Sign-in to Ask A Doctor - 24x7
OR
Sign in with Google
What Does "anteroapical Infarct With Minimal Septal Reversibility" Mean?
Question: I had a heart attack. I was wondering you can tell me how MUCH damage I have to my heart. Can you tell from these readings. Can the damage be reversible. Thank you so very much.
Brief Answer:
Reports not attached to the discussion ma'am
Detailed Answer:
Hello ma'am and welcome.
Thank you for writing to us.
I have gone through your query with diligence and have noticed that the reports you meant to attach have not been added to our discussion, could you reattach these to our conversation so I can comment on the extent of heart damage (if any). Reports should include values that read LVEF, EF %, etc.
Hope to hear from you soon in order to adequately address your query.
Best wishes.
Reports not attached to the discussion ma'am
Detailed Answer:
Hello ma'am and welcome.
Thank you for writing to us.
I have gone through your query with diligence and have noticed that the reports you meant to attach have not been added to our discussion, could you reattach these to our conversation so I can comment on the extent of heart damage (if any). Reports should include values that read LVEF, EF %, etc.
Hope to hear from you soon in order to adequately address your query.
Best wishes.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
I attacked my discharge note after my stent was put in. Nuclear imaging with an ejection of 41% and anteroapical akinesis. There is evidence of an anteroapical infarct with MINIMAL SEPTAL REVERSIBILITY. Not to sure what this means. Thank you
Brief Answer:
Damage quite significant; but partially reversible
Detailed Answer:
Hello once again ma'am.
I am sorry I am not able to view the attachment yet. But based on the provided information, there seems to a significant amount of damage ma'am. I am afraid either the heart attack resulted from a long lasting ischemia (which is an insufficient amount of blood being supplied to the heart) or the attack was not addressed on time.
Did you experience any symptoms of a heart attack and report to a doctor immediately or was there a significant amount of delay in doing so?
Your report also states that a certain amount of this damage seems to be reversible, which means a certain amount of function can be returned with adequate medical procedures and medications. The stent placement was one such approach. With the current information, it seems that your heart function has reduced from being above 90 % (as is in a normal healthy individual) to about 41 %. But please note that this does not necessarily mean that your functionality dropped only because of the heart attack, as this was most probably a gradual process.
I hope this makes things a little more clear and I have explained things in a manner best understood by you. Please do not hesitate to write back to me for any further clarifications ma'am, I wish and pray for a speedy recovery and a healthy symptom-free life ahead for you ma'am.
Best wishes.
Damage quite significant; but partially reversible
Detailed Answer:
Hello once again ma'am.
I am sorry I am not able to view the attachment yet. But based on the provided information, there seems to a significant amount of damage ma'am. I am afraid either the heart attack resulted from a long lasting ischemia (which is an insufficient amount of blood being supplied to the heart) or the attack was not addressed on time.
Did you experience any symptoms of a heart attack and report to a doctor immediately or was there a significant amount of delay in doing so?
Your report also states that a certain amount of this damage seems to be reversible, which means a certain amount of function can be returned with adequate medical procedures and medications. The stent placement was one such approach. With the current information, it seems that your heart function has reduced from being above 90 % (as is in a normal healthy individual) to about 41 %. But please note that this does not necessarily mean that your functionality dropped only because of the heart attack, as this was most probably a gradual process.
I hope this makes things a little more clear and I have explained things in a manner best understood by you. Please do not hesitate to write back to me for any further clarifications ma'am, I wish and pray for a speedy recovery and a healthy symptom-free life ahead for you ma'am.
Best wishes.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
May I ask one more question...
Is the damage that has been done, can this lead to heart failure. I think this is what I am trying to ask...but is there damage that is irreversible?
Thank you
My symptoms were severe headaches, nausea with jaw pain along with high blood. no chest pain or arm pain. It went on for one month before detected I did have one EKG at first, however it must have not been enough to do a follow up.
Is the damage that has been done, can this lead to heart failure. I think this is what I am trying to ask...but is there damage that is irreversible?
Thank you
My symptoms were severe headaches, nausea with jaw pain along with high blood. no chest pain or arm pain. It went on for one month before detected I did have one EKG at first, however it must have not been enough to do a follow up.
Brief Answer:
Irreversible damage will always be present
Detailed Answer:
Hello once again ma'am.
I understand your concern.
Let me first start by saying that all cardiac events result in some amount of damage that is irreversible ma'am, this is unfortunate but true.
It is really unfortunate that the infarction was not detected until at least one month after it began to show symptoms, this is really very unfortunate ma'am. You are quite right, sometimes an ECG does not pick up mild changes; but in such cases a doctor has to look for the exact cause for the symptoms and completely rule out a cardiac event. If this were done, there might have been chances to pick up the developing events.
