My husband had a heart attack on Saturday. Patients usually will start with cardiac rehabilitation, which is supervised exercise training. So if you live, God has a plan for you and if you die he didnt? The following day I became aware of a constant sensation on the left side of my chest as if someone was resting their hand on my chest. Drove myself to the hospital on 8/6 from chest pain and shortness of breath. Thank you for your video, it helped me understand more and I hope that My heart is able to stay strong. He said its very dangerous too. I was done on Monday and home on Thursday. Consider yourself lucky. Atherosclerosis, a buildup of cholesterol and other deposits in your LAD artery, causes a widowmaker heart attack. I had terrible pain in my chest and arms. People who receive a stent to keep their LAD artery open need to take medicine to prevent blood clots. report noted I had Sever LAD. Now we know why it is called the WIDOW The clot blocks the oxygen-rich blood your heart needs to pump. The LAD I think is what its called was 100% blocked and the other two are 90%and 70% to be fixed next week. I have been swimming about a mile a day for years, but I noticed one night that after a short warmup, I felt like I had a weight on my chest. I exercised 2-3 times a week cardio and weights. This is called an angioplasty. Your heart muscleneeds a constant supply of blood. They hooked me up to the monitor and things were looking good there but I went to the hospital as a precaution. I think the insurance companies see stents as being much cheaper than a bypass. In June of 2006, at the age of 37, I experienced a heart attack due to a blockage in the LAD artery in my heart. All Rights Reserved. The first should read: 99.999 blockage of the left main artery of the left ventricle of my heart.. I went to my doctor and this time he sent me for a dye test. I didnt have a heart attack but many symptoms of one. My son had been helping me and left to go get us some pizza for lunch. During a heart attack, blood flow that brings oxygen to the heart is reduced or cut off. To understand this better, make sure you also readDid That Stent Save My Life?andShould I Take An Aspirin Every Day?. Just wondering what life expectancy is for someone whos had a heart attack, survived, from 100% blocked LAD, thats cannot be fixed. He told me that the blockage cannot be unblocked. Should I get another angiogram since I did only 3 minutes on the thread mill and had severe angina. So I schedualed an appoint with a cardio vascular Dr, went straight to him instead of my family care Dr who has ignored earlier chest pains , which went into the face. I said no, and he said well you are having one now. I am curious. Usually brief but the dull type can linger on. We learned from his autopsy that he suffered pinpoint blockage in the LAD, 75% in the Left Circumflex Artery and 75% in the Right Coronary Artery. Were in our mid 30s but I want many years I keep seeing people in their 40s and 50s and I think thats just too young! After the Urgent Cares insistence, my dad then went to the hospital, where they found 100% blockage in his right artery and 40% blockage in his LAD. Learn how we can help 4.7k views Reviewed >2 years ago Thank Dr. Andrew Germanovich agrees 2 thanks Other than jaw pain, felt okay. Any heart attack is serious. If you liked the information in this article make sure you read. Off pump surgery is much easier on the body than On pump surgery. Was home the next day and went back 3 weeks later to do my right side with another stent. They revived me and i had two stents put in. !, My name is Chris. Is this a normal part of recovery? They injected the contrast meds and took about 35 pictures. Symptoms of an intestinal blockage include severe belly pain or cramping, vomiting, not being able to pass stool or gas, and other signs of belly distress. All arteries are clear; my doctor said most people my age have some plaque and the rupture in plaque is what caused my heart attack. You may have heard of the so-called widowmaker heart attack in the news or on a TV show. Thank you for sharing this information to help others. Uncontrolled diabetes and unable to exercise. MAKER. Uses include in large-volume, high-flow [], ATL Technology announced that it acquired manufacturing operations of Gyrus Medical from Olympus Surgical Technologies Europe. . I knew it was a heart attack, tried to throw up three times, sweating and could not lift my arms and my lower body was starting to have convulsions. 