So the heart attack has passed, now for the drug coated stent operation also known as angioplasty and although the old balloon stent has been about since 1977 it was in 1993 that the coronary stent made it's debut. Believe it or not you are not in hospital long if you suffer a heart attack, I had mine on a Sunday, operation on the Friday and sorry Sir out you go on the Saturday morning.

But back to the operation I was getting, I was to receive 1 stent to the left side of my heart to a small artery but during the operation they would check to see if I needed more than just that one stent fitted.

I was lying in bed reading when the nurse arrived with a nice folder and a little glass block on her hand. She told me that after my scan on the " Echo" ( much the same scan as a pregnancy scan that shows the baby, only this shows inside the heart), I would need an operation on the Friday that involved me getting angioplasty or getting a drug coated stent.

The operation would take 45 minutes, I would be awake but drugged and I would actually be able to watch the operation myself. Oh Happy Days I thought, sure beats watching the X-Factor, but one more thing she said. Yeah the usual there is always that 1 percent chance that you could die on the operating table as they will be running a thin tube in through my thigh and up through my arteries into my heart. Then she showed me a clear see through bit of marble that contained an actual sized stent, such a small little bugger that was to hopefully save my life.

Well before the operation they actually have to shave you down below and I didn't really mind as that pretty redhead nurse seems a dab hand with a razor. But unlike the rest of the men in the ward I got the damn male nurse who whlist destroying my male glory told me all about his relationship problems. Oh please inject me and get me to the surgeon.

As I was wheeled into the operating theatre I was a bit afraid as 4 nurses and doctors where there. The nurse injected my hand and the feeling was unreal, it was like a bee sting just slowly travelling up my arm, I was later to discover it was liquid Diazapam. I felt really relaxed now and as I turned my head I saw 3 large screens which were showing as the main movie my heart.

They slowly inserted the tube inside my thigh and I watched it go slowly into my body and watched it's path up and into my heart. Wham, a black dye was sprayed out of the tube and all I could see was the arteries slowly filling up like a map on the screen. All but one which was the blocked artery and that was the one the drug coated stent was going in.

They removed the tube, attached a small balloon plus the stent and inserted it again. Slowly again it worked itself inside my heart but this time the tube pierced right inside my artery and the balloon was released. the balloon is inflated by the surgeon once it's right inside the artery and it opens the blocked artery so the stent can slide into place and like a piece of scaffold leave your artery open. It was a strange feeling, a mixture of pain like a heart attack and a strange sensation that can only be described as peeing oneself. Not that I pee myself, just guessing on that feeling. ! Once the stent was in place they delfated the balloon and slowly removed the tube from my body. In all the operation was 45 minutes and my artery was now stented, for me it was now back to the ward.

 After having the stent operation you have to lie on your back and not move for 2 hours, I guess being a man that part was really easy to do but you have to watch this stage as it is still bleeding heavy and one guy I befriended actually bled for well over 10 hours. Me, well I was lucky in that my bleeding eased off after the 2 hours, bleeding lucky I guess one could say.

Later on the nurse came round and explained that because it was a drug coated stent I would be on a drug called Plavix for a year to make sure that the stent didn't clog over with another blood clot. Plavix is a powerful drug that really thins your blood and can have a few side effects. In the year I was on it I suffered constipation but I guess I didn't give a shit as it was saving my life, come to think of it with constipation I actually didn't give a shit.

Alas the nurse also gave me the talk on what I could do and what I couldn't do. I wouldn't be able to drive for a few weeks, no problems there as I was told I had to take off work for two months. Naturally I was told to take things easy but also to make sure I walked about as this would help my recovery. Then she told me I wouldn't be able to have sex for about 4 weeks, I looked at my hand and said I hope you are listening. !

So that was it, I was fully stented and ready to go home the next day. Yes I was a little scared during the operation but at worse it was more uncomfortable than painful and it took only a week for the whole thing to heal. So if you are booked in for a stent and you are worried about the operation don't be, it will keep you aive which is well worth going through the operation for and it was the best movie I have watched in ages.

Tomorrow I will discuss getting fit after a heart attack and the best exercises to do, in the meantime take care of yourself. !