That's reasonably good news. I was on the phone a few minute ago with a friend who needs open heart surgery for an aortic valve replacement, and some blocked arteries.
"If I were already at the 3[SUP]rd[/SUP] case, I couldn't exercise at the level that I currently work at"
Don't be so sure. I had two stents placed in a coronary artery after I felt some chest pain while riding my bike. I was awake for the angioplasty, as you will probably be, too. At some point the surgeon walked over at told me I had two blockages, each chocking off approximately 80 to 90% of my artery.
I asked the doctor how that was possible, given I'd ridden my bike 100 miles in a day, two weeks earlier, and ridden, con brio, at 10,000 feet the week before (with some chest pain). The answer: "You must be in good physical condition." In fact, most people don't notice a problem until they are at lest 70% blocked, because arteries are fairly elastic.
The good news is that this is a fairly minor operation. I was back on my bike - and not holding back much - three days after the operation.
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