My cardiologist is going to perform an angio (cath) in a week. He told me that if he finds a blockage >70%, he would put in a stent. I currently have a 3rd class (not SI), and am up for renewal in Aug. How will this impact my medical? I do not have a history of MI or cardiac events, but do have PAD. Thanks.
After a stent?
- Thread starter steveg
- Start date
bbchien
Touchdown! Greaser!
Steve, if you get stented you are down for six months, but it can be six months TO A DAY.
in the period between days 150 and 180, arrange a treadmill test to 90% of your age-related V-max, that is ((220-YourAge)*0.9) and at least 9 minutes. When you have that accomplished without ST segment depression of 1mm, a fifth month "current status update" from your Cardiologist (containing your meds, doses and risk factors- and what you're doing to modify them), a fasting glucose and lipid profile, a serum creatinine, a good AME can get you a special issuance on a phone call and re-exam in the office.
Your third class will last 2 or 5 years, depending on age 40 or not; every year in the 90 days prior to renewal you submit a cardiologist's letter and a new treadmill, for the next year in your 2 or 5 years.
I don't know where you are located; I can help you gather the documents (e.g, an address for the docs to send correspondence to, as in NOT direct FAA, until we see whta you have), some pilots actually make the trip to this godforsaken FROZEN patch of upper midwest, but getting the documents together and telephonically approved in one swoop really saves you a couple of months.... and you get to keep control of your file (rather than have potentially unflattering documents sent to FAA).
When you get to both 90% of your age related Vmax and 9 minutes, GET OFF THE TREADMILL (ouch, my ankle hurts...). Anything beyond cannot be anything but unflattering and the minute you get to that nexus, you have proven yourself to be low risk anyway.....
in the period between days 150 and 180, arrange a treadmill test to 90% of your age-related V-max, that is ((220-YourAge)*0.9) and at least 9 minutes. When you have that accomplished without ST segment depression of 1mm, a fifth month "current status update" from your Cardiologist (containing your meds, doses and risk factors- and what you're doing to modify them), a fasting glucose and lipid profile, a serum creatinine, a good AME can get you a special issuance on a phone call and re-exam in the office.
Your third class will last 2 or 5 years, depending on age 40 or not; every year in the 90 days prior to renewal you submit a cardiologist's letter and a new treadmill, for the next year in your 2 or 5 years.
I don't know where you are located; I can help you gather the documents (e.g, an address for the docs to send correspondence to, as in NOT direct FAA, until we see whta you have), some pilots actually make the trip to this godforsaken FROZEN patch of upper midwest, but getting the documents together and telephonically approved in one swoop really saves you a couple of months.... and you get to keep control of your file (rather than have potentially unflattering documents sent to FAA).
When you get to both 90% of your age related Vmax and 9 minutes, GET OFF THE TREADMILL (ouch, my ankle hurts...). Anything beyond cannot be anything but unflattering and the minute you get to that nexus, you have proven yourself to be low risk anyway.....
Last edited:
Doggtyred
En-Route
Completely unrelated to your medical, but very pertinent to intracoronary stents:
IF you get a stent... you MUST... MUST MUST MUST... take any prescribed antiplatelet meds as directed. Plavix, Effient, Ticlid... whatever.. People missing as few as 3 doses in a row within the first 6 months of being stented have ended up with occluded stents. Do not stop taking cardiologist prescribed antiplatelet meds without the cardiologist's knowledge and alternative therapy prescribed.
The most common practice now is to use drug coated stents that delay healing over a 6 month period, which is good, because it minimizes the "growing into the stent" which actually narrows things, but can be a problem because it delays overall healing. Quit taking your platelet meds and its likely to scab shut in a bad way. Resulting in a heart attack and an emergency trip to the cath lab.
This also pretty much defers any elective surgeries for that period of time.. 6 mos minimum due to increased bleeding risk from the antiplatelet meds.
My intent is not to scare you. Its to make sure you understand that the stent is only part of the treatment, and you must be diligent on your end for up to 6 months.
If you are a smoker, now is the best time to quit.. Nicotine is a MAJOR factor in stents re occluding... (as well as native blood vessels getting diseased in the first place).. Continued smoking with stents is also a good way of guaranteeing a trip back to the cath lab down the road.
Good luck!
IF you get a stent... you MUST... MUST MUST MUST... take any prescribed antiplatelet meds as directed. Plavix, Effient, Ticlid... whatever.. People missing as few as 3 doses in a row within the first 6 months of being stented have ended up with occluded stents. Do not stop taking cardiologist prescribed antiplatelet meds without the cardiologist's knowledge and alternative therapy prescribed.
The most common practice now is to use drug coated stents that delay healing over a 6 month period, which is good, because it minimizes the "growing into the stent" which actually narrows things, but can be a problem because it delays overall healing. Quit taking your platelet meds and its likely to scab shut in a bad way. Resulting in a heart attack and an emergency trip to the cath lab.
This also pretty much defers any elective surgeries for that period of time.. 6 mos minimum due to increased bleeding risk from the antiplatelet meds.
My intent is not to scare you. Its to make sure you understand that the stent is only part of the treatment, and you must be diligent on your end for up to 6 months.
If you are a smoker, now is the best time to quit.. Nicotine is a MAJOR factor in stents re occluding... (as well as native blood vessels getting diseased in the first place).. Continued smoking with stents is also a good way of guaranteeing a trip back to the cath lab down the road.
Good luck!
U
Unregistered
Guest
Good point about using Plavix etc after the stent. I would suggest talking to your cardiologist pre the preocedure to see if he's planning on using a drug eluting stent and get his opinion on the pros and cons of both stent types (drug eluting vs bare). My cardiologist used a drug eluting stent 4 years ago and after reviewing the data on thrombosis formation propensity for that stent type decided the use of Plavix should be continuous and not end at the typical 6 month point, thus I appear to be on Plavix for life. This is something you should talk about with your cardiologist. I think my cardiologist, if he were to do it again, might reconsider using a bare stent or just angioplasty alone based on my recovery profile.
Guy
Guy