Yesterday I had to go through an angioplasty procedure that was meant to open up a blockage in one of my heart arteries which has been causing me some pain and discomfort for a long time now.
So far everything has been going well and it appears that my chest pain has subsided to a large degree.
I am very thankful to my cardiologist and everyone else at the heart institute in my local hospital for being very friendly and professional and saving me from having a heart attack by putting a stent in my heart artery that I was told was 100 percent blocked.
The actual procedure took about half an hour where they made an incision in my groin area to access the main artery that goes to one of the legs which then was used to insert a long wire like catheter device which carried the small tools that were used to open the blockage.
Depending on the severity and hardness of the blockage the doctor might use only a balloon like device that expands and opens up the artery, but in my case a stent had to be placed in my artery to keep it open.
Stents are usually metallic scaffold like devices that are coated with anticoagulant drugs which once inserted into the artery expand and keep the artery in the open position. Stents usually last a lifetime, but there is a small chance for them to become clogged which if the doctor can not grind the obstruction out of them a bypass surgery might be required to have them removed.
Luckily my old stents that were placed in my heart arteries back in 2012 when I had a heart attack were all open and in good shape and the doctor didn't have to do anything to them.
Keeping one's bad cholesterol levels low and taking daily medications like the 80mg Atorvastatin, 10mg Prasugrel which is a antiplatelet, and the 325mg Aspirin that I take under my doctor's advice along with having a proper diet and exercise routine could prevent blockages, but unfortunately for some people the only remedy is to get the angioplasty done every few years. Experiencing different combinations of certain symptoms such as chest pain or pressure, shortness of breath, extreme fatigue, severe headache, nausea, sweating, light headedness, dizziness, blurry vision, broken, slurry, or unrecognizable speech, droopy or uneven eyes and face, numbness or limpness on one side of the body specially in an arm or in the face and lips, and pain shooting down in one or both arms or even in other areas of the upper body such as in the neck, back, jaws, or stomach could all be a sign that something is wrong with the heart or the blood circulation which then needs to be checked out right away at the emergency room for possibility of having a heart attack or stroke.
The most uncomfortable part about the angioplasty procedure is the incision that is made in the groin area to reach the leg artery, it's also the most risky part because after the procedure is done and the hole in the leg is plugged one has to be very careful not to make any kind of movements that can put a strain on the plug, one has to be careful not to make any sudden or forceful movements specially when sitting down or getting off the bed, the chair, or the toilet seat, or when getting in and out of the car or even when coughing or sneezing which in certain extreme situations might require to apply a gentle pressure on the incision area in order to reduce the effects of such actions on the plug. It's also important to avoid going up and down the stairs or lifting anything heavy (more than five pounds) for the first couple of weeks. Best to rest in bed for the first couple of days with the head and the upper body elevated, some gentle walking can be helpful afterwards and other activities can be resumed gradually after the first week if there are no complications although it might take up to a month to fully recover from this procedure. It's important to remember that these are just some general precautions that I have learned as a patient, one must follow the discharge instructions given by the hospital or consult with the doctor for more precise and individualized care plans in order to make sure that everything is going to go okay because if the plug in the leg comes loose a person can lose a lot of blood very fast which is going to require calling for emergency help immediately while putting pressure on the incision area with a clean towel to prevent all the blood from coming out as this could turn into a life threatening situation quickly. There is also a small chance for seeing traces of blood or a sign of infection under the bandage in the incision area that might be accompanied by fever and which is also going to require getting immediate attention.
Luckily in my case there hasn't been any signs of bleeding or infections so far. Although I am a little concerned about when the nurse who discharged me took the IV syringe out of my arm and instead of putting it in the biohazard container that they usually use she placed it at the center of the pad that was on the bed which might mistakenly make it look like as if I was bleeding if someone saw the pad later.
Overall so far everything has been going well for me, there hasn't been any complications and it appears that my body hasn't rejected the new stent as it can happen in some rare cases where the new stent gets clogged up shortly after being put in the artery which can result in having chest pain, shortness of breath, and fatigue which is going to require immediate attention. Right now I am just trying to take it easy and get some rest, I am also trying to eat low salt, low sugar, and low cholesterol and saturated fat foods and doing some daily walking for exercise too.
Me being enthusiastic about advancements in medical technology has made me think that it would be nice if AI could discover a new drug that could dissolve the blockages in the arteries without the need of having to go through an intrusive procedure like angioplasty. It would be even nicer if AI could make some microscopic robots that could circulate inside our bodies and prevent blockages or any other disease from developing within us in the first place.
I am sure that AI can do us a lot of good if we can get passed this turbulent times and get to the new Era that God has in plans for the Humanity and the World.
Once again my sincere thanks to all those who have helped keeping me healthy and happy.
PS: here is a list of all the medications that I am currently taking which has been pretty much the same since 2012 when I had a heart attack with the exception of a six month period last summer when some of my blood pressure medications were changed to Carvedilol, Losartan, and Hydralazine by one of my doctors, but that then later on were switched back to what I was taking before because of the new medications were causing some adverse effects on me:
Lisinopril 40MG (for blood pressure)
Metoprolol ER 100mg (for heart)
Hydrochlorothiazide 25mg (for blood pressure)
Calcitriol 0.5MCG (for vitamin D)
Tamsulosin 0.4MG (for prostate)
Atorvastatin 80MG (for cholesterol)
Prasugrel 10MG (blood thinner)
Allopurinol 100MG (for Gout)
Aspirin 325MG (for heart and pain)
Tramadol 50MG (as needed for severe pain)
Miralax (as needed for constipation)
Multivitamin Adult (occasionally depending on my food)
I am not vegan, but I have been staying away from eating meat for the past few years now and have been eating some plant based foods instead and as I already have mentioned I also try to walk for a few minutes everyday to give my body some exercise.
It's important to keep in mind that taking too much of some medications like Atorvastatin or Aspirin might cause some adverse effects on the body and new study has shown that Beta Blockers like Metoprolol might produce some undesirable effects in certain people especially in women. Some medications might be okay at first, but could start causing adverse effects like swollen legs or nausea down the road after taking them for a long time. For those with an existing heart condition it's important for all their medications, diets, and activities to be under the Doctor's supervision in order to weigh their benefits against their risks for each individual patient. It's also important to remember that not all people are going to experience the same set of symptoms if they have a blockage or are at risk of having a heart attack or stroke especially when it comes to the differences between men and women. It's always best to consult with a physician or call the Hospital for assistance when feeling unusual. Of course It's best to call 911 and be taken to the ER in case of an actual emergency.
Ojen Amini (Ojohn)
August 27, 2025