Sometimes heart problems return after a stent procedure. If that happens, you usually have symptoms—like chest pain, fatigue, or shortness of breath. If you do have symptoms, a stress test can help your doctor see what's going on. It can show if a blockage has returned or if there's a new blockage.
Feel more tired than usual for several days.
If your procedure was performed while you were having a heart attack, tiredness will last longer – perhaps as long as six weeks, the time it usually takes for healing after a heart attack.
Most people are able to return to work the day after the procedure. If your work requires intense activity, you may feel pain in your kidney area or get tired easily. If this happens, you may need to do less strenuous activities while the stent is in.
In most cases, you'll be advised to avoid heavy lifting and strenuous activities for about a week, or until the wound has healed.
After most angioplasty procedures, an expandable stent is inserted into the newly opened artery. Stents prevent the artery from narrowing or closing again to ensure proper blood flow. After the stent insertion procedure, it takes up to two weeks for the stent to settle into place.
The doctor may have placed a small tube, called a stent, in the artery. Your groin or wrist may have a bruise and feel sore for a few days after the procedure. You can do light activities around the house. But don't do anything strenuous until your doctor says it is okay.
You will need to take antiplatelet medicines, or blood thinners, to prevent blood clots from forming in the stents in your arteries. Your provider may prescribe these medicines for 1 year or more after getting a coronary stent. For carotid or peripheral artery stents, it may be 1 month or more.
Take the medication you need
Blood thinners such as aspirin, clopidogrel (Plavix), ticagrelor (Brillinta), or prasugrel (Effient). These medications are commonly prescribed after a heart attack and especially after stents are placed. They help keep new stents open while your body heals around them.
Right side: Some individuals have the habit of sleeping on their stomach, however, after the heart surgery, this posture is not recommended. So instead, you can try sleeping on your side. But, make sure you only sleep on your right side as sleeping on the left side can cause breathing problems and more chest pain.
It is also possible that you are experiencing discomfort because the stent is taking time to settle. This is quite normal, but make an appointment to see your GP and check if they want to review your medications. Find out about better stents for the future.
You may also experience tiredness for a few days after the procedure. This is totally normal and will pass in a week's time. Once you leave the hospital, your post-procedure care will involve taking the prescribed medications and making some important lifestyle changes.
Avoid strenuous exercise and lifting heavy objects for at least a day afterward. Ask your doctor or nurse about other restrictions in activity. Call your doctor's office or hospital staff immediately if: The site where your catheter was inserted starts bleeding or swelling.
It's a card that you carry in your wallet that tells the location of the stent in your body, the date of your procedure when you received the stent and your doctor's name and contact information.
Life after stent placement should have no room for excessive alcohol. Patients must strictly limit their alcohol consumption. Excessive consumption of alcohol can lead to a wide variety of health complications – from increased blood pressure to strokes, irregular heartbeats and cardiomyopathy or heart muscle diseases.
Large pieces of beef, poultry, pork and shellfish are most likely to cause a blockage of your stent: o Shred, mince or grind meats and shellfish. o Slow cook meats until tender. o Fish the texture of salmon, tuna, cod and tilapia do not need to be modified. Breads and dried fruits may cause blockage of your stent.
Myth: The angioplasty procedure and stent fixed my heart problems. Fact: You should feel better immediately after your angioplasty because it opened your blocked blood vessel and blood started to flow freely.
Sometimes heart problems return after a stent procedure. If that happens, you usually have symptoms—like chest pain, fatigue, or shortness of breath.
It is advisable for patients to commence moderate exercise such as walking on the plain ground soon after angioplasty and gradually increase the intensity of exercise. One can expect to reach the pre-disease exercise status within one month of a stenting procedure.
As recommended in the National Disease Management Guidelines (6), patients with coronary heart disease and those who have undergone stent implantation should be followed up regularly (every three to six months) by their primary care physicians, independently of any additional visits that may be necessitated by ...
Focus on vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts, and seeds for the vitamin, mineral, and fiber content. Choose healthier fats such as extra virgin olive oil, nuts, and avocado. Avoid fried foods and animal fats. Include whole grains.
It has been common practice for patients who have had a stent placed to clear a blocked artery to take an anti-clotting drug (such as Plavix, Effient, or Brilinta) plus aspirin for 12 months after the procedure. Taking these two medications, called dual anti-platelet therapy, reduces the risk of forming blood clots.
As a result, even after implanting stents in three major coronary arteries, if correctly controlled, you can live a long life.