May 25, 2012
Topics A-Z Heart Disease Prognosis following Quadruple Bypass
Prognosis following Quadruple Bypass |
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Dear Ask The Doctor: Hi Doctor(s), I am the son of the woman who had a quadruple bypass surgery almost 4 months ago. My mother told me in private that she only had 5 to 10 years to live (as told to her by her Cardiologist who performed the operation). For some reason I neglect to believe this is true, perhaps its just one of those things that we "kids" neglect to believe. Some info about her is below: -Female, age 55 (at the time of surgery). -She has had high blood pressure/cholesterol for a large portion of her life. -She doesn't really exercise (she does do quite a lot of walking though). -She had a parathyroid gland removed 2 years ago. -She has some sort of calcium problem because of the point listed above. If a doctor could make a rough estimate I would appreciate it, I know the points listed is hardly enough to determine her life expectancy, but I would still like a second opinion. Thank you, JA Dear John: I think that it is very unlikely that whoever performed the surgery stated that your mother has only 5-10 years to live. This would not be in keeping with data on bypass surgery. It may have been the case that the surgeon who performed the operation was referring to the mean duration of bypass grafts. It is not uncommon for an individual to undergo more than one bypass operation. I would advise making an appointment with your mother's cardiovascular surgeon and ensuring that you are present to discuss prognosis and clarify average duration of bypass grafts. |
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| Last Updated ( Wednesday, 23 June 2010 ) |
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