Question: my 83 year old mom is getting surgery for an abdominal aortic aneurysm. They are doing this via a stent which should be done in about two weeks, unless the stent is in stock, at which point it will be done sooner. My mom has also had two stents done for her heart about 6 years ago. Symptoms before those stents were put in was shortness of breath. My mom is experiencing shortness of breath the past six - eight weeks and she feels just like she did when she had the heart stents done. My question is this: when the vascular surgeon does the AAA stent, can he also while in her groin with the catheter look to see if she also needs a heart stent? My assumption is that he won't be able to do both procedures at once (if she needs a heart stent), but "can he check the arteries that lead to the heart while he has already gone in through the groin by snaking the wire a different path?"