Almost all patients in the elderly group with a calcium score less than 134 had no narrowing of the arteries. This study shows that the calcium score must be interpreted in relation to the age, gender, and medical conditions of each patient.
Many patients are tempted to get a calcium score based on advertisements, but there are risks to a calcium score test. First, there is a risk with all CT scans associated with radiation exposure.
You better check with your doctors, I am not sure about the potential damage due to the radiation dose that you will take during the procedure.
Also if they discover blockages in your coronaries, I do not know about the risk of the medication that you will need.
To what extent would an angiogram be capable of picking up coronary atherosclerosis that would tend to go unnoticed by a nuclear stress test? Would an angiogram offer greater risks than a stress test? How great would that additional risk tend to be?
This discussion is related to <a href='http://www.medhelp.org/posts/show/254861'>Stress test accuracy</a>.
Hi, I wanted to find out how much radiation is involved in a traditional angiogram. I've had multiple nuclear tests done in the last 10 years with two nuclear stress tests within the last three. I continue to get chest pain in heat and with exertion and am convinced that I should push my doctors for a traditional angio. Wanted to find out how much radiation dosage is involved in that.
What are the risks involved in getting that test? I'm a 40 year old female.
My 80 year old mother got a quad triple bypass in 2001. She's complaining about chronic and severe fatigue. She's under regular care, but doctor doesn't seem to think the fatigue is a problem. Worried she needs stents or a "redo" of bypass.
How long do these bypass last. Is it true that leg veins (used for replacement) are not as lasting as original veins?
How would they test for the integrity of bypass in place now? What's involve.
My doctor suggested an Angiogram to make sure that something is not being missed. I am a little nervous and thought someone could answer some questions I have?
1. Is this a fairly safe procedure?
2. What are the risks?
3. Do all the serious risk only happen during the procedure?
4. What are the risk 24 hours, 48 hours and 72 hours after the procedure, meaning how long before you know you are out of the risk zone?
5.
hello,
my mom is 72 years old, she is type2 diabetic, hyper tensive and have ischemic heart disease, she has been adviced to go through angiogram and shunting after that. how safte it is for her,with her health background? will she survive after that, is it a dangerous procedure?
I wouldn't be so quick to jump to angiogram with no symptoms at max. There are risks with the procedure, and not just from the radiation exposure. Now having symptoms during the test is another matter. These things also cost money, which is an issue for many.
I am quite freaked out. So I am scheduled for an angiogram on Feb 5th. They tell me there are risks in this test. The risk is 1 in 1000 people die, stroke or have a heart attack during this proceedure. My question is this, Should I get a 64-slice Coronary CT Angiograph​y? This machine has no risk and will give them the same answers. This test is not covered by our health care insurance. It will cost me $1300. I am not opposed to paying that extra money to eliminate risk. What are your opinions?
Hi,
I apologize for the length of this post.
A summary of my tests: I went in for a physical and my EKG was abnormal. I then had an echo done and it was discovered that I had mitral valve prolapse, but normal blood flow. A stress test was ordered (abnormal) and then a nuclear stress was ordered (also abnormal) and there was evidence of a "mild to moderate" blockage. My doctor recommended that I have an angiogram done.
Here's what I'm struggling with.
s 3rd valve surgery and associated risks. Would your answer be relevant for valve re-ops on the elderly? Also, what is the mortality rate at the Cleveland Clinic for a second aortic valve re-op on an elderly pateint who is a NY Class II-III (is on 50mg lasix/day but no real issues w. tiredness/breathless when walking short distances and climbing a couple flights of stairs).
Thank you.
So, again an echo can do this, or an angiogram. 64 slice + echo are the safest procedures. Angiogram is invasive so carries risks, such as bleeding, maybe the need for a transfusion. If the catheter wire penetrates a vessel wall, you could be sent for immediate surgery. A piece of plaque could be dislodged, causing stroke or heart attack or death. The risk is still low, but you have to sign a consent form for these possibilities.
Hi Everyone. I am trying to get some answers regarding the treatment of an elderly male in the UK. He has been diagnosed with heart failure and has a leaky valve and some irregular heart rythums. At the moment he still gets breathless after walking up a few stairs and I'm not happy with this situation. He also has a persistent cough which may be linked to his medication. He does have some water retention in lower legs.
