Have a better tomorrow Post Angioplasty

Avoid further blockages by keeping in mind that:

• Angioplasty is not everything: Coronary angioplasty does not assure that the patient would show resistance to more blockages in future. Though it is the best possible treatment for blockage, it can’t fight ongoing build-up of plaques in your body. Hence, a lifestyle makeover and adequate care of yourself against the comorbidities is a must.

• Take your medicines regularly: It is quite common for patients to be irregular with medication particularly as time from procedure elapses. They believe that medication can be stopped as the procedure has been completed successfully. This is the biggest fault that results in the re-blockages and subsequent consequences. Contrary to this, medication, particularly blood thinners and cholesterol statins or others, as prescribed by your doctor are mandatory following stent  implantation as they prevent life threatening complications like stent thrombosis.

• Eat a heart smart diet: Atherosclerotic plaque which blocks your  arteries is majorly affected by diet intake. To reduce the risk, American Heart Association recommends cutting down on saturated fat to  no more than 5-6% of your total calories. It also advises reducing  overall dietary intake by 20 to 30% with replacement of undesirable  food such as rice, salt, oil, sweet, etc. to make more desirable food like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, low fat dairy products etc.

• Stay physically active: Being physically active helps you manage  high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and obesity. All this contributes to make atherosclerosis and coronary blockages worse. It generally takes a couple of weeks to start returning to normal activities after an angioplasty. If you have not had a heart attack, you can resume light  activities or driving as soon as one week after surgery. But if you have already suffered a heart attack, it takes 4  to 6 weeks. It is always advised that you have to discuss with your  doctor before starting activities like driving, heavy weight  lifting  etc. Avoid alcohol, caffeine and big meals in the dinner.

• Don’t ignore or hide symptoms: If post angioplasty patient  develops any unusual  discomfort in form of chest or neck pain or epigastric discomfort, acidity, breathing  difficulty, perspiration etc., it is always  advisable to get an ECG done and consult your cardiologist immediately as any of them can be life threatening.

• Go for regular follow-ups: Follow ups are required after  angioplasty or stenting for optimization of treatment, screening for  any adverse effects or complications as well as control of risk  factors. Generally, once in a month follow up is advisable, though the frequency of follow up might depend on your clinical situation and risk profile. Technically successful procedure is the essence of  angioplasty / stenting. Post procedure adherence to advice and  recommendation hold the key to good long term outcomes. As a society,  it must be appreciated that even a small error in the implementation  of follow up advice can result in undesirable consequences.

• Toss out cigarette: Smoking is one of the most common risk factors for CAD and is associated with worst outcome. It damages your blood  vessels and raises blood pressure and cholesterol level. It is a must  to stop smoking and support from a trained counsellor is  needed.

• Control your co-morbidities: Apart from cardiac disease, you need  to take proper and adequate control of diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, alcohol intake. Uncontrolled comorbidities can lead to re-blockage of your stents or other arteries.

• Keep stress under check and get good night sleep: One study shows that angioplasty patients who slept poorly had an increased risk of requiring another procedure over the next four years. For sound sleep stick to a regular bed-time every night and avoid alcohol, caffeine  and big meals in dinner. Depression is more common in people with heart disease, including angioplasty patients. If left untreated,  depression can worsen heart problems. For this you can learn several  strategies that help you cope up with stressful situations. For this you can do yoga, go for a walk, listen to soothing music, read books, see entertainment, TV shows or call supportive friends. Consult your  doctor if needed.

  Remember, while technical successful procedure is the essence of  angioplasty/stenting, post procedure adherence to advice and recommendations holds the key to good long-term outcome. As a society, it must be appreciated that even a small error in the implementation of follow up advice can result in undesirable consequences.