Coronary stenting (PCI) is one of the powerful weapons in the treatment of coronary artery disease, which can effectively relieve angina symptoms and save the lives of patients with acute myocardial infarction.
However, many patients think that stenting is a “radical” surgery and can solve coronary heart disease once and for all, which is one of the most common misconceptions, because after stenting, conventional medication and lifestyle management should be continued, and for this problem, we will share with you in detail in three major aspects.
First, take medication as prescribed by the doctor
Because the implanted stent is a foreign body, it is easy to form a thrombus at the stent implantation site and lead to restenosis, so we must adhere to the regular anti-platelet aggregation treatment, i.e., insist on taking clopidogrel and biaxin after surgery.
Both of these drugs will have an effect on platelet accumulation, so close attention should be paid to whether there is bleeding from the skin and mucous membranes, and return to the hospital every month for follow-up blood tests. Among them, bye aspirin may also cause damage to the gastric mucosa and even gastrointestinal bleeding, so if you have stomach discomfort, you can add acid suppression and stomach protection treatment such as rabeprazole, lansoprazole and pectin bismuth capsules if necessary.
1.Aspirin
If there are no adverse reactions and contraindications, aspirin needs to be taken for life, and aspirin enteric soluble tablets (100mg/tablet) can be used.
2.Clopidogrel (etc.)
After surgery, two kinds of antiplatelet drugs are generally needed, including the above-mentioned aspirin, and the other commonly used drugs are clopidogrel, and tigretol, which has just been listed in China. The duration of administration needs to be determined according to the type of stent and the patient’s condition, and the general course of clopidogrel is 1 year after surgery.
3. Statin lipid-regulating drugs such as atorvastatin and resulvastatin
There is a serious misunderstanding of this drug among patients. Many people stop taking the drug after their blood lipid level is “normal”. Unless there are some special circumstances, even if the blood lipids are at the “normal” level, the drug should be taken for a long time.
4, other drugs, such as angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (such as “xxpril”), beta-blockers (such as “betalactam”)
These drugs as the cornerstone of coronary heart disease, the role should not be ignored, especially for those patients with myocardial infarction, but not necessarily all patients need or can tolerate, need to follow the doctor’s instructions to take.
Second, regular follow-up
Generally, the first follow-up visit is 2-3 weeks after surgery, and the doctor will review the relevant laboratory tests and adjust the dosage of drugs according to the individual patient’s condition. Be sure to keep in mind that the dosage of many coronary heart disease medications is not fixed, such as statins, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, beta-blockers, etc. Also, each drug may have side effects on the body and should be monitored with follow-up, for example, statins may trigger side effects such as elevated liver enzymes.
Early warning signs
If chest tightness or chest pain occurs again after stenting, patients should be highly alert to the recurrence of coronary heart disease and should be readmitted to the hospital for coronary angiography to clarify whether there is intra-stent thrombosis or intra-stent restenosis.
III. Life management
1. Exercise
Each patient’s ability to tolerate exercise varies, depending on heart function, degree of stenosis, stent opening and other factors. Some patients can gradually return to a normal healthy state after surgery, while others may not return to the original level, and exercise should be resumed gradually according to the doctor’s advice, not to increase the amount of exercise suddenly in a short period of time.
2. Diet
Basically follow the principle of “low salt and low fat”, eat more fresh vegetables, fruits, fish, soybean products and dairy products, etc. It is not advisable to eat a lot of animal offal and high fat and high cholesterol food. Limit alcohol consumption, the recommended daily limit: 50ml of white wine, 300ml of beer and 100ml of red wine.
3.Quit smoking
Quit smoking, there is no doubt about it. Cigarettes can not only accelerate the process of atherosclerosis, but also directly lead to coronary artery damage, spasm, etc.. Therefore, whether or not suffering from coronary heart disease, should be strictly quit smoking, including second-hand smoke.
4.Control weight
Obesity is “the source of all evil”, hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, can be secondary to obesity. Teach you a way to estimate whether you are obese, calculate the body mass index (BMI), with weight (kg) / height x height (m), the normal value of 18.5-23.9, > 24 called overweight, > 28 called obese, and the eighth edition of the internal medicine, has been > 24 called “obesity”. You calculate, if overweight, hurry to lose weight.
5, optimistic mood, adequate sleep
Studies have proved that most patients with coronary heart disease each have psychological problems, including anxiety, depression, etc. Moreover, bad mood may aggravate and induce myocardial ischemic attack, so it is especially important to maintain a stable and optimistic mood. At the same time, sufficient sleep will make your day full of energy, I personally recommend at least 7-8 hours of sleep.
6.Monitor blood pressure and control blood sugar
To treat coronary heart disease, it is important to control blood pressure and blood sugar at the same time, one of these links is indispensable.
In summary, I believe that if each patient can actually fulfill the above recommendations, they will be able to maintain their health and slow down the progress of the disease to the greatest extent. Of course, stent surgery is not a panacea, not all patients with coronary heart disease need or can be treated with stent implantation, and a professional doctor needs to evaluate before and after the surgery.