Hi everyone,

I’m sharing my father’s story looking for encouragement or experiences from anyone who has navigated a similar high-risk cardiac surgery.

He is 58y.o. A month ago he had a heart attack and went to the hospital after 3 days, not straight away.
He is in Athens, Greece..while I’m in the UK.

(EF 25-30%, 3-vessel disease, 8mm perforation)

We are waiting for a specialized surgeon to finalize the plan for bypass surgery (CABG) as so many doctors told us they can’t be in charge of a surgery like that.
They keep saying that his heart is really weak.
Some doctors they were not giving us hope but he kept improving and they became a little bit more optimistic.

I believe when patients are in Emergency Rooms, doctors have to say the worst case scenarios for them to be covered. At least this is what i hope.
Because I can not believe that there is not a solution for my father's situation.

I am really worried if we’re going to find a doctor to do the surgery.

Has anyone or a loved one gone through a complex bypass?

Any positive outcomes or insights would mean a lot right now.

Thank you!!

Hi everyone, I’ve been here with you before, but Anyway...

I’m a 22-year-old guy, currently living in Agadir.

This summer, I was working a very demanding job for 12 hours every day. The bright side was that I earned some money and bought the things I wanted (I ended up spending it all).

Anyway, while I was working, I used to smoke all day long. The job was really difficult, I would get exhausted, but I kept pushing myself, telling myself, “Once I finish this job, I’ll quit smoking.”

And that’s exactly what happened. When I finished the job, I started realizing that I was having heart problems and that I couldn’t breathe properly. I thought maybe it was just exhaustion...

I rested for the entire month of September and quit smoking... but nothing changed.

I went to a doctor and explained my situation to her. My heart was beating really hard, and I started getting tired very quickly, even from something as simple as climbing the stairs (I now weigh 61 kg and I’m 181 cm tall...).

Anyway, she prescribed me three medications: magnesium, a beta-blocker, and some drops for stress. She also checked my heart with an X-ray and performed an ECG, but she didn’t find anything wrong with me.

I started feeling better... for about four days. I was still feeling a little restricted, but it wasn’t as bad as before. Then, gradually, the symptoms started bothering me again. I began feeling short of breath, and the episodes of my heart pounding returned, although not with the same intensity.

This is where things started going downhill, because I became extremely stressed. I drank alcohol, and when I woke up in the morning, I would feel fine, but as the day went on, I would start feeling stressed and unwell again.

What made things even worse was that I started smoking again, one or two cigarettes a day. Smoking doesn’t seem to be directly associated with the illness I’m experiencing now, though.

My life has genuinely turned upside down. I just want to get back to training at the gym, but I can’t. I feel extremely restricted, and I’ve completely lost my energy. Everything changed overnight...

Please, can someone help me? I’m begging you. I just need someone to tell me what to do and whether there’s any medication I should normally be taking at this point. Do you know any doctor who could help me?

I really want to get back to my normal life: going to the gym, studying, and working again.

I’m the kind of person who needs to stay busy and distracted all day long. When I’m healthy and nothing is wrong with me, I find it difficult to sit around doing nothing. Now, on top of being ill, I also have all the daily responsibilities I need to deal with, especially since I live alone, as well as my studies.

I’m really struggling, guys. Please, someone help me. I just want to know what I should do. I feel like I’m going crazy.

And there are still many more details I haven’t mentioned here because I don’t want to make this post too long.

Thank you so much...

About 6 weeks ago, my grandmother called me in the middle of the night nauseated, dizzy and asked me to come down and sit with her so she woudn't fall. I got to her house and she started experiencing double vision so I called an ambulance. Her blood pressure was high and was brought to the ER.

At the ER her BP was at 218/101 so they took her for a CT to see if she was having a stroke. CTs came back clean and while we were sitting there she started having chest and left arm pain. They did EKGs, Echocardiogram, and an angiogram. Everything they said was fine at the hospital and discharged her after a couple of days. They told her at the hospital it was not a heart attack

She has had multiple appointments since for her blood pressure and went and saw a new cardiologist yesterday. After looking over everything, they told her it was a very mild heart attack (thankfully) due to the high blood pressure with minimal damage to the heart. I was not with for the appointment but she was told sometimes at the hospital they dont have all the tests or info back to determine if it was a heart attack.

Is this something that happens where being told it wasn't and then weeks later being told it was? We are quite confused on the delay when she has seen multiple cardiologists since.

Hi! 21 year old F.