70% blocked. I have begged and cried but he says hes gonna enjoy his life while he can. Im 6ft and 190lbs, not overweight, nor did I eat poorly, just dont get why this happened. No, did you feel any better at all after the stents. I even resented having to come to the hospital fastng I like my breakfasts. I've had two stents in consecutive years (well, warranty work because the widow maker artery crushed after a year). On October 25, 2015, I was home alone and getting ready to do yard work. My husband and I were out of town with a group of friends. I will fu with dr next week. I worked out ran and watched my diet. I am sorry about your dad. Thank you, Sir. LAD 100% blocked and a stint was placed after the treadmill stress test indicated a little elevation in BP and a Twave abnormality. He was a coach, a mentor, a great father, and had touched many lives in his 45 years on this earth. My husband had a LAD heart attack on July 6th. My EF right after my attack went to 25%. His doctor really didnt discuss this frequency of urination. Delayed treatment for a heart attack can lead to significant tissue damage and scarring. Woke up Saturday feeling okay. Suzanne R. Steinbaum, DO. I was close enough to see the bench at the stop when I became short of breath and had to sit down on a cement car stop. Cath lab found 95% blockage of LAD, widow maker. The loss of our old self can be depressing, but strive for quality of life and as much knowledge of your situation and what you can do to help yourself. Theyre a major pipeline for blood. First, your doctors will thread a thin tube called a catheter to reach the blocked artery. But God wanted him for some reason. The buildup of plaque inside the artery walls is called atherosclerosis. I could not get comfortable and still had mild pain, so could not sleep. Outside temperature was near 100 and no breeze. Husband called an ambulance, got to level one trauma hospital in the Nick of time, I was told. They kept checking my troponin every couple hours. Greetings LAD survivors. Not only am I having oral surgery but will also have a knee replacement this summer and a year ago I had major back surgery. No undue stress that I was aware of. Results from the stress test showed an abnormality so another night in the hospital to do a resting test the next day. Surgical procedures that can treat and prevent heart attacks include: The authors of one 2018 study found that widowmaker heart attacks led to the highest increased risk of death, heart failure, and stroke in comparison with other types of heart attack. Endurance is very poor. I simply thought I was out of shape. You nailed it with your recommendations. My husband was a stay-at-home Dad. The pain seems atypical and not typical of the angina experienced with blockages. Thanks to you Dr. for great info and the section for comments. You may also need heart surgery if your doctor finds blockages in multiple arteries around your heart. If heart attacks run in your family, youre more likely to have one. I tried to get up only to fall down again. I am a 76 year old female, still working reasonably fit. But I cant get him to stop eating fatty foods, carbs, salt. Sounds like bypass surgery is the best option if hes a candidate, my uncle is having severe heart attack on 30/06/2016 , and after doing coronary angiogram report it is found that out of three artery one is 100% block and another two is 99% and 80% , what treatement will be useful to survive my uncle , we very much afraid please give your kind suggestion .what is the survival measure to prevent , thanks. However, you may want to quit smoking, eat better, and exercise more. After being told my chest pain was Acid Reflex, which the interventional cardiologist read from the medical cardiologist report, I suggested he treat me as if Frances was spelled Francis(the male version of the name). Heart attacks can be deadly, and the widow maker is one of the deadliest kind. I was given a few minutes to choose between open heart bypass or stents. Also, check out our article on the new disappearing stent. Well thank God. I had my heart attack three weeks ago today, blockage of the LAD. Appointments 800.659.7822 Appointments & Locations A completely blocked coronary artery will cause a heart attack. Our doctors define difficult medical language in easy-to-understand explanations of over 19,000 medical terms. I had a heart attack June 21, (didnt know it at the time though) thought it was indigestion/ something stuck in my gullet. Does make me feel a little bit better. She told me to lay down, they hooked me up then proceeded to tell me Now you are having a heart attack. The appellation widow maker, which has been applied to this lesion (in part because of the large amount of myocardium that the left anterior descending artery supplies and its proximity to the distal I have 2 kids and a new grandbaby that will be one year next month. Your wife is a brave womanI told my wife NEVER try to drive me to the ERcall 911 and have an ambulance take meyour brave and loving wife could have caused more harm to you and herself and others by driving so fastmy hats off to her BUT she did no one any favor by driving you to the ER. Talked with my doctor. THEY PUT A CATHERIA IN MY LEFT GROIN THEN SHIPPED ME TO ANOTHER HOSPITAL. In some cases, the clots can build up quickly and instantly cause a 100 percent blockage even if your LAD was only partially blocked. So they stented the stent. