Hi again Dreambeliever--The VNS shouldn't affect the stress test or the Angiogram procedures. The stress stest involves you walking on a treadmill while you are hooked up to an EKG machine and a blood pressure cuff.

Is the stress test you are having a "thallium stress test"? If so, then this type of stress test involves a tech injecting a "radio-isotope" into your vein several hours before the actual treadmill stress test. The radio-isotope is a special kind of dye that is particularly good for "illuminating" your heart muscle under flouroscopy (x-ray). After you have completed the treadmill portion of the test, your heart will then be visualized under the flouroscopy so that the Doc can see the area of the heart muscle that may have been been affected by the "heart attack", and the extent of any potential muscle damage that might have occurred.

For the angiogram, that is considered an "invasive" procedure, in that a lead wire and catheter will be "threaded" through the femoral artery of your leg and up to your heart; another lead wire through the subclavian artery (near the top of your heart)...the VNS wires involve your vagal nerve, not the arteries that the Cardiologist will need to use so that the Angiogram dye can then be injected.

Although an Angiogram can be uncomfortable, the Doc will be sure that you are given sedatives, etc. so that you are as comfortable as possible..and, most Docs will even position the x-ray monitors so that you can watch your heart on the x-ray monitor. The Docs will be looking at how the dye flows through your arteries, to determine if any of the arteries have "obstructions" (blockages), and also to see how the heart muscle is functioning, etc.

Hopefully, this information will be useful for you, Dreambeliever, so that you can ask your Cardiologist questions and have your concerns adddressed. AND, hopefully, you won't have to have any more "poking and prodding" done once you get these procedures over and done with!

The very best wishes to you Dreambeliever~ you have had a "lot put on your plate", and I so admire your STRENGTH. You are one brave lady, and I am sure that you have inspired and touched a lot of people by sharing your thoughts and experiences on this Forum!

Most Sincerely,

Brokenwings