yes EF of 15% is really BAD. Get him to Electrophysiologist Cardiologist immediately. Normal EF is 55-60%. He will need medications and possible BiV Pacemaker or BiV Defibrillator to increase his EF. I am a cardiac RN. Make appointment now !!!!
The really cool thing about the heart is as it loses blood flow which causes these ejection fraction figures it creates it's own system of arteries out of its own tissue for blood to flow called collaterals. The heart can create millions of these little arteries, these collaterals, in order to protect itself and people can live longer because of these collaterals.
The downside is if the heart is at the point of creating collaterals the damage has already been done and the collaterals will not fix the damage. Once the heart is damaged it doesn't repair itself. The person has to live with the damage. Medication may help, surgery may help as well, but the collaterals just buy time. Eventually the heart gets too sick or damaged to function but that heart will work and work to keep going because its sole purpose is to protect itself.
Judy, after reading the two threads CWillie referenced, you might want to do some research on your own, then raise the issue with your husband's cardiologist.
Some things to consider: does your husband have a pacemaker that "kicks in" if his heartbeat declines too low? I'm not a doctor and won't try to describe how it interfaces with bodily cardiac function and/or the ejection fraction rate (the 15%), but your doctor could explain.
If you don't have a cardiologist appointment scheduled soon, you might ask your local senior center if they have visiting nurses who take BP, pulse, etc. A nurse can explain this better than I.
What surprised me was being told by our cardiologist that ejection fraction rates can improve, as that did happen with my father.
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The really cool thing about the heart is as it loses blood flow which causes these ejection fraction figures it creates it's own system of arteries out of its own tissue for blood to flow called collaterals. The heart can create millions of these little arteries, these collaterals, in order to protect itself and people can live longer because of these collaterals.
The downside is if the heart is at the point of creating collaterals the damage has already been done and the collaterals will not fix the damage. Once the heart is damaged it doesn't repair itself. The person has to live with the damage. Medication may help, surgery may help as well, but the collaterals just buy time. Eventually the heart gets too sick or damaged to function but that heart will work and work to keep going because its sole purpose is to protect itself.
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Some things to consider: does your husband have a pacemaker that "kicks in" if his heartbeat declines too low? I'm not a doctor and won't try to describe how it interfaces with bodily cardiac function and/or the ejection fraction rate (the 15%), but your doctor could explain.
If you don't have a cardiologist appointment scheduled soon, you might ask your local senior center if they have visiting nurses who take BP, pulse, etc. A nurse can explain this better than I.
What surprised me was being told by our cardiologist that ejection fraction rates can improve, as that did happen with my father.
www.agingcare.com/questions/father-heart-function-15-percent-161283.htm
www.agingcare.com/questions/brother-heart-function-is-between-10-and-15-percent-175932.htm