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of WTWH Media. They said he had a 10% chance of surviving and he didnt make it. Your doctor inserts a stent, a small metal tube made of tiny meshed wires, to help keep your LAD open so that blood can pass through and continue restoring oxygen to your heart muscles. In fact he actually had to fudge a little on the report to make me look worse than I actually was. He had blockages in all of his cardiac arteries but 75% in his left main (LAD). A heart attack caused by this truly drives fear into cardiologists, surgeons, and patients alike, because if that goes down, go figure! One thing is, do go by ambulance. He just dropped unconscious. YES, it was the doctor that did the procedure, and I look forward to actually getting to speak with him again to let him know how much I appreciate it, but it was the Lord that gave him and the rest of his team the knowledge and skills to perform the procedure. He was afire fighter and guardsman. Thank you for explaining this is such simple terms that the lay person can understand. MedTech 100 is a financial index calculated using the BIG100 companies covered in Whats the Difference Between a Heart Attack and Heart Failure? The critical blockage in the artery stops, usually a blood clot, stops all the blood flow to the left side of the heart, causing the heart to stop beating normally. So no we have a spelling teacher with no life scanning for errors. I was approaching 50 and wanted to be in good shape. Would this make my bp low? Some of these tests included examination of his heart. It lasted about 15 minutes. the docs nurse said go to ER now, but I compromised with meeting him the next morning at 6AM. I listened to my body. Dont have enough nutrition in your diet. Sorry to correct but after looking at my paperwork from hospital it was the LAD artery. My second heart attack was 6/2/15 which was my right coronary artery, that was only 35% clogged up. The jaw pain seemed to subside only to be followed by teeth chattering chills that went on for 30-40 minutes. I feel good now after dealing with PTSD and GAD. Your doctor inserts a catheter through a small cut in your leg or groin area. No one ever told me the seriousness of this or that if the blockage gets worse that I can die from whats called the widow maker. Had EKG stress test. and Should I Take An Aspirin Every Day?. He was fine one minute and not the next. You have 100% blockage of the Widow maker artery and he said it looks like its been there for awhile. Sunday, Oct 4,2015 Had 1 year of intermittent very mild chest tightness with exertion and about a month of sharp electrical zapping sensation from my heart down to my legs. One minute he was fine and the next he was gone. He said for whatever reason that artery never gets blocked. This means keeping your risk as low as possible by not smoking, In this article, learn about the signs and symptoms of each type. All rights reserved. Hes 57, and has bad reflux. I remember I had a small episode in the morning as well, but it went away quickly. There is a history of heart disease in the family on both sides. What should I do to prevent a heart attack? When the main artery down the front of the heart (LAD) is totally blocked or has a critical blockage, right at the beginning of the vessel, it is known as the Widow Maker. And I did pray in the hospital. I have no career, no family that depends on me, nothing. You are certainly lucky to still be around. Others need up to three months to recover. Just call the ambulance. It would lead to loss of blood supply to the entire left side (the main side), the front wall, and the side wall. My husband, who is 44, just survived the widow maker massive heart attack on 9/11/15. 