Tell me about recovering from open heart surgery

[OVERKILL]

Show me yours...lol
I had a Xmas card made with my split open chest for my female cousins...lol

Those open nerves on that scar...
I walked around for 3 weeks holding my shirt off my skin when I walked around. Did you get the full bypass scars with pump scars???

If I can't get robotic or minimally invasive next time..let me die...
I am not interested in docs or surgery..done..

Here ya go, this was January 5th, so just over a month after the procedure:

Three holes on the bottom are pacemaker 1, chest drain, pacemaker 2.

I did not find the stitches uncomfortable at all. Had the odd itch from the area when it was healing, that's about it. They used the dissolving ones, so I didn't have to get them out and they've dissolved now.

 

[Zee09]

Here ya go, this was January 5th, so just over a month after the procedure:
View attachment 94827

Three holes on the bottom are pacemaker 1, chest drain, pacemaker 2.

I did not find the stitches uncomfortable at all. Had the odd itch from the area when it was healing, that's about it. They used the dissolving ones, so I didn't have to get them out and they've dissolved now.

Yeah you got it dawg...mine was older so couldn't you get an easier less invasive procedure because that sucks but looks like a nice tight job...

 

[PimTac]

They use glue now. In the old days it was staples and sometimes wire.

 

[PimTac]

I don't know if they flatten your lungs for the bypass or not, but if they do, getting your lung capacity back is also a time consuming process, and part of the recovery.

They don’t flatten the lungs but with all the manipulation of everything including spreading your chest open it stretches things like ribs that normally don’t get moved like that. I think that is what you felt.

 

[OVERKILL]

They don’t flatten the lungs but with all the manipulation of everything including spreading your chest open it stretches things like ribs that normally don’t get moved like that. I think that is what you felt.

I was told my lungs were flattened, which is why I had to work to regain my lung capacity. I was on oxygen for a few days and had to do breathing exercises.

 

[OVERKILL]

Yeah you got it dawg...mine was older so couldn't you get an easier less invasive procedure because that sucks but looks like a nice tight job...

View attachment 94829

Yeah, the procedure I got (Ross Procedure) has be done open heart. If you are just getting a single valve replacement, or a subsequent valve replacement (tabby) for somebody that got a tissue valve already, they can do it using a catheter.

 

[supton]

They use glue now. In the old days it was staples and sometimes wire.

Bailing wire by any chance?

This is only temporary… unless if it works comes to mind…

 

[Zee09]

I was told my lungs were flattened, which is why I had to work to regain my lung capacity. I was on oxygen for a few days and had to do breathing exercises.

I had the same issue.
I left the hospital early and that was a mistake. It was just like the bad cv19 I had. My lungs were like paralyzed. Stiff and heavy and just getting somewhere down the hall was difficult. Not fun.

 

[Leo99]

Good luck. My only advice is to stop shoveling snow. It will melt.

 

[OVERKILL]

I had the same issue.
I left the hospital early and that was a mistake. It was just like the bad cv19 I had. My lungs were like paralyzed. Stiff and heavy and just getting somewhere down the hall was difficult. Not fun.

For me, even though my ribs felt OK breathing normally, doing the exercises hurt! That made it challenging. They wanted you to cough, and that was very uncomfortable, as was sneezing, where you had to hug a pillow or it was borderline excruciating.

I would say I was "OK" by the time I left the hospital, but definitely still had reduced lung capacity, it took me a couple of weeks to get to the point where I could max out the machine they gave me, which in my mind, meant I was back to something that somewhat resembled normal.

 

[Zee09]

For me, even though my ribs felt OK breathing normally, doing the exercises hurt! That made it challenging. They wanted you to cough, and that was very uncomfortable, as was sneezing, where you had to hug a pillow or it was borderline excruciating.

I would say I was "OK" by the time I left the hospital, but definitely still had reduced lung capacity; it took me a couple of weeks to get to the point where I could max out the machine they gave me, which in my mind, meant I was back to something that somewhat resembled normal.

