Living With Vascular, Heart Or Aortic Disease?

A confidential survey, to help patients improve the process!

All data made available publicly AND confidentially, at this link! 

Designed based on my AAA stent graft experiences.

Just read the survey questions, and you will: 

My new coach, Frits (with an ‘s’), just had heart stents placed. He thought he would have to give up his beloved bike. WRONG! I told him the story of Bob Scott (see below). Information can set you free, to ride your bike again.

• Be better prepared for your surgery, the hospital stay,  interactions with medical staff, and your recovery.

• Be better able to handle the effects on your life! Which can be considerable.

• Have a support crew, who will have their own, much needed support.

• Help other patients with these issues, by becoming part of the patient-to-patient conversation. Doctors can’t do everything. Some things are up to us!

This stent surgery survey, which I’ve extended to include open aortic and heart stent surgery, has already resulted in fourteen suggestions for outcome improvement. It’s not so much about the surgery, as living with the results.

Here’s what the initial surveyed patients would like to experience:

AFTER HEART STENT SURGERY: Bob Scott beat me in the Eagleman Half Ironman, at age 84. Remarkable and basically great guy. A true athlete, doing it for the love of the sport. Sure inspires FitOldDog – hear more in the podcast, below.

1. A list of things to do, to prepare, while awaiting surgery; not always an option (17%).
2. Better explanation of choices of surgical approaches (20%).
3. Better explanation of risks, e.g. colonic disfunction, and male risk of impotence following open surgery (23%).
4. Improved physical rehabilitation (43%).
5. Better education on the challenges faced on returning home (40%).
6. Advice on returning to preferred physical activities (37%).
7. Assistance with finding people in the same situation, to learn from them (34%).
8. A list of useful websites and support groups, on leaving the hospital (46%).
9. Advice on activities to be avoided, due to risk (46%).
10. Advice on handling aortic disease, emotionally (43%).
11. Advice on handling fear, expressed by family and friends (29%).
12. Advice on lifestyle, including exercise and nutrition, for an optimal recovery (43%).
13. More assistance with rehabilitation at home (31%).
14. More assistance with financial, insurance, and/or job implications (17%).

You can see the data as they come in, at this link!

Want to hear more about Bob? Here’s the podcast:

Need someone to talk to? Try Facebook, where can interact directly with other vascular, heart and stent patients. They’ve been there. They understand:

Abdominal aortic aneurysm awareness

Aortic dissection

OR

Go to the Information Links page on this site (which needs updating, all the time!)