As for heart failure, the current functionality of your heart does show a slight amount of heart failure due to the extreme delay in providing medical care. The heart continued to be in strain and pressure for such a long duration of time, that it slowly began to fail. But now that the stent has been placed, and hopefully the medications have begun, we hope to bring the heart function up and reverse the ill-effects to a certain extent. These actions can prevent/avoid heart failure in the future.
For now, there does exist a risk of heart failure in the future ma'am; but that is only if proper care is not taken.
Please do not hesitate to ask me any questions ma'am. You need not request but just ask, because I am here for you, to help you understand everything better and hopefully help by making your life healthier.
Best wishes.
Irreversible damage will always be present
Detailed Answer:
Hello once again ma'am.
I understand your concern.
Let me first start by saying that all cardiac events result in some amount of damage that is irreversible ma'am, this is unfortunate but true.
It is really unfortunate that the infarction was not detected until at least one month after it began to show symptoms, this is really very unfortunate ma'am. You are quite right, sometimes an ECG does not pick up mild changes; but in such cases a doctor has to look for the exact cause for the symptoms and completely rule out a cardiac event. If this were done, there might have been chances to pick up the developing events.
As for heart failure, the current functionality of your heart does show a slight amount of heart failure due to the extreme delay in providing medical care. The heart continued to be in strain and pressure for such a long duration of time, that it slowly began to fail. But now that the stent has been placed, and hopefully the medications have begun, we hope to bring the heart function up and reverse the ill-effects to a certain extent. These actions can prevent/avoid heart failure in the future.
For now, there does exist a risk of heart failure in the future ma'am; but that is only if proper care is not taken.
Please do not hesitate to ask me any questions ma'am. You need not request but just ask, because I am here for you, to help you understand everything better and hopefully help by making your life healthier.
Best wishes.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
I think I uploaded my first EKG
Brief Answer:
Thank you for that ma'am
Detailed Answer:
Hello ma'am.
The attached EKGs are from when your first symptoms appeared?
There seems to be a slight variation from normal, but still not a straight-forward indication of a myocardial infarction. Were there any recent EKGs conducted? Ciuld you also attach those to our conversation just so I am aware about the current condition as well ma'am.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me. It helps in providing a better understanding of your case.
Best wishes.
Thank you for that ma'am
Detailed Answer:
Hello ma'am.
The attached EKGs are from when your first symptoms appeared?
There seems to be a slight variation from normal, but still not a straight-forward indication of a myocardial infarction. Were there any recent EKGs conducted? Ciuld you also attach those to our conversation just so I am aware about the current condition as well ma'am.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me. It helps in providing a better understanding of your case.
Best wishes.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Dr. Shoaib XXXXXXX
I want to thank you so very much. I have learned quit a bit. I am trying to understand what is meant by damage irreversible or reversible in my case. My Cardiologist did tell me the other wall and the tip was damaged. I did not ask questions. I was so thankful it was caught after one month of not being detected.
Your a very kind young man. Thank you for that
I want to thank you so very much. I have learned quit a bit. I am trying to understand what is meant by damage irreversible or reversible in my case. My Cardiologist did tell me the other wall and the tip was damaged. I did not ask questions. I was so thankful it was caught after one month of not being detected.
Your a very kind young man. Thank you for that
Brief Answer:
Let me try to help you understand better
Detailed Answer:
Hi ma'am.
Thank you so much for your kind words. My only regret is that it wasn't found earlier than a month, that could be one of the main reasons why there is more irreversible damage than reversible.
The reason why some damage can be reversible is because the damage took place due to inadequate or insufficient blood supply, leading to cell and tissue death. Some of these tissues and/or cells did not completely die and become non-viable. These cells can be brought back to going about their previous function with the help of the stent and medications, which would help in better delivery of blood to these blood deprived regions.
This is how some of the damage is reversible and some is non-reversible.
I hope this helps you in understanding this a little better.
Best of luck ma'am and god bless.
Let me try to help you understand better
Detailed Answer:
Hi ma'am.
Thank you so much for your kind words. My only regret is that it wasn't found earlier than a month, that could be one of the main reasons why there is more irreversible damage than reversible.
The reason why some damage can be reversible is because the damage took place due to inadequate or insufficient blood supply, leading to cell and tissue death. Some of these tissues and/or cells did not completely die and become non-viable. These cells can be brought back to going about their previous function with the help of the stent and medications, which would help in better delivery of blood to these blood deprived regions.
This is how some of the damage is reversible and some is non-reversible.
I hope this helps you in understanding this a little better.
Best of luck ma'am and god bless.
Note: For further follow-up it is advisable to consult an emergency medicine specialist. Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
Get personalised answers from verified doctor in minutes across 80+ specialties
