ThePhantomTwo Posted March 17, 2011 Share Posted March 17, 2011 While in the hospital after my heart attack,they mentioned I would probably need a valve replacement and a by-pass,I see my cardiologist in the morning to find out when I get this done and by whom.Anyone else been have this done and what do I have to look forward to?Not looking forward to having my chest ripped open! :) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Murph Posted March 17, 2011 Share Posted March 17, 2011 I haven't had it done but talking to those that have, coughing and sneezing become very painful afterwards till your ribs heal. Regards, Murph Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ThePhantomTwo Posted March 17, 2011 Author Share Posted March 17, 2011 I haven't had it done but talking to those that have, coughing and sneezing become very painful afterwards till your ribs heal.Regards, Murph I've heard that also,I can probably deal with that.Most of the older guys I worked with on our flightline(hmmm,I wonder if there is a connection?) have had open heart but they rarely say a word about it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
HOLMES Posted March 17, 2011 Share Posted March 17, 2011 The Phantom Two, I hope it goes well.Lets hope that you are able to do most things after the surgery maybe it may be a a little less faster but still be able to enjoy what you love to do.. BEST WISHES and GOOD LUCK HOLMES :) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ThePhantomTwo Posted March 17, 2011 Author Share Posted March 17, 2011 The Phantom Two,I hope it goes well.Lets hope that you are able to do most things after the surgery maybe it may be a a little less faster but still be able to enjoy what you love to do.. BEST WISHES and GOOD LUCK HOLMES :) I appreciate that!Ever since my heart attack on Feb. 21st,I've been taking it easy so much it's making me want to get back to work,I can only handle "taking it easy" for so long before cabin fever and boredom take over!Sure,I have the internet,books,and my kits to keep me entertained but all that gets old if that's all I do day in and out. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
HOLMES Posted March 17, 2011 Share Posted March 17, 2011 I appreciate that!Ever since my heart attack on Feb. 21st,I've been taking it easy so much it's making me want to get back to work,I can only handle "taking it easy" for so long before cabin fever and boredom take over!Sure,I have the internet,books,and my kits to keep me entertained but all that gets old if that's all I do day in and out. .... Slow but steady wins the race ...gentle walks would get you out and about and help with recuperation but ask your Cardiologist..... I am sure you will soon be up and at it....the heart is a strong muscle ...... BUT I do know what you mean about being cooped up and doing the same....gets a bit too tiring and like you said old !! I was cooped up when I was injured on duty and had to have Titanium plates and screws in MY shoulder and hand { have them for ever now !} and was not able to get out, drive etc so I know exactly what you mean...5 months inside the house on your own gets a tad tiring and boring except for the Forum and books et al... HOLMES :) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jetwrench Posted March 17, 2011 Share Posted March 17, 2011 Had my double by-pass 8 years ago. The main thing that helped me was a good attitude. Accept the fact that you'll be out of commission at least 3 months and concentrate on healing. Cardiac rehab also helped by gettting me out of the house and back to physical activity. Hang in there, it'll all be worth it in the end. I feel so much better now. Paul Quote Link to post Share on other sites
GreyGhost Posted March 17, 2011 Share Posted March 17, 2011 My prayers are with you, your family and your doctors ... May you have a full and speedy recovery ... -Gregg Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jennings Posted March 17, 2011 Share Posted March 17, 2011 Hey Dave, It's too bad you have to have the surgery, but if ya gotta, ya gotta. I've worked in cardiac surgery ICU, so I can give you some idea what to expect. You'll definitely spend at least the first night after surgery, if not two or more nights in the CSICU. Count on that. You're going to be a pretty hurtin' puppy for a little while. Not sure how otherwise healthy you are, but if you (incomprehensibly) smoke, or still smoke, STOP NOW! If not, good on ya, and don't start back up. You'll save money and feel better. Anyway, as noted, if they bust your sternum open, it's going to take some time to heal. There are valve surgeries that can be done intravascularly via a sheath in your groin, but it sounds like yours will be an open chest procedure. If I can only give you a couple of pieces of advice, it's these: 1. Stay ahead of any pain. It's far easier to head pain off at the pass than it is to catch up to it later. Don't try to man-up and take it. Pain meds are for a reason. You need to be as comfortable as possible after your surgery. It makes you less crazy, and it promotes healing. Don't worry about getting hooked on anything either. That's not going to happen. Use as much as you need, and if what you're given isn't enough, tell your nurse and/or surgeon. They *can* make you comfortable. 