Can Angioplasty be done in an artery adjacent to a location where a stent has already been fitted before?

Question

The second stent was fitted 3 years after the first one was.Is it ok to conduct this operation during the evening.

Answer 1

Yes, serial stents can, and some times have to be done. If you really need intervention, your only other option is bypass. As far as the timing goes, I'm not sure that evening has anything to do with the stent. Again, if you really need the stent done in the evening, you really shouldn't wait just so the procedure can be done in the light of day.

Cardiologists, like everyone else, would prefer to work during regular hours, but sometimes the patient's condition demands immediate intervention.

Answer 2

Your description of exactly where the new lesion exists is confusing, especially with your mention of two stents but only one previous location (a "stent sandwich" perhaps).
It appears you are suggesting that it is in the same artery, either before or after an existing stent. Regardless, the procedure can be conducted as long as the site can be accessed (a very small diameter wire can be threaded through and beyond the location where the repair needs to take place).
As to your concern for having the procedure conducted in the evening - I'm assuming this procedure has been electively scheduled (days in advance) to occur in the evening. This would suggest to me that the facility employs an evening shift of cath lab employees since I know of no institution that schedules elective cases beyond normal working hours. I guess it really comes down to 'how late in the evening'?

I would not want to be the first case of the day nor the last.
I would rather let the cardiologist and his team warm up on someone else (during the first case), gaining peak proficiency a case or two later for my procedure.
I wouldn't want to be scheduled just before or after a mealtime and have to worry about hypoglycemia interfering with reasoning abilities or the mental sluggishness that can accompany digestion.
Lastly, I wouldn't want a cardiologist (or team) who has already put in 8-10-12 hours already.
Keep in mind that a late (evening) 'reservation' could be bumped back even later because of the typical physician delays (or emergency heart attack patients) which can occur during the preceding hours. This can make the evening even longer...to go without eating or drinking.

Answer 3

Absolutely, without a problem. I assume that one of the arteries got stenosed and needed an angioplasty and stent placement 3 years ago. Now another artery, adjacent to it is also diseased. If the nature of the lesion, and its location and length in the artery, and the type of artery permit, then there is no absolute contraindication to a second angioplasty (actually the first for this new artery). As to doing it in evening hardly makes difference.

Answer 4

If a stent is already in an artery,and that artery isn't the one that is closed,then,naturally,they'd use a different artery,as angioplasty isn't necessary for OPEN arteries!! Don't think the time of day matters,unless you're superstitious or something. I've got one stent in my LAD.

Answer 5

I hope you're not a heart surgeon asking this. Seriously, if you don't like what your doctor is telling you, go for a second opinion from another doctor.

Answer 6

Yes. It`s safe.