We met with a new cardiologist, Dr. Lindberg, this week. He is great :) The verdict is that Brian has about a 20% decrease in his heart function since the first cardiology evaluation last year. This may be due to the high output of the dialysis fistula, or it could also be due to blockages in arteries somewhere in the heart. The only way to tell is by doing a catheterization and angiography. This is scheduled for July 22. Dr. Lindberg will perform the test and determine what the cause of the reduced heart function is. If it appears to be due to the fistula's output, then a fistula revision will be scheduled for a later time. If there are any blockages, the doctor will deal with those by performing angioplasty or placing a stent at the the time of the catheterization.
In the mean time they are switching some meds around and enrolling Brian in a cardiac rehab exercise program to try and help the heart function better.
Thanks for your thoughts and prayers...they are appreciated!!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I hope they will find it right away and get it fixed. We can't have our guy down any more. I pray that the Big Guy in the sky will fix it.
ReplyDeleteGlad you like the doctor, that's a good thing. I hope he's able to quickly find the problem and help Brian's heart function better.
ReplyDeleteBrian - A couple months ago I had a Stress Echocardiogram, A CT Scan of my heart and an angiogram. Everything went OK. You'll do fine, there's really no pain involved except the pain of getting old. Keep Fighting!!
ReplyDeleteWayne Alagna