157/106. This would include diet, exercise, med & signs / symptoms just like if was regular vessel that became clogged. Does blood pressure change during a heart attack? Yes, he was a heavy smoker for years & the last time he smoked was the day he had his heart attack at home. Good advice bob, I was thinking the exact same thing. Have family members who've had a heart attack, Medical Reviewer: You're a survivor. What does it take from you for someone else to have a belief in a higher power? The LAD transports a large amount of blood into your heart, so without blood passing through the LAD, your heart can quickly run out of oxygen and stop beating. But the fact that I have been spared means I need to focus on recovery first, then making sure I am worthy of this chance every single day. I also get very dizzy when I stand up and start to walk and nausea just hits me out of the blue and I break out in a cold sweat when that happens. (2015). It There are many different types of stents, that generally go in many of the tubular shaped structures in your body. My whole world view has changed. I wanted to tell you how sorry I am to hear of your wifes passing. She ordered a stress test with dye, and discovered two 90% blockages, requiring two stents. On Monday, you encounter a pile of rubble. This Dr said the tests on my legs looked good. If the LAD artery has significant blockage but isnt completely clogged, you may be able to catch it in time to prevent a heart attack. Imagine driving through a tunnel. MedTerms online medical dictionary provides quick access to hard-to-spell and often misspelled medical definitions through an extensive alphabetical listing. I just lost my brother to the Widowmaker I am wondering if it is in inherited Factor. Back to my 2 week check up and then was informed it was a Widow Maker attack. Each time I see him he takes my blood pressure tells me Im fine and gets annoyed if I ask questions about my symptons. (Register here!) Things came out real good so far. You definitely put a fresh spin on a topic which has been discussed Drug-eluting stents don't always correct & coronary stents never do. How can you prevent a heart attack? I am 39 years old, an avid runner and wieght lifter. After this happened three nights in a row, I went to my doctor and told him about my sudden increase in blood pressure and mentioned the weight feeling on my chest when working out. I feel very lucky to be here today and am so thankful to wake up each morning. He was in the hospital for 2 weeks and came out with 4 stents. A small amount of plaque is present. You are likely on a beta blocker and that is meant to keep the heart slow and B/P low. I also became short of breath. The company focuses on providing engineering [], The medical device industry, in recent years, has increasingly faced environmental, social and governance challenges. I had a stent implanted and was prescribed Warfarin. MNT is the registered trade mark of Healthline Media. ?I am grateful to be alive and I am thankful for the doctors. To learn more, please visit our. All my other arteries were smooth and clear. A blockage in the LAD artery can substantially impair the hearts function. He is managed on a lot of prescription meds including the water pill (furosemide). MedicineNet does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. I was told I was very fortunate because although I was in very good shape I had just had what they called "The Widow Maker" with 100% blockage in my LAD. By the time we got there, the pain was all gone. After being transported to another hospital that was better equipped to treat me, two stents were placed in my heart and nine years later, Im doing very well. Now I have been diagnosed with congestive heart failure. My heart has reshaped itself due to the scar tissue in my heart. I am 47 and had a massive heart attack in the LAD on January 8, 2016. A quick pull on a little string to pull it out of the urethra, or by using a flexible scop First, a urethral stent (urolume) is in the urethra and usually placed in men with enlarged prostates and urinary obstruction who cannot have surgery. Ptca w stenting has come a long way in recent years with better equipment and easier to place devices (smaller caliber stents). Never any other health issues for me but a History of heart in my family. Next, came the horrifying chest and arm pain!! Widowmaker (Heart Attack): Symptoms, Causes & Survival Rate - MedicineNet I asked how they knew it was 99.999, and was shown that the main artery of my heart was slowing only one platelet through at a time, otherwise it would have been 100%. Also, we lost my great-grandfather at the same age and diagnosis. At that time, the chest pressure was intense with sweating & nausea. Learn what to do. The only thing I have is family history, father and both younger brothers have had heart attacks. The Paramedics advised me that they lost me 7 times in the ambulance, and 3 times in the ER upon arriving at the hospital. What are you guys doing for diets now to hopefully prevent it in the future? I had my first heart attack 11/31/13 which was my PLAD ( widowmaker ) that was 100% clogged up. Your article and video really helped me to understand what had happened. Sorry to be long-winded but it is hard to describe my situation without going into detail. In this article, learn more about a widowmaker heart attack, including