Visiting the Cath Lab soon and I’m scared

I’m sorry for posting this so late. The only thing they found were ‘ lumps and bumps’. No stents needed! My cardiologist was originally concerned about some narrowing in the artery on the descending left side of my heart.

I passed the tilt table test last month too.

It looks like I am experiencing autonomic nerve dysfunction. It is causing me to pass out during showers, bending over, standing up. I just have to be more careful. I broke my left fifth toe and later banged up my knee.

Plus I am experiencing visual disturbances and slurred speech apparently associated with migraines. They found a lesion in my left temporal white matter but said that too was associated with migraines.

But at least my heart is ok and I didn’t have a stroke.

I survived my visit to the cath lab. My doc decided to go through my arm but I was prepped for both groin and arm access. Fortunately, it turned out to be a non event. The doc reported I had only lumps and bumps in my coronary arteries. To get the whole story I’ll have to see my Medical Cardiologist. No stents needed.

Thank you all for your thoughts about this. I haven’t been contacted yet to schedule the procedure. I just want it to be over.

Ive had 2, was awake for both. Had stents put in. Back at work after 3 days.

I’ve been through the cardiac cathlab three times in the last 3-4 years. I was also fearful of what might happen. I had three totally different experiences each time. The first time, all went well and I was asleep for the whole thing. I was diagnosed with three serious blockages and was then scheduled for triple bypass surgery a few days later. I had the bypass surgery and all went well for about a month afterwards when I suddenly had chest pains. A trip to the ER revealed I was having a heart attack….just a month after having triple bypass surgery! At that time, It was also determined that ALL THREE of my bypasses FAILED! I then had another trip to the cathlab where I was to have 3 or 4 stents placed. My cardiologist was able to get one inserted through my wrist. I WAS AWAKE through that entire procedure as the anesthesia DID NOT PUT ME TO SLEEP. I watched the whole procedure on the monitor and talked to the cardiologist the entire time, despite being given more “knockout juice” through the IV…but I remained conscious. He continued the procedure telling the assistants that as long as I was not in any pain or discomfort they could continue. At the conclusion of getting that stent placed, he told me I would have to come back in a couple days because the next two stents HAD to go through my groin. For that third cath lab visit a few days later, I WAS COMPLETELY And DEEPLY knocked out. I woke up in the Cardiac ICU, in the SAME room where I “recovered” from my failed triple bypass a month earlier! During that third cathlab procedure, an artery was punctured and I almost bled to death! But the worst thing that happed was that much of the hemorrhaged blood ended up in my scrotum! The nurses told me I had a conditioned they affectionately called “The Basketball Hematoma“. My entire right leg, scrotum, lower abdomen were totally BLACK in color. It took an entire month for that scrotal swelling to subside to a point where I could put on a pair of jeans! Fortunately, I’ve been fine since then…

It is safer now, but anything can happen. Please tell your cardiologist of your concerns and ask questions about what they hope to find and the solutions. I've had many since 2005

a few were more involved than just a look around. Good luck and safe recovery.

🐾