Heather10, I discussed with my surgeon my PAH and Scleroderma along with laundry list of other issues. She is well aware that I likely need cardiac anesthesiologist. She was reaching out to the head of anesthesia to discuss my case. Te anesthesiologist will reach out to my PAH cardiologist.

Last procedure I had was to remove kidney stone and Stent in my ureter. A very short procedure and was intubated because the previous procedure of putting the Stent in I had gone blue twice ( my lungs stopped). I won't have another procedure without incubation. I had a regular anesthesiologist.

When I had my PEA surgery I was incubated and they had me completely under anthesia.

The doctors who performed the surgery are Cardiothoraic and Transplant Surgeon and a Cardic Surgeon. They are part of my PH team. All I can remember was waking up 3 days later when they remove the tube.

@A myPHteam Member I had the Watchman implanted on 3/31. Rather than take me off Eliquis completely, I am now on half dose as I previously did have a TIA. I do still have some breakthrough Afib since my Ablation and in 3 months we will determine if I need a re-do. We are using a special feature of my Apple Watch that takes “Afib Burden” reports to track all my Afib events over the 3 months.

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A myPHtea...

Can I ask what kind of procedure you will be having?

I do not have PAH...but I not only have PH (Group 2, Left Heart Failure) but I also have Bleomycin Pulmonary Toxicity and allergies to several medications including Lidocaine and Marcaine. Earlier this year I had to have a Cardiac Ablation and then in a separate procedure, an implantation of a Watchman device. Both under general anesthesia and both with a breathing tube where I had to sign a waiver to temporarily suspend my DNR as my DNR says no intubation.

Anyway, what I learned getting ready and then having those procedures that we PH patients really need to have a Cardiac Anesthesiologist at the helm. A Cardiac Anesthesiologist goes through not only a residency in Anesthesiology, but a special Fellowship in Cardiology and their time includes working PH cases. They are at the very top of the pyramid of anesthesiology. They make the most money and are the most sought after. At least here in Arizona there are very few of them and they only work in the larger teaching hospitals on cases that are reviewed beforehand by the hospital, the specialists and the agency the anesthesiologist works through to get their assignments.

For those 2 surgeries, I had an incredible Cardiac Anesthesiologist that knew about PH, my Bleo Toxicity, understood all my allergies, and knew about other oddities that I challenge other doctors with.

He knew that they could not reverse the Heparin given to me for both procedures, and that i required a special mixture of O2 for my Bleo issue.