I lived in fear the whole time I was in the hospital.
They always left my sliding door open in ICU to the hallway.
There was a nasty flu going around with all of the hall traffic, coughing, and sneezing all day long.
You know the fear... a cough or sneeze is deadly painful...

Through the grace of God, I avoided that. I had docs at my bedside coughing all around me...panic time.

 

[OVERKILL]

I lived in fear the whole time I was in the hospital.
They always left my sliding door open in ICU to the hallway.
There was a nasty flu going around with all of the hall traffic, coughing, and sneezing all day long.
You know the fear... a cough or sneeze is deadly painful...

Through the grace of God, I avoided that. I had docs at my bedside coughing all around me...panic time.

I was lucky, there was like zero traffic in the ICU and my nurse was amazing. I was only there for two days, the day of the surgery, and then the next. Of course I had COVID going around at the time, hahaha, so yeah, I can relate to your fear. Moving into a shared room (you could pay for private, but because of COVID, it wasn't honoured anyways so there was no point) of course brought with it some concern, as did the traffic coming in/out of the room. I don't recall any staff being sick though, so that was good.

 

[eljefino]

My mom had a Mitral Valve prolapse diagnosed last summer. She'd probably been living with it for ~6 months without knowing, until she felt short of breath.

They bounced her from hospital to hospital as ICUs were chock full. Put a catheter in that seemed to pulse with her heartbeat to help prevent backflow to stabilize her. Neato. Operation was a success, she hated rehab, she's back home, and pink in the face again. Not fun but beats dying I guess.

 

[Zee09]

I was lucky, there was like zero traffic in the ICU and my nurse was amazing. I was only there for two days, the day of the surgery, and then the next. Of course I had COVID going around at the time, hahaha, so yeah, I can relate to your fear. Moving into a shared room (you could pay for private, but because of COVID, it wasn't honoured anyways so there was no point) of course brought with it some concern, as did the traffic coming in/out of the room. I don't recall any staff being sick though, so that was good.

That was good..I was in ICU for 11 days and a step down for two AND I just wanted out.
My issue was i had the attack on the 4th...and I knew what it was but I figured if I woke up on the 5th I would go in... Well the next morning I was actually shocked I woke up but as soon as I stood up I knew I was screwed....lol

 

[Leo99]

My mom had a Mitral Valve prolapse diagnosed last summer. She'd probably been living with it for ~6 months without knowing, until she felt short of breath.

They bounced her from hospital to hospital as ICUs were chock full. Put a catheter in that seemed to pulse with her heartbeat to help prevent backflow to stabilize her. Neato. Operation was a success, she hated rehab, she's back home, and pink in the face again. Not fun but beats dying I guess.

That operation will be in my future if I live long enough for it to become a problem. My mitral valve is wearing out and has a very slight leak. My cardiologist can hear it but my regular doctor struggles to hear it.

 

[Spector]

I have had three open heart surgeries, 1st one 6 years ago replaced aortic valve, anuerism and one bypass. Last year vavle became infected and had to replace, didn't work so replaced again. So much of recovery depends on how long on a ventilator, my first one was an easy recovery, back to normal in 3-4 months. Last time I was on ventilator 48 hours, took forever to walk the hallway in ICU, 17 days in hospital. My first one I was out and home in 5 days. Anyway, took a good 6 months before feeling almost normal. Still go to the rehab for exercise. So much depends on your age ( I was 70 at first one), how decent a shape you are in, how long on ventilator, complications etc but for most people I would say 2-4 months.

No pain in chest from any of the suyrgeries, put terrible pain for first month when coughing, you will need to hug a pillow when coughing.

Oh, the tube does not come out in open heart surgery becasue they need to know if they have to go back in, be prepared for a few minutes of having the tube in, very uncomfortable. Ask the anesthesiologist before the surgery what the process is. Unlike other surgeries they keep it in longer.

 

[Zee09]

I have had three open heart surgeries, 1st one 6 years ago replaced aortic valve, anuerism and one bypass. Last year vavle became infected and had to replace, didn't work so replaced again. So much of recovery depends on how long on a ventilator, my first one was an easy recovery, back to normal in 3-4 months. Last time I was on ventilator 48 hours, took forever to walk the hallway in ICU, 17 days in hospital. My first one I was out and home in 5 days. Anyway, took a good 6 months before feeling almost normal. Still go to the rehab for exercise. So much depends on your age ( I was 70 at first one), how decent a shape you are in, how long on ventilator, complications etc but for most people I would say 2-4 months.