My Mom had an MRI which revealed a collection of "old" fluid at the base of her brain. They don't seem to know what caused this. She hasn't had a fall or an injury of any kind. She has had some headaches (mild) for some months now. The doctor wants to drain the fluid off. I'm just wondering what could have caused the CSF leak? If not a trauma of some kind then what? They haven't mentioned a tumor or anything of that sort. She's having the fluid drained next week.
mrsa is a highly contagious issue(MOST healthy people will not get it, but bacteria can be strange on its own)....i worked in a nursing home a few years ago, and remember several of the residents getting it at once, and they had to be quarantined...she should NOT get any more piercings, at least till they find why she keeps getting this.....when she does this, she runs a high risk of transferring it to others...this disease is very easily spread through touch, even though it's not airborne..
I had my pre-op appointment today in preparation for the angiogram that I'm having this coming Friday and I was told to start taking baby aspirin from now until Friday as if they have to put in stents they wouldn't do them unless I've been taking baby aspirin, does this make sense? What I was told is that apparently if you take baby aspirin your body will be prepared for the stents and not reject them? Not sure about this, if anyone has any other info please let me know.
I believe that the amount of radiation exposure is much higher with ct over a standard angiogram. Everyone talks about risks, but if you want clear results, an angiogram is the best option. If your CT shows a blockage, you will have to go for an angiogram anyway. The risks are very small indeed with an angiogram.
I HAVE AN UNRUPTURED 5 MM BRAIN ANEURYSM WHICH APPEARED FOLLOWING A ROUTINE MRA SCAN
FOLLOWING OPEN HEAD BRAIN SURGERY TO REMOVE A NON CANCEROUS TUMOUR ABOUT 3 YEARS AGO THE LAST SCAN 15 MONTHS SHOWED NOTHING - MY NEUROSURGEON WANTS ME TO HAVE A DIGITAL SUBTRACTION ANGIOGRAM TO CARRY OUT A MORE DETAILED EVALUATION. HOW DANGEROUS IS THIS TYPE OF SCAN. I KNOW IT HAS IN RISKS IN RELATION TO STROKES ETC., I AM 63 YEARS OF AGE.
nuclear scans are very different and show the area of oxygen deficit, not the artery causing the problem. They are nice glowing images showing the level of oxygen.
example...
http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.cedars-sinai.edu/Patients/Programs-and-Services/Heart-Institute/Research-and-Outcomes/Cardiac-Imaging-Research-Team-CIRT/Images/nuclear-scan-12141.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.cedars-sinai.
s the same with an Angiogram, you could die, but this is highly unlikely to happen. The risks are just too small to worry about it. Even if something did go wrong, there is a team of experts in the cath lab with you, ready to deal with any circumstance. For example, I had 5 stents in one procedure and the blockage involved was a solid mass of calcium. The catheter slipped and went through the artery wall, causing me to bleed internally.
I have had an ECG stress test and a Myoview scan, both of which have shown an abnormal result. I now have to decide whether to have an angiogram but am worried about the risks involved. My cardiologist doesn't seem to think that any problems I have are too severe and that in fact there's a chance that both tests could be giving false positive results. I wondered whether cardiac MRI or cardiac computed tomography are a viable alternative to an angiogram ? Any advice would be appreciated.
CT risks varied markedly depending on age, sex, and scan protocol The highest risks of individual cancers were lung cancer and, in women, breast cancer. Lung cancer surpassed breast cancer at age 32 as the leading risk to women.
Risks were nontrivial, and in a worst-case scenario approached 1% cancer risk from a single CTCA scan. Thankfully, the vast majority of patients who currently undergo 64-slice CTCA have risks considerably less than this.
Im scheduled for a ct angiogram for shortness of breath with dizzyness.i saw a differnet cardiologist for a second opinion and he feels its ideal because of the ongoing shortness of breath im experiencing with meals and excersis. In the past iv had three ct scans for other health reasons not heart related. my concerns are iv had three ct scans and this next one makes it four, The amount of just one ct scan is tolerated by the body but 4 ct scans sounds excesive to me and so im really concerned.
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