2. They're going to give you a nice little teddy bear to hug. He's going to be your very best friend, so USE HIM! You'll need to hug him when you cough, sneeze, move, or anything else. He's not called a Cough Buddy for nothing... 3. BREATHE!! Yes, it's going to hurt. They just split your chest open and danced around in there for a couple of hours. But... if you lie there and don't breathe deeply, it's going to hurt worse and take longer to heal. If you already have any existing pulmonary disease (shortness of breath, chronic bronchitis, COPD, etc), this is even more critical. You'll get this nifty little contraption called an incentive spirometer. You exhale, then put the little tube between your lips and inhale, causing a little float to rise in a chamber. Using the IS is *critical*. The more you lie there with your lungs not working at full capacity, the worse off you'll be. Use your IS, and your ticket home gets punched that much sooner. Use it *all* the time. Use it as much as you possibly can. You'll be doing yourself and your family a big favor. You'll do great, I'm sure. Trust your surgeon, trust your nurses, and communicate, communicate, communicate. If you see something you don't understand, make somebody explain it to you. If you see something that just doesn't seem "quite right" - then it probably isn't, so say something about it. Don't be at *all* afraid to say something about anything that strikes you. I love patients who keep me on my toes! If all goes well, you'll be home in no time and dancing up a storm. Let us know how things proceed, and best of luck! J Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RCAFFAN Posted March 17, 2011 Share Posted March 17, 2011 (edited) Speaking as one who has had bypass surgery, you can take Jennigs' advice all the way and it's not that bad...the pain when you cough or sneeze is the worst but you are not down that long...While there is a good period of recovery I was only in the hospital a week and they get you up walking the halls pretty quickly...Do your breathing execises and follow your Dr's (and therapy people) instructions. As an example I was released from hospital a week after and had a burger for lunch with my wife at our favorite place (hospital food antidote) and was able to walk up a flight of stairs and visit my office to check on things (stayed about 10 minutes, I'm not nuts) and went home to follow the recovery plans. The worst part for me was that they don't want you to drive for a period of time due to worry about after effects of the drugs and being chauferred around by your wife is a hassle but small price to pay considering. My father also had the same surgery before me (family thing) and recovered about the same again checking in at his office a week afterward and he was quite a bit older than me at the time of our operations. If you are fairly healthy otherwise, you should be fine and good luck to you...With the added complication of the valve work your experience might be a little different but they know what they are doing and will treat you well... Cheers Bruce P.S. The scars from the cut and three drainage holes they put in are pretty wicked but they fade quite a bit eventually and shaving off your chest hair ain't fun but you don't want to think about the alternative Edited March 17, 2011 by RCAFFAN Quote Link to post Share on other sites
The 3rd Placer Posted March 17, 2011 Share Posted March 17, 2011 I've had (2) strokes since I was 19. My first was at 19 then another at 31, I'm 41 now and am in good health. The strokes were traced back to a hole in my heart about the size of a dime......heart surgery was the only option to close the hole. While I can't comment on the "bypass operation" I can deliver some of my recollection of the surgery itself. 1. I have a zipper style scare on my chest. 2. My family was really disturbed to see me immediately post op, I was really pale and I kept asking over and over again if I was alive! 3. I was issued a heart shaped pillow to use when coughing or getting out of bed, remember you can't lift yourself out of bed with your arms, you will break the repair to your chest.(the chest is wired together, but you can't feel the wires) 4. The post op recovery was tough, I was really thirsty and all they could give me was ice. 5. There is a drain tube inserted below the chest do evacuate some nasty fluids for a day or so. 6. Breathing deeply or coughing is absolutey terrible, you will find yourself trying anything you can to not cough or sneeze. 7. Even years afterwards I still feel a need to touch my chest, not sure why. 8. The staple removal hurt......one by one they are pulled out. 9. The chest seems well healed, but some twisting motions produce interesting sensations. 