After a very long wait for a diagnosis, I was booked in for heart surgery and early yesterday I was prepped for my operation. Just before I was canulated, the cardiologist operating surgeon spoke to me and was not 100% certain the planned op would cure my problem, so he rushed off to read up on ALL of my hospital history going back 18yrs. When he returned, he called off the op and told me that what the diagnosing cardiologist had proposed to sort my heart out could in fact make my condition worse. He then consulted with another observing college and prescribed two additional meds to try for 3 months to see if they help my heart condition. In addition, he stopped two other tablets as old fashioned and no longer appropriate for my condition.
All of this IMHO could have been prevented if a hospital’s complete cardiology team actually discussed each patient fully amongst themselves before decisions were made.
I do understand and can interpret an electrocardiogram printout, plus as I always ask for a copy, I did wonder from my last two print-outs how right bundle branch block along with left anterior fascicular block and bi-fascicular block could be normalised by surgery, but then I’m only the patient with a keen interest where his own heart is concerned.
This has not only inconvenienced me, but my presence on the operating list together with all the staff involve in getting me onto the table, has deprived another patient from an operating slot … what a waste of precious NHS time and recourses!
Am I alone where an almost catastrophic misdiagnosis has cost the NHS time and resources, or have other OFF members experienced something similar to me?
My goodness LD, I am familiar with some heart electrical problems best dealt with with an Electrophysiologist the electricians of the heart world not Cardiologists who are plumbers.
Did you have an Echocardiogram before decisions to operate were considered. They usually show up any problems with the heart.
My experience of the NHS dealing with my heart issues has been very poor starting with a 6 month wait to get a diagnosis during which I had an increased chance of having a stroke.
I have had enough of the NICE guidelines and being prescribed set drugs to take which have no effect on my condition but considerably reduce my quality of life and ability to function. The consultants start the wretched things but no one askes are they working ? If you report to the GP they don’t work there is then a 6month/years wait to see a comsultant to change them .
I feel so much better since I took matters into my own hands and stopped one of the medication.
My neighbour found the same, she has discovered her notes say '‘This patient refuses to take medication’ which is untrue it is just some medication.
LD I hope you manage to sort out the confusion of your diagnoses. I eventually paid to see an Electrophysiologist and for another Echo because there was such a long wait (over a year) to review my options.
I’m sorry about your cancelled op @LongDriver but by what you say, it might be for the best.
It was a very well timed post because I will be attending an appointment at Sheffield Northern General Hospital later today for an ECG as they decide what to do with my heart issues. There is talk about Pacemakers, Defibrillators, Ablation and Beta Blockers. Like Meg, the Beta Blockers will be definitely refused as I see my problems more electrical than physical, in fact the cardiologist I saw private (and cost me an arm and a leg) recommended Ablation.
And I didn’t realise that I could ask for print out of my ECG result…
I agree about another patient could have been on that operating table, plus the poor communication.
I’m just glad he knew his job and cancelled the procedure, who know what could have happened to you on that operating table,…good luck with the new meds ,let us know how you get on with them LD.
I know when I was waiting for my heart surgery , Mr Antony De Susa rang and cancelled me a few times from the Brompton as they had emergencies, plus I’d arranged for my dogs to be looked after, I got it done in the end though…sorry for your inconvenience and disappointment,
@LongDriver yes I’ve had a similar thing happen some time ago but this isn’t about me, however I can completely understand your frustration.
I’ve read some of your posts when you were waiting for surgery.
No wonder you’re miffed, but I still hope that it all turns out to help you in the end.
Would you mind if I tell you what my thoughts are, having gone through a similar experience albeit one with possibly a lesser potential impact than your heart surgery?
If you don’t really want to know just ignore the rest of my post from here & PM me, and I will remove what follows.
It is this:
If trying a few new meds for three months could save me from surgery - especially heart surgery - then I personally would rather try the meds and be grateful not to go under the knife again.
It’s a pain in the wotsits for sure and yes it’s a waste of time and resources, and yes somebody should have thought of these meds earlier.
But at the end of the day it’s better than going under the knife if you don’t need to, and if surgery had gone ahead it would have been a darned sight more wasteful as well as potentially more dangerous too.
Yes I did Meg and as I stated in my original post, I have three conduction blocks. I know this as I always ask for a copy of each ECG and at home I analyse every one, because over 18 yrs, I have become very informed as to how the heart works and how important the conduction of electric pulses are.
I had expected a specific type of pacer with two leads to be implanted and set up to correct my three heart blocks, but the consultant who was going to carry out the surgery, stopped the procedure and as I’m only the patient, there was absolutely nothing I could do about it. At my age (78) all this kind of hassle only adds to cardiac issues, but until my area cardiology team can all work AS a team, I am stuck with a malfunctioning pump
As for asking for a copy of your 12 lead ECG; unless you fully understand how to interpret the tracings, all those squiggly lines will just confuse you.
Ablation was considered for me about 10yrs ago, but three so called experts dismissed the idea as too much of a hit & miss application for my type of arrhythmia and it could all too easily make my condition worse. I have jogged along reasonably well until I was struck with C-19 during March '20 and since then my heart malfunction has become worse and far more intrusive, but of course everything was put on hold until all the lock-down malarkey had run it’s course. My area large general hospital only resumed heart surgery this month and my op would have been the 15th (so I believe) to be carried out since the 1st lockdown.
I hope you manage to sort out the confusion of your diagnoses. I eventually paid to see an Electrophysiologist and for another Echo because there was such a long wait (over a year) to review my options.
…good luck with the new meds ,let us know how you get on with them LD.
