Patient Stories: Meet others who have experienced stent implants.

Robert Fuller
Knew the signs

Robert Fuller leads a very busy life. When he is not out on the golf course, Fuller helps his wife, Mickey, run a security business. And with the rest of his "spare" time, Fuller often assists his sons with their audio/visual business by taking pictures of large events.

Not long ago, Fuller noticed a "funny heartburn" whenever he climbed stairs. It was a familiar feeling: due to having a quadruple bypass ten years before and a stent placement five years later, Fuller recognized his "heartburn" as a symptom of something more serious.

He knew to call his doctor right away. Ultimately, he was admitted to the hospital to have an angiogram. Doctors found a significant blockage to one of the arteries that supplies blood to the heart muscle.

Doctors at Abbott Northwestern decided to place a drug-eluting stent in the artery with the blockage. Coronary stents aren't for everyone, but Robert's physicians concluded that he was a candidate for a stent. Use of coronary stents carry risks including the potential for serious injuries, side effects and even death.

Fuller's history of major cardiovascular events put him at risk for additional events. But even knowing that a heart attack or another serious heart-related incident is a very real possibility, he considers himself a fortunate man. "I've been pretty lucky by not having to experience anything like a heart attack," he says. "I feel better knowing that something's been done to help."