10. I was back ridding my Honda 929 in about 2 months. I'm sure there are new techniques since my surgey as it was over 10 years ago and I don't mean to frighten you with some of my statements. Respectfully, Ryan Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Plankwing Posted March 17, 2011 Share Posted March 17, 2011 My best wishes to you. Not the easiest thing to endure in life, but advances in medical practice have made open heart relatively routine. My wife worked surgery for open heart/heart transplant for over 20 years so I've gotten some "news" over the years of the advances. Also, one transplant she worked was an unusual procedure and needed to be photographed. The staff photographers were not available so the lead surgeon called me in (my wife managed to convince him I could to the deed without creating a second medical emergency) and I spent eight hours in the room photographing the pertinent steps of the procedure. Amazing to see the donor heart start beating again during re-warm (patient privacy prohibits me from posting any of the photos). My brother had quad bypass and it didn't seem to bother him much during recovery and he lived a full and active life for another nine years before he expired from an unrelated illness (lung cancer from second-hand smoke; he never smoked but his workplace did not ban smoking until after he retired - the small-town medical staff kept telling him he had pleurisy, the cancer wasn't diagnosed until three days before he went to his rest). Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jennings Posted March 17, 2011 Share Posted March 17, 2011 One other thing Dave - I don't have personal experience with this, but you can Google it and do a lot of reading. There is a small percentage of people who become very depressed after open heart surgery. I'm not sure anyone understands why that is, or even if there is an absolute connection. But it does happen, and it's not terribly uncommon. Not saying in any way that it'll happen to you, just that should it happen, it's not something terribly unusual. I wish I knew more about it. Brain chemistry is a fascinating subject that western medicine is only just beginning to scratch the surface of. Here's hoping you sail through with flying colors! J Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ThePhantomTwo Posted March 18, 2011 Author Share Posted March 18, 2011 Hey Dave,It's too bad you have to have the surgery, but if ya gotta, ya gotta. I've worked in cardiac surgery ICU, so I can give you some idea what to expect. You'll definitely spend at least the first night after surgery, if not two or more nights in the CSICU. Count on that. You're going to be a pretty hurtin' puppy for a little while. Not sure how otherwise healthy you are, but if you (incomprehensibly) smoke, or still smoke, STOP NOW! If not, good on ya, and don't start back up. You'll save money and feel better. Anyway, as noted, if they bust your sternum open, it's going to take some time to heal. There are valve surgeries that can be done intravascularly via a sheath in your groin, but it sounds like yours will be an open chest procedure. If I can only give you a couple of pieces of advice, it's these: 1. Stay ahead of any pain. It's far easier to head pain off at the pass than it is to catch up to it later. Don't try to man-up and take it. Pain meds are for a reason. You need to be as comfortable as possible after your surgery. It makes you less crazy, and it promotes healing. Don't worry about getting hooked on anything either. That's not going to happen. Use as much as you need, and if what you're given isn't enough, tell your nurse and/or surgeon. They *can* make you comfortable. 2. They're going to give you a nice little teddy bear to hug. He's going to be your very best friend, so USE HIM! You'll need to hug him when you cough, sneeze, move, or anything else. He's not called a Cough Buddy for nothing... 3. BREATHE!! Yes, it's going to hurt. They just split your chest open and danced around in there for a couple of hours. But... if you lie there and don't breathe deeply, it's going to hurt worse and take longer to heal. If you already have any existing pulmonary disease (shortness of breath, chronic bronchitis, COPD, etc), this is even more critical. You'll get this nifty little contraption called an incentive spirometer. You exhale, then put the little tube between your lips and inhale, causing a little float to rise in a chamber. Using the IS is *critical*. The more you lie there with your lungs not working at full capacity, the worse off you'll be. Use your IS, and your ticket home gets punched that much sooner. Use it *all* the time. Use it as much as you possibly can. You'll be doing yourself and your family a big favor. You'll do great, I'm sure. Trust your surgeon, trust your nurses, and communicate, communicate, communicate. If you see something you don't understand, make somebody explain it to you. If you see something that just doesn't seem "quite right" - then it probably isn't, so say something about it. Don't be at *all* afraid to say something about anything that strikes you. I love patients who keep me on my toes! ;) If all goes well, you'll be home in no time and dancing up a storm. Let us know how things proceed, and best of luck! J What I'll have worked on is the upper right chamber due to a calcified ring and a 50% blockage in the left obtuse marginal branch,at the time of the heart attack I had 100% blockage in the right coronary artery,they stented that.I was pretty drugged up when they put the stent in but when they open that artery up it sent my heart into a major irregular rythm and they zapped me twice,problem was I was awake and aware when they did it,not a fun thing to go thru and one thing I NEVER want to repeat ever again!Hard to explain how it feels,you see black and every color under the sun at the same time,you feel every nerve in your body and you muscles tighten beyond belief.Felt calm and relaxed afterward probably due to the drugs they gave me. I will hand it to the ER folks,they impressed the hell out of me that morning,from the walk into the ER to a ICU bed was less than an hour and a half,they were fast and very good at their jobs. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