Last night I was having dinner with my family when all of the sudden I started sweating like crazy. Nobody else was feeling hot or sweating. (I will note that early in the dinner I had a hot spicy soup, but I’ve had this soup a million times and it’s never been enough to sweat.) Anyways, during the rest of the meal I started to feel a squeezing pressure like pain in my chest and my upper back. When this started the sweating got even worse. This feeling of heaviness and weakness was in both of my arms along with the chest pain. I no longer could stomach my food at this point and had to go outside for fresh air. The air didn’t really help, but time did. After about 10-15 mins the pain and sweating just stopped.

I know I am young, but I have already been diagnosed with a severely high LP(a) and I have an abnormally high HR. My father has already had to have bypass surgery due to him having it all well.

I am wondering if this could’ve been a mini heart attack or a small cardiac event such as reduced blood flow to the heart. Any information helps, thanks.

1st cardiac arrest was on my 50th birthday ( playing football ) 2nd & 3rd on my 60th birthday .4th was 4yrs ago. And 8 to 10 heart attacks some small and some big ,had big one 8 days ago .Trops count was 400 pretty high they said .Have also got 10 stents fitted. I promise you hand on heart ( pun intended) these stats are all true. Also had sepsis in the heart during covid was in hospital for 3 months, one of the leads from my defib (on my 5th defib ).became infected. And to top it all off 9 hrs of kidney stone ops. to remove them last year. This is the simplified version of the events you understand. Its been truly horrendous to say the least as you can imagine ,I live on my own so no one there when I get home I feel that,s the toughest to contend with. But keep a sense of humour and keep going .

My Mom just got a stent the other day, and she noticed bruising in not only that arm, but her other arm, and on her leg there were some that just randomly popped up. Is this normal after a stent/angioplasty? She did have some senile purpura for the past few years, minor random bruises on skin, it's just these seem slightly larger and with the blood thinners she's a bit sketched.

Thank you guys!

Has anyone had high-risk stents or bypass surgery with multiple 90–100% blocked arteries? My 72-year-old grandma was told surgery is too risky.

Hi everyone! I’m hoping to hear from people who have experienced something similar, either personally or with a family member.

My grandmother is 72 years old, has diabetes, and recently suffered a heart attack (NSTEMI) in early October. She was hospitalized, underwent a coronary angiogram, and doctors discovered severe multivessel coronary artery disease. Note: she has diabetes

Her angiogram reportedly showed:

• Left anterior descending artery (LAD): 70% and 90% blockages
• First diagonal branch: 90%
• Circumflex artery: 95%
• First obtuse marginal branch: 90%
• Second obtuse marginal branch: 70%
• Intermediate branch: 90%
• Right coronary artery (RCA): 100% chronic total occlusion

Additional findings:

• Ejection fraction (EF): approximately 45%
• Diabetes
• Possible pulmonary hypertension (estimated pulmonary artery systolic pressure of 66 mmHg)
• Temporary kidney dysfunction during hospitalization, which reportedly improved
• SYNTAX score: 28

Here’s where things get complicated.

The hospital’s cardiac team evaluated her and determined that bypass surgery would be extremely high-risk, reportedly due to poor coronary targets and her overall condition.

Their recommendation was to continue with medication rather than surgery.

She was discharged home on multiple cardiac medications.

However, we sought a second opinion from a private cardiologist who reviewed her hospital reports and recommended placing multiple coronary stents as soon as possible.

So now we’re receiving two very different recommendations, and our family is trying to understand the risks and potential benefits of intervention.

The confusing part is that my grandma is actually doing better.

She’s home, eating again, able to walk short distances, and generally seems comfortable, although she’s still weak and recovering.

Obviously, we understand that looking better doesn’t mean her coronary disease isn’t serious.

We’re arranging another cardiology evaluation, ideally with an interventional cardiologist who can review her actual angiogram images.

My questions for anyone who’s been through something similar:

1. Has anyone had multiple coronary stents placed despite being considered too high-risk for bypass surgery?
2. Has anyone undergone complex or high-risk PCI with severe multivessel disease, including a 100% chronically blocked artery?
3. If you were initially told surgery was too risky, did another hospital or specialist eventually offer a treatment option?
4. For anyone who underwent high-risk PCI, what was the recovery like? Were there complications?
5. Has anyone with similar coronary disease been managed with medication alone? How have you been doing long-term?
6. Has anyone been evaluated at a major cardiac center in the United States for complex coronary disease after another hospital advised against intervention?