what happens, the symptoms, and more. We are being told we have different symptoms. A few times I could really feel a pain in my heart that I have never experienced. After 18 months the rheumatologist who has been treating me is starting to accept my theory. I made a plate and was almost done when it felt like I had bad heartburn. We link primary sources including studies, scientific references, and statistics within each article and also list them in the resources section at the bottom of our articles. I was reading these as I sit in the cardiac lab waiting for my husband to recover. I got out of the vehicle and ems arrived within minutes . He was the definition of healthy. Thanks for your comment, hope you continue to do well. Every moment counted. Sometimes, based on the extent of damage, the heart will heal by forming scar tissue, which doesnt pump as well as healthy tissue. OK, My Moms on the hospital right now with blockage, but they wont do the upper part until her kidneys get better from the heart attack she had last Friday. Thank you for sharing your story. The ambulance arrived. It seems that your risk factors were controlled? Father died at age 65yrs my aunts and identical twin died at age 56yrs. Toni Braxton Reveals Her Lupus Almost Caused A Heart Attack - Today He told his manager that he wasnt feeling well, so hell go home and rest. How long do a stent surgery take to recover? Unfortunately, those tests can not always predict if a Heart Attack is going to happen. At one point it was 70/40. I forgot to mention that my brother who is now 73, (five years older than me) suffered from sudden death in his early fortys. It causes the same symptoms as a heart attack caused by a blockage in a different artery, including chest pain, chest heaviness, shortness of breath, lightheadedness and cold sweats. Blocked arteries are usually diagnosed with a nuclear stress test, cardiac pet scan, coronary CT angiogram or traditional coronary angiogram. Im 56 years old. In people who have this condition, a buildup of cholesterol and fatty deposits called plaques narrow arteries and prevent enough blood from flowing through them. Hes on tramadol painkillers for his arthritis. Anyway, as I arrived at the ER I suffered a major heart in front of the reception desk. Family history is one of the biggest predictors of Coronary Artery Disease and it should alert people to the possibility that they could be having a heart attack. It has been over 4 months and I am still not getting better physically. Keep in touch with NewYork-Presbyterian and subscribe to our newsletter. Normally Im a tough cookie but I was a scaredy cat for a whole year after. I have a total of 13 stents and have had 2 open heart by pass surgeries. We hope you found the information on The Widowmaker helpful and check back on a regular basis for more helpful information. The longer blood isnt reaching certain parts of their heart, the more the muscle will be damaged. Widowmaker Heart Attack: Definition, Symptoms, Survival, and More Cath lab placed 4 stents in @ 30 minute procedure. Because it serves such a big portion of the heart, the LAD Medical Design and Outsourcing. Had widow maker ojjhhhhhjn nov 5 2014 had open heart surgery that night. Further work up may concentrate on non cardiac causes of pain, such as GI. They also used the AED. They are made to be permanent once a stent is placed, it's there to stay. And the patient's blocked artery can often be reopened with a stent, he added. told me and sounded concern.My cardiologist has never mentioned this to me, unless he has to my family.I am suppose to have oral surgery next week and mention to my doctor that I suffer with angina and have a small blockage in the front of the heart which my oral surgeon called it LAD. i THANK GOD FOR THIS SECOND OPPORTUNITY AND AM READY TO SUBMIT TO GODS WILL, WHATEVER IT MAY BE. My wife called the clinic and they said to get to an ER stat. Lara Warn, left, is competing in this weekend's St. Anthony's Triathlon . He mentioned it bothering him again the next week or so later. Sunday night into Monday morning, woke up with nausea, took tums, vomited a little, could not get comfortable. You might feel it in one or both arms, your back, neck, jaw, or stomach. My husband had a widow maker heart attack. Anyone who thinks that they or another person may be having a heart attack should call 911 or head to the nearest emergency room immediately. It depends on many factors such as the exercise tolerance and the pumping function of the heart and other risk factors. I was fortunate to have a cardiologist that went the extra step and found the blockage when I was told by the head hospital surgeon that most Docs would have released me after the initial portion of the stress test and the eco