What are the chances of being completely angina-free after having a successful angioplasty?

Doctor's Answers 1

I would say the chances of being completely angina free depends on the extent of the disease ie if you have diffuse multiple blockages or one or two critical blockages.

With diffuse extensive disease, while you may improve the prognosis by treating the critical large vessels, the symptoms may still remain as many of the smaller branches may continue to cause symptoms as stents and angioplasty cannot be used in the very small branches and vessels.

Optimal Medical therapy and intensive lifestyle changes help to mitigate or alleviate symptoms in this situation in addition to angioplasty and heart stents.

With one or two critical coronary stenoses however one should expect more complete relief of angina.

The main aim of successful angioplasty is both improved survival and quality of life and you should expect a 90 to 95% improvement in quality of life following your procedure provided it is clearly established that your symptoms are caused by the narrowing in the blood vessels i.e a positive treadmill or nuclear scan test and that you do not have diffuse disease.

Similar Questions

When is an angioplasty or angiogram performed in Singapore?

A coronary angiogram is performed whenever a patient has symptoms such as breathlessness or chest pain on exertion (not always) which usually indicate poor blood flow in the heart blood vessel due to blockages. This could a non-invasive angiogram (ie CT coronary angiogram) or an invasive coronary angiogram (gold standard test). The modality depends on the risk and if the risk is higher an Invasive coronary angiogram maybe warranted.

Photo of Dr Nandakumar Ramasami

Answered By

Dr Nandakumar Ramasami

Cardiologist

How can I best prepare for an angioplasty to get the optimal outcomes?

I would suggest that you keep yourself well informed of the procedure, what it entails on the day, what are the various outcomes and what maybe the adjunct procedures you may need and how long your recovery could take based on the results of the angiography and any treatment on the day. Of course, it would be good if your next of kin is also aware of this information. On the day of the procedure ensure you are well rested and ask your doctor for anxiety-relieving medication the night before if necessary to ensure a good nights sleep.

Photo of Dr Nandakumar Ramasami

Answered By

Dr Nandakumar Ramasami

Cardiologist

Ask any health question for free

I’m not so sure about a procedure...

Ask Icon Ask a Question

Join Human

Sign up now for a free Human account to get answers from specialists in Singapore.

Sign Up

Get The Pill

Be healthier with our Bite-sized health news straight in your inbox