UKC

Hi, my father and I are visiting Geneva and he really wants to visit or get closer to Mont Blanc via the cable cars. He suffered a heart attack 2 years ago and had a stunt installed, is it okay for him to travel up there? 
Any advice or thoughts would be highly appreciated.

Depends what he has planned!

More seriously, what was his medical advice? Doesn’t sound too hazardous to me, from my position of almost complete ignorance.

It's a large height gain in a short timescale.

If your father is very well post- stent I see no reason why he couldn't go on it. If he's a bit crumbly perhaps looking up at MB and the Aiguilles from the town would be good enough? When I first saw MB and the Aiguilles from Chamonix valley around 1995 I was blown away.

The train to Montenvers is slower, maybe consider that? Otherwise: ask his doctor!

See what he's like going over the pass into Switzerland first, then the stop at the Papillions arete half-way cable car to the Aiguille du Midi station next: Then following that, go to the top station finally? Try him walking up, with plenty of time, to the Aiguilles Rouges part-way: Or just again use the cable car in stages?

Ask his physician?

The cable car will be fine. Walk around up there with less oxygen might not be. Healthy adults feel the difference just going up a 3m flight of stairs in the building. This question can only be answered by a doctor. 

1st time I went up there someone had to be evacuated to a waiting ambulance. They looked about 15.

I nearly walked into a wall and felt quite dizzy. 

Plenty of normally healthy people feel pretty ill up there just going up as a tourist. If there are particular health concerns I would have thought that proper medical advice would be sensible.

Will he be riding a monocycle while juggling?

I was itching to make a facetious comment based on the fact I'm a random internet weirdo and not medically qualified in any way, but I restrained myself considering it's about a heart patient and you're asking for tye best intentions and in good faith of getting helpful responses.

The highest cable car that gives a lovely view of Mont Blanc and associated summits is not far from the main town square in Chamonix and is the Aiguille du Midi Telepherique.

Clearly you need to ask a qualified doctor not random internet weirdo like me but the issue is that doctors (rightly...) will play it safe. Before you can say "litigation" they'll say "No" or "at own risk, I can't advise it" because they probably don't know. I can't advise you because as well as not being a doc I've no idea what condition he's in anyway, some people can be capable of amazing fitness 2 years after a minor heart attack or he could be fragile, I've no idea 

For perspective the Midi isn't that high and although climbing stairs may be slightly harder the main difference would be he thinks he's high and becomes anxious and the anxiety is the "real" factor. I've been up there (to get somewhere) and the place had a lot of Japanese tourists very excited about the altitude and taking drafts of oxygen from small aerosol like canisters (much to everyone else's amusement and bemusement).. bizarre it's not Everest.

If it isn't hyped into a big deal (psychological  stress), a gentle quick tourist trip up the Midi top cable car station is unlikely to cause issues, providing he moves more slowly on any stairs and takes it easy and is in good health. It's spectacular!

That all said .. ask an actual doctor and ignore internet advice from idiots like me 😉

Edit: ask *his* doctor 

Just to add...Good luck trying to get in touch with a GP!

You don’t say anything about your Dad’s general fitness, which would probably be the most important element in the equation. 
My 83 year old friend’s heart efficiency suddenly dropped to 40%, he had a stent implanted and the next day we did a 10km slow jog together. But he’s been running, climbing and mountaineering all his life; how fit is your Dad generally?

It's 3,842 meters, which is high enough to notice if you're not acclimatised.  Of course it's not Everest, and there are plenty of places in the Alps which are higher (but not so accessible to tourists), so supplementary oxygen seems OTT. Nevertheless even a healthy person may feel a bit breathless after even mild exercise.  Altitude does place an additional load on the heart, even without exercise.

https://www.heart.org/en/news/2021/09/09/travel-to-high-altitudes-could-be-...

The other consideration is that it is a fairly rapid ascent of more than 2800 metres in around half an hour, so there isn't much time to adjust to the altitude.  If he needs to get down quickly, then even if he can jump the queue as a medical emergency there may be a delay until the next cable car arrives.  

It seems obvious to say that he should seek his doctor's advice, although most doctors have no experience of altitude medicine and are likely to err on the side of caution. He will have to use his own judgement and it will very much depend on how fit and healthy he is, but the article I linked to indicates that there is some risk.  It would probably be a good idea to see how he gets on at lower altitudes before trying the Midi.