check out OK. How did they find the blockage? After 10 minutes it was still (124)! You realize a whole lot its almost She has vasculitus. Today, after 4 months, I learned the cause of my husbands death, after having his autopsy report explained to me by our family doctor. The depression and anxiety is real but you can get thru it all. My BP was normal and the EKG was normal. With all that is wrong you failed to mention a bright spot in his life.you. I am 62yrs old and diabetic which is under control. But if it doesnt change in a fixed period of time, we work to come up with a plan for additional interventions, so we dont get into a cycle where riskier cardiac events can start occurring. The next morning I returned to work and felt really crappy. Your story sounds just like what happened to my brother. The classic signs and symptoms of a heart attack include crushing pressure in your chest and pain in your shoulder or arm, sometimes with shortness of breath and sweating. I have an extreme cardio vascular family history. And for those doctors and nurses treating patients with this illness, please understand their fears at this You might feel it in one or both arms, your back, neck, jaw, or. I asked if the episodes before on thursday and friday if those were ones. One stent was placed in my RCA. I was just pacing and rubbing my left arm and chest. She saved your life. They gave me more meds, but no emergency surgery like I am seeing in these postings. Patients sometimes are released from the hospital within a few days especially if they sought medical attention promptly and the cardiologists were able to open the blockages very early. Questions you may want to ask your provider include: Calling for help right away is crucial if you think youre having a heart attack. I complied! Your health professional will want more tests and will start treatment, DR.Moustafa , great work and very informative , this explanation i personally looking to get from my cardiologist and i wasnt able,maybe due to the fact it was in the clinic and things are different out there,never the less ,since i have heard the terms widowmaker at the surgery table , and my wife was standing beside me and so happened to be wearing black, already ,it was terrifying, thank god my catheterization went well and now i am able to run a whole entire 7 miles ,as opposed to not been able to run 2 street block priore to the catheterization , i do encourage anyone with chest pain to check them self first and if they need the catheterization,please go ahead and do it , it does save your life, once again great work ,DR MOUSTAFA. The patient's blocked artery can often be reopened with a stent. I had a 75% blockage at the top of my LAD and got a stent.I hear they call this the Widow Maker.. not today Mr Reaper!!!!!! It feels natural, in spite of the very unnatural materials it may contain. He was put in a coma (to make it easier on his heart) and was eventually ambulanced to a bigger hospital for testing. If it decreases, things will be ok. May 26 in the early morning I was transferred to get an angiogram. All rights reserved. There were times that were really bad, physically and mentally, and it took a long stay in a Transitional Care Unit and daily physical rehab before I could finally go home with my brother, as I cannot live alone now. I really would love to know. A doctor explains what makes a heart attack a widowmaker.. Doctors can minimize damage to the heart and even stop a heart attack entirely if they administer treatment early on. I need to change my lifestyle and eating habits but life is good. In time, they just clog-up, and youre back to where you started. He was able to place a stent the next day but was dumbfounded how I was alive since the LAD was 99% occluded. Do Stents Ever Need to be Replaced? - Healthline It took about an hour maybe a little more by the time we arrived at the hospital by ambulance. The night before, his entire body had broken into a sweat. A widowmaker heart attack is caused by a complete block of the left anterior descending (LAD) artery. They eventually believed me when in the following February when an angiogram showed the bare metal stent was 95% blocked. I believe heavy work stress did lead to the heart attack LAD with three out of possible stents inserted. Im sorry that you are hurting. Good youre doing well. Stent for widow maker | HealthTap Online Doctor The sensitivity of smell was weird. I had a nuclear stress test. , Bacon, sausage and other processed meats. I will never forget waking up 4 days later and see them standing next to bed. Good luck to all, I know its been over a year, but I just wanted to say that I hope youre feeling better physically and emotionally.

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