Please let me know if anybody has had a similar experience.

So I'm 27 going for a gastric sleeve on October 22, 2025. Everything was looking good until I met back with my primary doctor for medical clearance. My surgeon's cardiologist reviewed my EKG and stated it was normal. But, when my primary reviewed it, she stated there was ischemia (medical term for reduced blood flow). I met with the cardiologist my primary set me up with and they stated my EKG was "abnormal" and conducted an ultrasound of my heart and carotid arteries. According the ultrasound tech, i had "occlusion and stenosis of bilateral carotid arteries". The cardiologist also is going to have me do a stress test on this Wednesday, October 8th. I'm stressed out because I can't have my surgery date moved, I already got the coverage at work!! I'm confused why there is a difference of opinion on my EKG. Please tell me that someone else has had this experience and was able to NOT have their surgery moved!! I'm freaking out :(

Okay breathe. Don’t worry yet. Undergo the stress test and see what those results say. There’ll likely be two options: everything is okay &/or within acceptable parameters & you can proceed with your surgery or they say things aren’t right and you can’t proceed with the surgery. If you can’t proceed, though disappointing, isn’t it better to have the blood flow issue identified and then began the steps to have something done to remedy that then an issue arise during your surgery?

Yes there are cases where health issues are picked up during the pre surgery checks. Finding hernias, or high cholesterol, etc, are not uncommon. For many of us, we haven’t undergone health checks in a while or ever had some of the tests like an EKG or endoscopy or whatever you were required to do which is why an issue may be picked up.

My GP is vey thorough and examines my results carefully and will send me first further tests or to specialists if she thinks something doesn’t seem right. Sometimes it’s nothing. Sometimes it is something. But I’m always glad she cares about my health. Sounds like your PCP is just as caring about your health.

Keep us updated.

Update: Thank you Arabesque!! You were right and my GP was just being thorough! She explained to me that has had patients sometimes surgeries can get cancelled by the anesthesiologist if they have even a sliver of doubt that something is not 100%. My stress test results came back normal and both my cardiologist and my primary said they would send over their clearances to my surgeon!!!

12 days till surgery!!!! :)

Edited October 10, 2025Oct 10 by nervy
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