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[|Human|] My mother in law just had stent surgery today and after been admitted back to the ward had severe breathing difficulties and had to be put on an oxygen machine.  Last week she had a silent heart attack and she also has type 2 diabetes. Is this normal and how serious is her situation.  She is 76
[|AI|]  HelloThanks for posting at Chat Doctor. Your mother-in-law had a silent heart attack which is very typical in diabetics. Stents are put to reopen and establish flow in the arteries of the heart which are blocked. Due to the silent heart attack that she had, the heart pumping function seems to have suffered. Hence, it is not able to effectively pump all the blood it receives leading to fluid overload. This excessive fluid tends to accumulate in the lungs. This causes breathing difficulty. This condition is known as pulmonary edema. I suppose your mother-in-law is suffering from pulmonary edema. It requires treatment with diuretics (water pill), nitrates along with other medications for the stent and the heart which she is already on. Once the extra fluid resolves, she will get better. The Left ventricular ejection fraction or the pumping function is normally 55-60%. After a heart attack, it Chat Doctor.  A 2 D Echo should be done which will show you how much the ejection fraction is in her case. Wishing her good healthRegards