad it worked out

hope my heart is in good shape too!

 

[EagleKeeper]

Good

 

I have no comment on the post itself, but the topic summary had me in stitches:

Doctor: You need an Angiogram. Me: WTF? LOL? UPDATE!!!! OMGOMGOMGOMG!!!!!!

 

[SacrosanctFiend]

Aren't you on dialysis?

 

[Epoman]

Originally posted by: SagaLore

Originally posted by: Epoman
But now the question is what causing my chest pain?

What does the chest pain feel like? Sharp pain, dull pain, higher up, lower, left side, right side, short, or lasting, does it happen most when you're standing or when you're laying down, etc.

It's a Pain like someone is pushing out my chest and it lasts for awhile and I usually will feel a general sickness. Also I'm in a wheelchair so I'm always sitting or lying down, the pain will just hit me all of a sudden.