Support Group for People suffering from Heart Diseases Worldwide

Need Advice

I have recently been diagnosed with a Corinary Artery Fistula and 2 significant blockages.

I am being told that Open Heart Surgery is the option that I should choose.

Why can't I have stents put in to solve the blockages?? The Fistula is not life threatening.

I will continue to obtain second opinions with other cardiologists.

Can someone here comment?

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Permalink Reply by Dr Ted Portnay on October 14, 2009 at 9:19pm: Keith - there are definitely situations where coronary artery fistula can be treated with an percutaneous interventional approach. They can be treat with covered stents or with coils. Blockages are treated with standard bare metal or dug eluting stents. I would recommend getting a second opinion at a facility where there are physicians who do advanced cardiac interventions. I good place to start would be looking for an interventionalist at www.scai.org.

I hope this helps

Dr Portnay; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Keith Heeman on October 15, 2009 at 10:14am: Last Thursday, I had 3 stents put in to open my blockages. There was a new blockage that was not there a month ago and it was 98% in my LAD. This blockage was most likely from a rupture. They had called the Open Heart Team to be on standby. They indicated that this would have most likely killed me.

The Team did a great job with opening these blockages.

We will evaluate the effect if any from the fistula's in the future.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Dr Ted Portnay on October 15, 2009 at 4:42pm: I'm so glad you are ok -- sounds like your doctors did a great job. Did the doctors stent the fistula as well?

Keith Heeman said:
Last Thursday, I had 3 stents put in to open my blockages. There was a new blockage that was not there a month ago and it was 98% in my LAD. This blockage was most likely from a rupture. They had called the Open Heart Team to be on standby. They indicated that this would have most likely killed me.

The Team did a great job with opening these blockages.

We will evaluate the effect if any from the fistula's in the future.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Keith Heeman on October 16, 2009 at 11:30am: No, they decided to leave the fistula's alone at this point. I have 3 fistula's which I am being told is very rare.

They are not sure if they are impacting my quality of life. They will run additional tests in about 3-4 months.

Thanks!; ▶ Reply to This