Surgery Story - UGH Any Thoughts

He needs to see a Nephrologist. A Kidney specialist.
His Primary Care Physician, should refer him to one.
ASAP.

Regardless of where his blood pressure is taken, the point is, his kidney or kidneys, are not good.
THUS, he needs to see a Nephrologist.

My late Dad, had high blood pressure and also, kidney failure. The cause, was Diabetes. Not because of his blood pressure.
In either situation, BECAUSE the kidneys are not good and/or failing, this HAS to be, addressed.
Also in my Dad's case, his veins were weak. He also had a stint, in his neck at one point. Then in his arm. This was for his kidneys, and to be put on Dialysis. That is what his stint, was for.

Blood pressure alone, can affect and be due to, many reasons. Not just blood pressure. So know that.

My late Dad, also had a stroke. It was due to, many reasons. NOT just his blood pressure.

Instead of just focusing on your Dad's blood pressure, while that is also very important, his OVERALL, health and condition, and his condition of his kidneys... ALSO has to be assessed. AND he NEED TO SEE, a Nephrologist.
My Dad, had a Heart specialist, his Primary Care Physician, a Nephrologist, a Diabetes Specialist, a Nutritionist, and an eye doctor that specialized in his health problems, which he saw REGULARLY.

In the case of your Dad, he should be seeing a Specialist or Specialists. NOT only, his Primary Care Physician. And, why is his Doctor, not doing anything about his kidneys???

Being sleepy all the time, can also be due to his kidneys, and it not functioning, on par. And your Dad is also unsteady and lacks stamina... and these things can be due to many... things and reasons. NOT just blood pressure.

When I read your post... the FACT that your Dad's kidneys are "not so good"... to me, was a real red flag and I wondered, WHY is he not... seeing a Nephrologist, already??? The kidneys, maintain a lot in the body's functioning.
You said your Dad is in good health... but his kidneys are not good, and he has high blood pressure. So, his health is not perfect.
And he is sleepy all the time/does not have stamina/and is unsteady. THESE things... NEEDS TO BE TOLD TO HIS DOCTOR, and he must be referred to a Specialist. These 'symptoms' are telling you, of his health status, right now.
He should not be "sleepy all the time," for example, or be unsteady. Why is he... like that??? ASK the Doctor. Tell the Doctor.

Also, how is your Dad's urine output??? Can he pee or not? If at anytime, he cannot pee or hardly pees, or is swelling up, he needs to tell you or you ask him. And get him to the Doctor. This indicates the poor functioning of his Kidneys, for example.

Blood pressure needs to be taken occasionally in both arms at the same visit. It can vary from arm to arm and that's a significant finding.

Blood pressure meds do not, per say, make you fatigued but if it lowers your BP too much that can make you fatigued and even unsteady. Make sure when he gets up from a reclining position he sits for a couple mins on the side of the bed to wait for his BP to stabilize.

Bad kidneys can but do not usually cause strokes but some issues that have led to bad kidneys can cause strokes.

The rest is really, a case by case basis. Try not to worry too much.

I worked in a hospital for 17 years and never heard of taking blood pressure from the chest, however, that doesn't mean it can't be done. :-) If the doctor's office, or any medical staff is using a "machine" to take the blood pressure, it could very well read "wrong". It's always best to take blood pressure manually. If the blood pressure is not reading the same in other parts of the body, then there could be other things going on like a blood clot, or circulation problems. Sounds like he needs to be off his current meds, and perhaps put on something different that will work better for him. Sometimes our bodies get so use to meds that we take for such a long time, that they don't work the same way anymore or as efficiently.
Depending on what blood pressure med he's taking, it could have a side effect that causes him to be a little dizzy. Go to: www. webmd.com
and look up his blood pressure med to see the side effects of what is normal and what is rare.
I don't think a bad kidney would result in a stroke, but that question is more for a doctor, so make a note on that one and ask him/her. :-)
When we reach a certain age, depending on our own bodies, as we handle the aging process differently, we can loose a little of our equalibrium. Also, ear infections can cause that problem as well. Hope this helps and I hope your FIL gets to feeling better. If you all feel as though his current doctor isn't making progress with his health, then I would go for a second opinion. Sometimes that really makes a difference and a good doctor will always welcome a second opinion. :-)

PS: I just noticed you live here in AZ.....I would consider taking your FIL to the Mayo Clinic that is in Scottsdale, off of Shae Blvd around 135th AVE. ( i think it's avenue...it's going towards Fountain Hills). Find a doc that works out of that clinic to check on his kidney etc. :-)

Blood pressure is the amount of force the blood causes as it is pushed thru the veins and arteries. I don't know of any way to measure it on the chest. I couldn't find anything related to measuring it on the chest on the Internet. I suggest that you need to go back to his doctor and ask more questions.

I also suggest that he's not in good health if he's sleepy all the time and hasn't a lot of stamina. Both of those conditions are symptoms of some under lying condition.

I also question them not knowing his artery was clear before surgery.

I urge you to go with him to see his doctor and get better information.

My brother has two different BP readings depending on which arm the docs use. I think it is because he has a pinched nerve in his neck. I was not aware they could take BP reading from your chest. I hope your FIL docs figure it out.