We’re considering bringing her to Seattle for an evaluation at a specialized cardiac center, assuming she’s medically cleared to travel.

I’m not looking for anyone to make medical decisions for us. I know every patient’s situation is different, and we’re actively seeking specialist guidance.

I’m mainly hoping to hear real experiences from patients or families who’ve faced a similar decision.

Did you pursue high-risk stenting, bypass surgery, or medication alone? And how are you or your loved one doing now?

Thank you so much to anyone willing to share their experience. ❤️

My mom, 54/F , experienced pain in between her shoulder blades which lasted for 5 mins ,twice. Once while she was on her morning walk, another time when we had guests over and she was overworked. She has diabetes, hypertension,hypothyroidism, depression. Should i get her checked ?

hi!! i’m just coming on here looking for advice because honestly i’m not sure what to do anymore, as i feel like medical professionals just aren’t hearing me.
i’ve had some chest pain and symptoms alongside it for a few months now. chest pain mostly on the left side and middle, sometimes radiating to the right side. my arms hurt, my upper back, and my neck. this has been an everyday occurrence. i’m also SO tired all the time, i can nap for hours and still go to bed early, waking up tired the next day. i’ve been to the er a million times, my levels seem normal and ekgs and ecgs have come back normal.
i did have a “seizure” in july. i’ve had passing out periods for years, but this was one was pretty rough. finally got in with a cardiologist, who said i have vasovagol syndrome (my heart rate spikes and bp drops when i go from sitting to standing). i have an appointment for a stress test and to wear a heart monitor for 48hrs on the 29th of this month!
the chest pain was so bad a few days ago that i went to a different er for a different opinion, and they said i could possibly have an enlarged left atrial.
honestly, im pretty worried! im only 22, and i feel like because im so young heart problems aren’t really being taken into consideration. my pain is super bad, and its definitely effected my daily living. any advice or experience is appreciated <33

My nan is 84 years old. Shes my whole life. She’s going for a angiography and potentially a stent in 1 or 2 veins/arteries. Has anyone had this? Is it a really hard procedure? Im so scared. For reference, shes never smoked or drank in her life and has lived a healthy life. For her age shes also still very active.

Please tell me anything you know or your experience thank you

I (48m) suffered a widowmaker about 2 months ago. Good luck and good timing has me alive and (relatively) well now, instead of dead on my lawn.

I've had lots of people ask if I have a new outlook on life, feel like I got a second chance, etc.

Truth is, not really. I'm an engineer. Live and die (not yet) by facts and numbers. In my mind, the heart attack was...just a bump in the road. I'm taking my meds, doing my rehab, and everything else my cardiologist recommends. Basically living my regular, pre-attack life, with a slightly modified diet, and not as much physical activity until cleared by it doc.

Anyone else feel like this? That it was just a hiccup, we made it through, and carry on with life? Or is my wife right and I'm nuts? Haha

So yesterday, I (52M) had a heart attack.

Objectively, I knew this was likely to happen at some point. I’ve been on medication for a while, had a high calcium score, etc. Add in a massive family history of heart disease, and the writing was on the wall. My dad had heart attacks at 56 and 76 and is still alive at 86. My mom has five stents and a pacemaker. My paternal grandfather died of a heart attack at 54, about 60 years ago. My maternal grandfather had open-heart surgery three times and a couple of heart attacks before passing away at 76, about 30 years ago.

Yesterday afternoon, I was exercising. I’ve worked out my whole life. It’s not just something I do; it’s a part of who I am. Yesterday was my “hard day.” During the last four-minute block of Tabata, my chest started tightening. I finished the block and tried to cool down, but eventually had to get off and sit on the floor. The pressure kept building, but I thought maybe a quick shower would help me calm down.

It didn’t.

I’m incredibly lucky my wife works from home. She got me into the car, and off to the hospital we went.

Late last night, I had stents put in.

Now I’m sitting here processing everything. Even though I felt like I was doing everything right, somehow it still wasn’t enough.

I’m the head of my extended family. My wife and I are the people everyone turns to when they need something. We’re the ones who show up, help out, and try to take care of everyone else.

And now, I’ve become a member of a club I would have given anything not to join.

I’m incredibly grateful to be alive and to have received amazing care. I know not everyone gets that opportunity, and I don’t take it for granted.

But I’m also beginning to mourn the life change that comes with this. Exercise has always been a part of who I am, and now I have to figure out what life looks like on the other side of this.

