What happens when someone is no longer a candidate for heart surgery?!
Question:
What happens when someone is no longer a candidate for heart surgery?
My father had a double bypass five years ago. He just had another heart attack and was told due to complications of undiagnosed diabetes, that he is no longer a candidate for surgery. Only one of his arteries are working, he now has to take medication to keep his blood pressure high enough to work his heart, and apparently the top part of his heart is not working. He seems fine, but they tell us this is very serious. It seems basically like he is definitly going to die, but noone seems to want to say that (the nurses and doctors). If he is going to, is it soon, or could he go on for years? I've never known anyone who has had a relative who couldn't be fixed with a stent or bypass. Help.
Answers:
You need to ask your doctor this question. He may need more advanced care (nursing home, assisted living, etc.) depending on his condition. Ask about long term prognosis. He may be able to recover some limited function.