No pain in chest from any of the suyrgeries, put terrible pain for first month when coughing, you will need to hug a pillow when coughing.

Oh, the tube does not come out in open heart surgery becasue they need to know if they have to go back in, be prepared for a few minutes of having the tube in, very uncomfortable. Ask the anesthesiologist before the surgery what the process is. Unlike other surgeries they keep it in longer.

Did you get less invasive surgery on the latest? I wish you the best going forward.

 

[Zee09]

I was lucky, there was like zero traffic in the ICU and my nurse was amazing. I was only there for two days, the day of the surgery, and then the next. Of course I had COVID going around at the time, hahaha, so yeah, I can relate to your fear. Moving into a shared room (you could pay for private, but because of COVID, it wasn't honoured anyways so there was no point) of course brought with it some concern, as did the traffic coming in/out of the room. I don't recall any staff being sick though, so that was good

I am not sure on what you felt before and after. I was on a long spiral of decline with words from doctors that I was fit and strong as an ox...Not the case though..it got me thinking is this the downturn after 35 years old.

It continued on and I was diagnosed far to late that I had diabetes even though I would bring that up to the doctors.

But I will tell you 3 weeks out of the hospital I was out of control with energy. I could actually feel blood flowing through my body like never before. I was under all kinds of cars working on them and doing all kinds of chores and work. Like I had springs in my shoes..

I don't know anything about drugs but a nurse told me that's how amphetamines are. Not sure about that...
But a cardiologist friend of mine that has had surgery said they are only fixing a small area and the plague gets flushed out only to land elsewhere and thus the slow gradual decline.

His surgery failed in 6 years and he went to chelation and he swore by it but his fellow doctors shunned him...it did get him out of a second surgery..

 

[OVERKILL]

I am not sure on what you felt before and after. I was on a long spiral of decline with words from doctors that I was fit and strong as an ox...Not the case though..it got me thinking is this the downturn after 35 years old.

It continued on and I was diagnosed far to late that I had diabetes even though I would bring that up to the doctors.

But I will tell you 3 weeks out of the hospital I was out of control with energy. I could actually feel blood flowing through my body like never before. I was under all kinds of cars working on them and doing all kinds of chores and work. Like I had springs in my shoes..

I don't know anything about drugs but a nurse told me that's how amphetamines are. Not sure about that...
But a cardiologist friend of mine that has had surgery said they are only fixing a small area and the plague gets flushed out only to land elsewhere and thus the slow gradual decline.

His surgery failed in 6 years and he went to chelation and he swore by it but his fellow doctors shunned him...it did get him out of a second surgery..

I was feeling pretty "buzzy" before because of how hard my heart was working all the time. It feels significantly more relaxed now, and my heart rate is much lower as it isn't needing to work hard anymore.

I've always been high energy, so that didn't really change, I just feel a bit more relaxed now. With my surgery, the pulmonary valve that replaced my aortic valve has to adapt to its new location, so controlling blood pressure for the first year while that happens is key, and that's why I'm on a ton of blood pressure meds. Once it has adapted, it's "back to normal" apparently.

 

[Zee09]

I was feeling pretty "buzzy" before because of how hard my heart was working all the time. It feels significantly more relaxed now, and my heart rate is much lower as it isn't needing to work hard anymore.

I've always been high energy, so that didn't really change, I just feel a bit more relaxed now. With my surgery, the pulmonary valve that replaced my aortic valve has to adapt to its new location, so controlling blood pressure for the first year while that happens is key, and that's why I'm on a ton of blood pressure meds. Once it has adapted, it's "back to normal" apparently.

I got hooked up on this yesterday.
Had several tests and a stress test that was not so nice. This monitor is far better than those old ones. Makes it easier to keep working and you can shower with it and if I get an episode I can push a button and it even has an app...