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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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Why Were The Blockages In A Vessel And The Right Coronary Artery Of My Heart Not Cleared?

just had a stent placed in the left side of my heart in a vessal that was 98% blocked but my right coranary artery that was 100% blocked was not touched because the risk was higher, don t understand why both blockages were not cleared, can you explain?
Thu, 25 Jun 2015
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Cardiologist,  's  Response
Hello. I understand your concerns.
I can only assume the scenarios when a totally occluded (blocked) artery is not opened. In my experience, there are several reasons we do not open a 100% blocked artery. In cases of a remote myocardial infarction, which was caused by a totally blocked artery, there is no benefit of opening an artery which, after opening, would supply a damaged territory of the heart. In other cases, the left circumflex artery is the dominant artery (8% of people worldwide) and the right coronary artery is a small, non-important, artery. The risk would be higher if the artery is opened in these cases, then the benefit would be. Another reason is, if the other artery (the one that was 98% blocked) was stented in a state of an acute myocardial infarction caused by this artery, then the other artery is stented in a second time.
These are the major reasons why an interventional cardiologist has doubts of opening a closed artery. I hope I was helpful.
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Why Were The Blockages In A Vessel And The Right Coronary Artery Of My Heart Not Cleared?

Hello. I understand your concerns. I can only assume the scenarios when a totally occluded (blocked) artery is not opened. In my experience, there are several reasons we do not open a 100% blocked artery. In cases of a remote myocardial infarction, which was caused by a totally blocked artery, there is no benefit of opening an artery which, after opening, would supply a damaged territory of the heart. In other cases, the left circumflex artery is the dominant artery (8% of people worldwide) and the right coronary artery is a small, non-important, artery. The risk would be higher if the artery is opened in these cases, then the benefit would be. Another reason is, if the other artery (the one that was 98% blocked) was stented in a state of an acute myocardial infarction caused by this artery, then the other artery is stented in a second time. These are the major reasons why an interventional cardiologist has doubts of opening a closed artery. I hope I was helpful.