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What Causes Pain In The Place Where The Stent Are Placed?
Question: I had two heart attacks last week. the first one they implanted 2 heart stents. i am having considerable pain in my heart where the stents were placed. I cannot rest because of the pain. My PCP refuses to prescribe me any pain meds. I am taking tylenol for pain. I don't know what to do and I keep feeling like I am having another heart attack but feel foolish to go back to the e.r. Is it possible to have another heart attack after stents were placed. I am scared and exhausted.
Brief Answer:
cannot say in your particular case.
Detailed Answer:
And, there can be complications after stent placement. The one year new heart attack rate in people with stents is about 10%. So... you can have another heart attack even if stents were perfect. We don't know the exact rate of stent failure. Really unusual complications (stents poking thru an artery) are really really rare and show up before the patient leaves the hospital mostly. And sometimes a new clot forms in or next to the stent. Aspirin and/or plavix helps prevent this. Taking OTHER anti-inflammatories with or instead of aspirin, makes the risk worse.
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and... the pain doesn't have to be the heart. irritation of the ribs and breastbone are common. This is demonstrable by poking the chest in the right spots. If it gives the pain the person has... it isn't the heart!
The lungs can also have pain. I've had about a quarter of the patients I see today have that, due to flu season. It hurts to breathe... also not heart.
and chest pain is an emergency and the ER would generally do an evaluation for it. BUT wouldn't do daily or weekly evaluations of it.
cannot say in your particular case.
Detailed Answer:
And, there can be complications after stent placement. The one year new heart attack rate in people with stents is about 10%. So... you can have another heart attack even if stents were perfect. We don't know the exact rate of stent failure. Really unusual complications (stents poking thru an artery) are really really rare and show up before the patient leaves the hospital mostly. And sometimes a new clot forms in or next to the stent. Aspirin and/or plavix helps prevent this. Taking OTHER anti-inflammatories with or instead of aspirin, makes the risk worse.
.
and... the pain doesn't have to be the heart. irritation of the ribs and breastbone are common. This is demonstrable by poking the chest in the right spots. If it gives the pain the person has... it isn't the heart!
The lungs can also have pain. I've had about a quarter of the patients I see today have that, due to flu season. It hurts to breathe... also not heart.
and chest pain is an emergency and the ER would generally do an evaluation for it. BUT wouldn't do daily or weekly evaluations of it.
Note: For further queries related to coronary artery disease and prevention, click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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