A conversation after I perform a coronary angiogram:
Me: You have a blockage in your artery.
Patient: So you put in a stent?
Me: No.
Patient: You didn't open the blockage?
Me: No. You will do better with medicine.
Patient: The blockage is still there?
Me: Yes. But it was a complicated blockage, and putting a stent in it just wouldn't be the right thing to do. Medication is a better way to treat this.
Patient: Medicine? For a blockage?
It seems intuitive -- Find blockage, open blockage, patient all better. It doesn't quite work that way. In fact, there's a trial published last year called the COURAGE trial that found that many patients with stable coronary disease do better with medicines than with angioplasty. There are definitely situations where angioplasty is the right thing to do, but there are others where medicines or surgery are better options.
Further, any time we place wires, balloons, and stents in a coronary artery, there is a risk. We could tear the artery. We could puncture a hole in the artery, causing blood to accumulate in the pericardium, the sac around the heart. And the dye that we use can cause injury to the kidneys. These are just some of the many possible life-threatening complications.
I'm sure there may be a few unscrupulous cardiologists out there who would be willing to put a stent in just about anything. The patient knows the blockage is open and does well, perhaps just as well as if no stent had been deployed, and yet an unnecessary risk has been taken.
Maybe it's a hard sell to say that there's a blockage and it's better not to open it. But, often it's the best thing to do.
Me: You have a blockage in your artery.
Patient: So you put in a stent?
Me: No.
Patient: You didn't open the blockage?
Me: No. You will do better with medicine.
Patient: The blockage is still there?
Me: Yes. But it was a complicated blockage, and putting a stent in it just wouldn't be the right thing to do. Medication is a better way to treat this.
Patient: Medicine? For a blockage?
It seems intuitive -- Find blockage, open blockage, patient all better. It doesn't quite work that way. In fact, there's a trial published last year called the COURAGE trial that found that many patients with stable coronary disease do better with medicines than with angioplasty. There are definitely situations where angioplasty is the right thing to do, but there are others where medicines or surgery are better options.
Further, any time we place wires, balloons, and stents in a coronary artery, there is a risk. We could tear the artery. We could puncture a hole in the artery, causing blood to accumulate in the pericardium, the sac around the heart. And the dye that we use can cause injury to the kidneys. These are just some of the many possible life-threatening complications.
I'm sure there may be a few unscrupulous cardiologists out there who would be willing to put a stent in just about anything. The patient knows the blockage is open and does well, perhaps just as well as if no stent had been deployed, and yet an unnecessary risk has been taken.
Maybe it's a hard sell to say that there's a blockage and it's better not to open it. But, often it's the best thing to do.
Photo from www.endovasc.com
4 comments:
Hi there! I have a question: What do you usually eat after a hard workout? I jog 50-60 minutes on the treadmill each day so I'm a little confused about what to eat after my workout is over with.
Thanks,
Paulina
Great blog! Makes me want to restart my triathlon days!
keep it up
Thanks for your post, even though I am reading it too late...
The other day I was admitted to the hospital with chest pains. As a result of a blood test revealing high troponin levels, a family history of heart disease, a personal history of cancer, and a high (hereditary - hey, I'm a vegan!) cholesterol level, I underwent a heart catheterization. Luckily, I had no blockages, as they were planning to put in a stent if they one one. I've read your blog off and on, and just KNEW you had had something to say about this issue a while back, but couldn't remember what it was, except that stents might be bad. Back at home, I looked and found your info. Thanks - it'll help if I ever need it in the future. Now I'm a little annoyed because the plug they put in the artery is made of collagen (beef)... I don't remember that being part of the informed consent, but maybe I was just too out of it and overwhelmed to notice. I really appreciate reading your blog.
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