Resolved question:
Hi, after a double bypass, how long before I can expect my shortness of breath to improve to close to normal? There has been some improvement since I don't need pillow prop to sleep, but I still find my self panting and gasping on a regular basis.
Thanks History of: Diabetes (type2)
Stopped smoking 8 years ago, 30 year habit, pack a day
Submitted:
4 Days
Category:
Cardiologist
Hello,
Thank you for your query at DoctorSpring.com
The extent to which you shall experience improvement after revascularization depends on the viable but ischemic myocardium. If a large area of myocardium is already damaged then the chances of improvement are very less. The possibility of improvement can be ascertained preoperatively by doing a pet scan for viable ischemic and non-viable myocardium. That if done preoperatively will give a fair idea of how much improvement to expect. The time frame of improvement is again unpredictable from weeks to months. Also, the breathlessness could be due to many other factors like lung disease secondary to smoking low hemoglobin poor exercise capacity etc.
Regards
Dr Vivek Mahajan
DM Cardiology
MD Medicine