Question Re Cardiac Cath

[marlasmom]

my dh is having a cardiac catherization on friday. my older daughter who is down here called her sister and brother as soon as she got the news. both of them called dh immediately and both of them said they were coming down. dh told them not to come. dd is coming january 9 anyway and it would be hardship for both of them.

HOWEVER, should they come. anybody have any insights. i am such a basket case.

 

[floridafam]

From what I remember..

My Dad had it done.

He had his cath done and the doctor told him he wasn't going anywhere and scheduled a quadruple bypass for the next morning.

I think it is a good thing because they can know fairly quickly if something is wrong or not.

We also have a friend who works in the cath lab and says it is very routine.

Don't worry. It is routine. Let us know how it goes.

 

[C.Ann]

It really depends on how he tolerates the procedure - and what they find.. My aunt needed surgery immediately - and when I say immediately, I mean they went running down the hall with her.. She did not tolerate the procedure well at all - but that's not to say your DH won't..

I would ask the doctor what the worst case scenario is - should they find more damage than what they expect to find - and what they would do about it.. If he says they would do surgery immediately - or within a day or so - I would pass that info along to your other children and let them decide if they should come now or later..

I would definitely suggest you have someone there with you though.. It's easy to not understand what a doctor is saying when you're scared and emotional..

 

[JC2]

I work as an RN on a cardiac floor and we routinely send patients to/receive patients from the cardiac cath lab. I also have had the opportunity to watch a cath being done. The process itself is nothing to be afraid of. The patient usually is kept awake, although they are certainly sedated. The doctor makes a small incision in the grion area (top inner area of one of the thighs). He inserts a small catheter through a vessel up towards the heart. Once at the heart, dye is injected through the catheter. The doctor watches on a television type screen to see where the dye flows once he injects it. This will tell him if and where any blockages are. If blockages are found, the patient usually has a bypass surgery within a day or two. If not, the patient can usually go home the next day. Either way, the patient stays on bedrest for about 6 hours, keeping completely still the leg that was used for the catheterization.
Try not to worry. I hope there turn out to be no blockages.

 

[helomedicdj]

20 + years as a medic. The last 5 dedicated to a heart center doing utra high risk transports. Don't sweat it. 75% of patients don't need anything past a stent (small chinese fingers looking device placed inside an artery, to hold it open). I've seen the practice vastly change in the last 10 years. I've watched as surgeries used to require big scars and long-durations. Now options are available to do surgeries, if needed at all, via an arthroscope.
Try not to worry yourself over the unknown. Ask a allot of questions. Become familar. Get a couple opinions after the results of the cath. Dr's expect this, its not an insult. Caths are child's play these days. The technology has advanced by leaps and bounds, all in the patients favor. If surgery is called for, keep calm and rational. Your composure will go a long way in aiding the patient in speedy recovery.
If results call for it or allow, seek out the best Heart Center in the state, or the best surgeon, practioner, or cardiologist. The nurses are usually great wealths of information.

Good Luck. Relax.

 

[DisneyObsessed]

My dad had it done when he was 80. No problems except the bruising was nasty looking.

 

[TIGGERSMOM]

My Dad had this done a few years ago and then had valve replacement.

All I can say is what my DH and friends told me then. Tell your kids not to come down. Respect his wishes.

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

I think everyone needs to do some more talking about it.

I'm going through a similar thing right now with my mom. Right before Christmas, they discovered a tumor on her spinal cord. She will be having potentially dangerous surgery within a couple of weeks. My family (4 sibs, numerous adult neices) lives out of state, and have expressed an interest in being here. Mom doesn't want them to come...just one more thing for her to worry about (their jobs, their kids, the expense, the fact that they'd be messing up her clean house while she's not there...she's like that). And really, there's not much anyone can do to help during surgery. She'll be in the hospital, then rehab, then home, and will need rest, not "company" (some of them aren't particularly "helpful" ). "If something happens", they'll be called.

I agree with TIGGERSMOM about respecting your DH's wishes. HOWEVER, if YOU are a wreck and would find comfort in having your kids there, perhaps you need to express your wishes to your DH. My parents tended to not want to impose, when in actuality, it wasn't an imposition, but a comfort for US to be there. Mom tried to send me home from the ER yesterday because she didn't want me to drive in the dark rolleyes: )...she figured they'd admit her, do spinal cord surgery today, and I could get there at my convenience...I had to convince her I was NOT about to leave her there.

I personally don't want anyone else around while I'm waiting during her surgery...I prefer to deal with it alone, without having to be available to anyone else. But I'm sure there are going to be discussions between everyone involved between now and then.

BTW, my father and both of my brothers had cardiac cath, and did well.

 

[marlasmom]

mare - i am so sorry to hear about your mom. prayers going out for all of you.

 

[PigletsPal]

Last JUne after not passing a ekg test, plus a stress test I had a Cardiac Cath. done. Now I've worked in a Hospital for almost 30 years and it still scared the heck out of me, but they do give you med and I was very lucky to only have a 10 % and a30% blockage which is not enough for them to treat I just have to have annual stress test.
Good luck to your husband and hope he comes through with flying colors.