A possible alternative might be the Brevent lift which goes to only 2525 metres.  It has good views of Mt Blanc, but not as close up as the Midi.  Someone suggested the Montenvers train, which is even lower at 1913 metres and might be a good place to start, but he won't see Mt Blanc from there.

Interestingly, a helicopter tour company expect you to check with your doctor...

"during flights of 20 and 30 minutes the helicopter flies up to 5000m. We ask people with heart or respiratory conditions to check with their doctor before the flight."

https://evolution2.com/en/chamonix/helicopter?v=66

Personally I find just catching the Midi 'ferique stressful enough ... What about going up the Brevent instead? Still great views of MB, fewer crowds, and the possibility of walking down, maybe from the 1st station.

My heart ejection factor varies between 25/30 % and have an ICE fitted. I have subsequently been up the Jungfrau on the railway with no problems, didn't move about much or quickly  when I got off the train. However I realise that there are so  many different heart problems that my experience is not necessarily applicable to other heart problem suffers. Also for me, things vary on a daily basis, and I often have to make judgements on the day as to what is possible.

John

Whilst I don’t blame you for asking the question, or others for trying to help, from a medical pov it would be unethical for anyone to offer any advice on this unless they were a doctor whom has been assigned to your fathers case.

Even if there’s a cardiologist on here (is there?) they would absolutely recommend you speak to your fathers GP or specialist for advice.

Good luck, hope he gets the all clear and that you have a wonderful trip. 

Somethings are better asked somewhere other than UKC... Have you considered speaking to a Medical Professional who holds the Diploma in Mountain Medicine? There is a list here at: https://fphc.rcsed.ac.uk/media/2646/uiaa-dmm-holders-full-list-uploaded-177...

They might be able to give advice, or better advise your father's GP or specialist who probably has primacy for their care?

Going up Mt Blanc is a stunt. But the heart artery requires a stent! Incidently I met the doctor who invented the stent. He did a degree in mechanical engineering before becoming a doctor. And his brother was the sculptor Anthony Caro. Funny all these links. The family were Jewish refugees who fled from Germany just in time.

Whilst not offering medical advice I can only speak from my situation, I have 4 stents.

The stents would not be the issue, the issue may be down to medication. I was prescribed beta blockers which slow the heart down. Increasing altitude eg. lowering oxygen level will make the heart work harder to pump sufficient oxygen around the body, if the heart rate is reduced this may cause issues with blood oxygen levels. I don't know what medication your father takes and wouldn't advise anyway

I personally would take the trip as I'm aware of what the problems are and can mitigate the majority of them but can't speak for others.

Your father's GP may be able to advise but usually they will either say don't or give a non committal answer to cover themselves as this is a little bit specialized. 

I would say go halfway and depending how he feels decide whether to continue. Better to listen to your body as advice is general, even medical advice and doesn't take into account the individual.

I haven't let stents limit what I do and take precautions if I think I maybe affected.

Sorry for the long reply

So... I am a doctor (a consultant respiratory physician, with an interest in altitude physiology) and I can't answer your question either. There are too many variables that we don't know. After 2 years if the stent was the only thing done then it will be 'matured' and low risk, but there are plenty of other arteries to the heart muscle that might have issues, and that's a different thing to the pumping efficiency of the heart (eg for the 'ejection fraction' mentioned by someone wise above). If he gets any angina, I would suggest that's a strong no. Additionally, if he's colossally unfit and frail it would be a nightmare (irrespective of the stent) but if post stent he cycles 50km a day it's probably going to be fine... but there are many other things that could easily go wrong pretty much coincidentally.

So sorry, we can't answer based on this info but completely support talking to his GP bearing in mind the defensive nature of medicine sometimes due to the rising incidence of complaints, and the likelihood that the GP may well not know what the answer is. Often "the doctor couldn't tell me" has a very simple reason, which is the doctor can't possibly know, as predicting the future is a dark art...

I hope you have a great trip whatever, and the valley is still beautiful even from the floor. Let us know how it goes

cheers

b

With regard to the Midi telepherique - If he is at all afraid of heights, I would recommend that he stands at the front of the cabin, facing in to the hillside. The view from the back of the cabin, facing down to Chamonix can be a bit scary for some, the higher you get. 

Some of the best views of the Mont Blanc massif are from across the valley below the aiguile rouge. The index chair lift isn’t as high as the Midi telepherique so might be a good start point, health factors permitting 

You‘d think that people would have stopped replying to this now, it ain‘t either a serious question nor a real account

PS reported