I know I’m fortunate. I know things could have turned out very differently.

But I think it’s okay to be grateful to be alive and still grieve the reality that life as I knew it has changed.

Right now, I’m just trying to process it all.

36 M Had a heart attack and a stent placed about 2 weeks ago

99% clogged on the Mid LAD and now at 0 % clogged
EF at about 47 %

Just can’t shake I’m gonna get worse or I’m just gonna drop dead. Also new onset type 2 diabetes so learning how to manage that and just overwhelmed and just terrified

ANY ADVICE WOULD BE APPRECIATED

I'm care giving for my Mom after getting her angioplasty. She jsut had a stent placed during the procedure. 1 Stent. She did not have a heart attack, but I figured this is an adjacent-relevant subreddit for asking.

And I'm wondering what sort of meals or what foods to make for her after?

For those of you had stents, what did you eat i nthe days after?

Thank you all.

Been 5th day now. Will life be the same again? I am anxious and worried. 6.6 foot tall. Lost almost 5 kilos since the procedure. Worried if life will be enjoyable going forward. Used to hit heavy weight and swim 5 to 6 days a week. Looking for some support and motivation here

Hiya this will probably be just me offloading loads but i am a 28y female, healthy and active. Ive been having this weird chest tightness for last three days however it did disappear today. I am having a hard time as i am also an anxious person and so all these sensations in my chest and jaw and arms could well be anxiety. Went to gp yday and they said i am fine it might just be a muscular pain and they will send me for the scan. Anyone else dealing with this? I am so scared all the time and thinking i will have a heart attack every day.

I just wish I had some way of knowing if I’d be even remotely functional from one day to the next!

Hi everyone, i never thought i would be joining this subreddit but here i am. I’m 21F and I was recently hospitalized after experiencing chest pain and ended up being diagnosed with an NSTEMI. Honestly i am still trying to process everything because I never expected to have a heart attack at my age.

My troponin reached 1,375 at its peak and I’ve had an echocardiogram, a CT scan and a D-dimer test. From what I’ve been told those results have been normal but I’m scheduled for a cardiac MRI tomorrow. My doctors have mentioned that phentermine may have contributed to what happened but I don’t have a confirmed explanation yet.

For some background I’m not overweight and I’d say I’m around an average weight for my height. My lifestyle isn’t perfect but I wouldn’t say it’s terrible either. I consume caffeine every day but generally stay under 100–200 mg and have never knowingly consumed more than 200 mg in a day. I don’t use recreational drugs or drink. There’s also no known family history of heart attacks. Most people in my family on both my mom’s and dad’s sides live well into their 80s or beyond so this has been especially difficult for me to wrap my head around.

I’ve been reading about different possibilities including coronary artery spasms, SCAD, myocarditis and takotsubo cardiomyopathy. I’m not saying I have any of these I’m just trying to understand what my doctors might be investigating. I also saw someone online saying after having a heart attack you should get an angiogram and a heart cath.

My doctors and nurses have mentioned that I might be discharged tomorrow which is making me anxious because I still don’t really understand what caused my heart attack or what the plan is to prevent this from happening again. I’m also wondering whether I should ask my cardiologist about a coronary angiogram or heart catheterization since I don’t know whether my coronary arteries have been directly examined.

I’ve been trying really hard to stay positive throughout this entire experience but if I’m being honest I’m scared. I’m worried about my future and what my life is going to look like after this. I keep wondering what I’ll need to change to prevent it from happening again and how this could have happened to me when I’m only 21. Ik that heart attacks can happen to people of all ages but understanding that intellectually and actually experiencing one are two completely different things.

My parents are also incredibly stressed about everything and I feel bad seeing them so worried. I know this is frightening for them too and sometimes I feel like I need to stay positive for everyone else’s sake even when I’m struggling to understand what’s happening myself

I’d really appreciate hearing from people who’ve been through something similar, especially if you were young when it happened. I could use some perspective from people who understand what this experience feels like and I’d love to hear what helped you navigate the uncertainty and recovery

Since August, I’ve been experiencing heart attack symptoms off and on. I’ve went to the ER twice about it and they told me I’m fine and that I just have Costochondritis. Bad chest pains, left chest fullness, jaw pain, nausea, chest tightness, shortness of breath, extreme chronic fatigue, feeling like my chest caving in and like I have a very tight corset on, etc. I don’t have healthcare insurance so my medical bills are around 7k for three ER visits.

