Older people who had stent surgery

Hi seam36. I guess your cardio is talking to you about your options. I can tell you that at age 78 I had two stents put in -- easy procedure, through an artery. If that is what your doc is recommending, I would say you shouldn't worry about having it done. It beats open chest by-pass surgery. It opens up the heart arteries that are showing serious clogs and the only post procedure change for me is to take a blood thinning medication which I will likely take the rest of my life. It is my understanding the stents are good for about 10 years.

I wish you good luck and good health.
Donna

I also had a silent heart attack and as a result got 4 stents. This was when I was 61 yrs. old. and after the procedure the nurse showed me a video of it. It was amazing, all of a sudden it looked like all these tree branches started growing. It was the stent opening up my heart arteries that were closed due to a blockage that was 13 yrs. ago. Since then I take an ace inhibitor and a beta blocker plus a statin and will for the rest of my life and feel just fine...good luck !

Hi @degarden_girl
Where did you hear that stents are only good for 10 years? I work in this area and never heard of such a thing.
Jasper

I understand that the stents themselves are still good but they tend to accumulate plaque and over about 10 years, give or take, the artery can again become blocked and the next option would be by-pass surgery. This info is from my cardio at the point that I received my stents. She was stressing the importance of maintaining a good, low cholesterol diet.

Hearing more often that cholesterol in diet is old school. Eggs are super good for you. Stay away from factory farmed and organic better. Medicine doesn't recognize organic, grass fed - animal welfare in general.
I think many are chasing low LDL as the only goal.

At age 80 they discovered I had a 70 percent blockage with an angioplasty. Four months later I had stent put in. And at age 82 because of shortness of breath I did another angioplasty - for left heart/right heart catheterization - the right heart cath failed (they couldn't get the internal jugular). These procedures are not like surgery so you can get up and go after.

questionofbalance,

Can you provide links to those sources? Including the ones you feel relate somehow to medicine not recognizing "... organic, grass fed..." ... and how cholesterol relates to "animal welfare in general." I'm not following.

And, given what is apparently science-based, LDL is one factor ... but a major factor, especially in those diagnosed with heart disease, right?

@vic83 , concerning having stents at 82. I had one at 79, my artery was 80% blocked, I had a chest pain while the Dr was putting in the stent, felt like a heart attack. Then my wrist where the incision was, kept bleeding. I stayed in the hospital for 6 hrs. and it kept bleeding.
that was in 2022, its now Nov 2025, and I still have chest pains, was given some meds that just make me so dizzy I can't walk without holding onto things. I stopped taking that one.
I suffer also from degenerative disk disease and stay in pain, often debilitating. I have read that at 82 it's dangerous to have a 2nd stent put in, I can't do a stress test due to my body racked with pain. What is there left, give up?

Hi @bethbh, I am glad you found Mayo Clinic Connect. Being racked with pain, and for as long as you have is difficult. You have found a great place to connect with others doing what they can to live their best lives.

You mention still having chest pains after a difficult time getting a stent three years ago. You have pain throughout your body, including your chest at the time you were getting your stent. Meds you’ve tried for a time made things worse. If I understand, a stent did not fix your pain and you have other problems causing pain, or making it worse.

I know from experience that just because my chest hurts does not mean my heart is causing the problem. I also know my mom just had a super helpful colonoscopy at age 87, an age past what we have read is appropriate. Learning more about our individual situations has helped each of us understand options and make decisions that we are comfortable with.

Are you working with a doctor to help you know your options, or maybe scared you do not have options? What is the number one thing that will help you right now?

@jlharsh I had a colonoscopy at age 82 and am due back for another at age 85 because they found 3 precancerous polyps!