Posted by Sarah on June 12, 2004 at 00:29:29:
In Reply to: Pulmonary Vein Stenosis and Drug-eluting Stents posted by Justin Kuykendall on June 11, 2004 at 04:22:17:
Justin,
Your email about your Dad, sounds like he's been through some rough stuff! I had my PVI at Cleveland Clinic May 12th 2003. I went back for a three month check up, and Dr.Schweikert did a spiral CT scan to check on the alredy suspected stenosis.I, have a 40% stenosis on only one vein. It has not caused any problems, and Dr.S. sees no reason why it should...EVER. I was told that it's only a problem when it's about 70% or more.
My PVI took a whole eight hours, and a lot of burns to get my life long errant AF impulses destroyed. I have burns completely around three veins, and 3/4 of the fourth, was the least. Laying on the table in the EP lab, that long, I would have paid good money for a foley catheter.
I asked about drug saturated stents for Pulmonary veins, and as of 2003, Cleveland Clinic said there were none available for the large veins yet.
Things change fast though. Keep researching, and get in touch with LARGE, research institutes, like CC, etc.and something to help your Dad may come up.
It's too bad, but we have to almost "be" our own doctor these days. How sad, the ill person, who isn't able to research, and understand all the medical mumbo-jumbo and politics involved it "modern" medicine.
If this isn't clear.....write again, and I will try to help.
Sarah