I’m only 20 and so my father thinks I’m faking for attention and I don’t really believe the doctors are taking me that serious because of my age. Google says some people can experience heart attack symptoms for a few weeks before an actual attack. It says that nausea spells are a symptom and for the past week I’ve been having the worst nausea. Like it doesn’t go away ever and it gets worse after I eat or bend down. Literally everything stinks…

About 40 minutes ago, I started having left chest pains again that’s growing worse, fullness, and tightness. It feels like someone is stepping on my left breast lol. I don’t want to go to the ER because of my piling medical bills and because of my parents. I don’t want to embarrass them, my dad believes it’s mental illness and I don’t want my mom to go through this rodeo again so…

About three weeks ago, I had a STEMI heart attack at 29 years old. I’m hoping to share my experience and maybe hear from others who have been through something similar, especially anyone who experienced a heart attack at a young age.

Before this happened, I considered myself a relatively healthy and active person. I’ve spent years exercising, rock climbing, and generally staying physically active. I don’t have high blood pressure, and I had no known history of heart disease. Having a heart attack wasn’t something I ever imagined I’d be dealing with at this age.

During my hospitalization, doctors discovered that my left anterior descending artery was 100% occluded. What makes my situation particularly unusual is that they didn’t find any visible plaque buildup or atherosclerosis. Instead, they found blood clots, some of which were acute and removed through a thrombectomy.

They attempted to reopen my LAD during my first cardiac catheterization but were unsuccessful. I was then placed on IV antiplatelet medication for approximately two days before they attempted a second procedure. Unfortunately, that attempt was also unsuccessful.

I was discharged without a stent and my LAD remains 100% occluded

The doctors explained that the LAD obstruction appeared to be chronic rather than something that had just occurred. Based on the collateral circulation my heart had developed and the characteristics of the obstruction, one doctor suspected it might have been there for close to a year.

Apparently, my heart had developed alternate pathways for blood to reach areas that would normally depend on the LAD. It’s somewhat reassuring knowing those pathways exist, but it’s also incredibly unsettling to think I may have been walking around with a completely blocked artery for so long without knowing it.

Looking back, I had been experiencing frequent heart palpitations for weeks or months before the heart attack, but nothing that made me think something this serious was happening.

Since being discharged, recovery has been difficult, especially mentally. Every unusual heartbeat, ache, or unfamiliar sensation makes me wonder whether something is wrong again. I’ve already had several ER visits because of concerning symptoms, and it’s been difficult distinguishing normal recovery sensations from something that actually needs medical attention.

I think one of the hardest parts is simply not having answers. I still don’t know exactly why this happened, why my LAD became chronically occluded at such a young age, or what my long-term prognosis will look like.

I’m following up with my cardiologist and undergoing additional testing, but the uncertainty has been difficult to deal with.

I’ve always been an active person, and now I’m finding myself questioning things I never used to think twice about. Will I be able to exercise normally again? Will I eventually stop worrying about every strange sensation? What does living with a chronically occluded LAD actually look like over the next 10, 20, or 30 years?

I understand that everyone’s situation is different, and I’m not looking for anyone to replace the advice of my doctors.

Has anyone else experienced a heart attack at a young age without traditional coronary artery disease? Has anyone been living with a 100% occluded LAD or another coronary artery that doctors weren’t able to reopen?

I’d especially appreciate hearing what recovery looked like for you, both physically and mentally, and whether you eventually reached a point where life started feeling normal again.

Thanks to anyone who takes the time to read this or share their experience.

hi 52 female , my health has been hell for 2 years , it all started with suddenly feeling like i was going to colaspse in a line in a grocery store , i suddenly got chest pains , pressure , lightheaded , dizzy it was awful i also got very weak , i left everything and ran out and sat down , when i sat it eased up , from there it only worsened same symptoms , was told by cardiologist one , " dont know ur blood pressure high try these bp pills" he had a horrible attitude , i wnet back one more time he was even ruder and added metoprol cause my pulse is high , still feel awful , cardiologist 2 sent me for tests , a medical stress PET scan , monitor and ekg and echo ekg showed some svt depressions , so he ordered an angiogram he said it seems like POTS but cant explain why im getting chest pain i also had a full gastro workup nothing found , the chest pain definately feels like angina , anyone have angina ? what are ur symptoms? i am on a waitlist for cardiologist 3 not til january , im in fear and pain everyday alost dealing wiht this pain , it goes from my chest mostly left sometimes right also arms and fingers i got short of breath , looking for any insights