Florida Hospital Worker Suffers 3 Heart Attacks in 4 Days After Stent Procedure

1 articles · Updated · CBS New York · May 16

62-year-old Tommy Bell returned to a Florida ER with mild chest pain before Thanksgiving and, after an initial stent for a blocked "widowmaker" artery, suffered three heart attacks over the next four days.
A blood clot that formed after the first procedure triggered the attacks, his cardiologist said; the rare complication affects about 0.5% to 1% of stent patients and was made riskier by heavy calcification.
Doctors treated Bell with intracoronary lithotripsy to break up calcium, placed another stent and put him on blood thinners, then monitored him for four more days in the hospital.
After two weeks recovering at home, Bell returned to work at AdventHealth DeLand and is now focusing on lower-salt, lower-cholesterol meals and follow-up care to reduce future risk.