yardbird78 Posted March 18, 2011 Share Posted March 18, 2011 (edited) I had 5 way bypass CABG (Coronary Artery Bypass Graft) surgery in May of 2002. I went in for a routine physical, failed the stress test/treadmill thing and the Cardiologist recommended an angiogram. As the Doctors were reviewing the results of that, the Dr who did the surgery later was just exiting the OR after working on another patient. He asked if he could see the results of my test and I said OK. He looked at that stuff, turned to me and said, "You have a choice. You can have surgery tomorrow or you can die!" Needless to say, that got my FULL attention immediately. He did the surgery the next morning. All 5 of the major arteries going from the lungs back to the heart muscle itself were 95% blocked. Basically, I was dead and just too stubborn to fall over. When he visited me a couple days later, I asked him how long I would have had, if I had said no to his choice. He replied, "Maybe 6 months, probably more like 6 weeks." I have never smoked myself, but have been subjected to second hand smoke quite a bit. If you are a smoker, QUIT IMMEDIATELY!!!! Jennings summed up the situation very well. Of course you will know and/or feel nothing of the surgery itself. The recovery is somewhat painful, but tolerable. Beats the hell out of the alternative. Definately keep that Teddy Bear, ( I had a huge heart shaped pillow), close. The coughing or sneezing is excruciating without it, bad, but tolerable with it. DEFINATELY do the Cardiac Rehab. That is singularly the BEST thing that you can do for yourself for a quick recovery. They will wind a wire around the two parts of your sternum to hold it together while it heals. You will have that the rest of your life. You don't even realize that it is there, but it drives the metal detectors at the airports crazy. I was told to NOT drive or ride in the front seat of any vehicle equipped with air bags for six weeks. If one of those things deployed, it would crush your chest, which I asssume is a bad thing. When they bust open your chest, they cut some nerves in that area and they get pi$$ed off about that. They will get even with you by randomly creating little bursts of pain occasionally. I still have them now and then 9 years later. It worries the crap out of you, but doesn't actually hurt anything. I was a truck driver at the time and did a moderate amount of lifting for my job. I went back to work in 3 months and did just fine. The company went out of business 3 years later, so I lost my job. Now, I drive for a limousine company part time and enjoy the heck out my free time for modeling and harassing my two grandkids, (neither of whom I would have ever seen had I not had the surgery). Feel free to PM me if you have any specific questions. Darwin Edited March 18, 2011 by yardbird78 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jinxter13 Posted March 18, 2011 Share Posted March 18, 2011 I will be asking for divine help to guide you surgical team, and for a speedy recovery back to full health. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sig Saur & Son Posted March 18, 2011 Share Posted March 18, 2011 While in the hospital after my heart attack,they mentioned I would probably need a valve replacement and a by-pass,I see my cardiologist in the morning to find out when I get this done and by whom.Anyone else been have this done and what do I have to look forward to?Not looking forward to having my chest ripped open! For one thing, you'll have the entire ARC Community praying for your speedy/full recovery. Never had my chest cracked but know a number of friends who have and they made full recoveries, resuming a lifestyle more active than prior to surgery. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
F4DPhantomII Posted March 19, 2011 Share Posted March 19, 2011 Dave Good luck and a speedy recovery.I had a double bypass sugery in April 2004.Was off work on sick leave for 2 months.Took it easy awhile when I went back.The only thing I missed was October archery hunt that fall.I was 56 hen I had the operation and it has been 7 years now. It takes a little time but you'll heal fine. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ThePhantomTwo Posted April 27, 2011 Author Share Posted April 27, 2011 Went to see my heart surgeon yesterday,they read the CTA scan they took about a week ago and a few new things popped up that weren't fully known when they did the angio when I had the heart attack.The original diagnosis was 50% in an artery and a mitro valve replacement,it now 80%+ blockage in the artery,the mitro valve replacement and now there is now aortic valve(it's too tight/closing off) work which is enlarging my heart.Surgery is set in July,exact date to be set early in June.Fun times ahead! Looks like I'll get some major modeling done in July,August and September while recovering! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jennings Posted April 27, 2011 Share Posted April 27, 2011 Wow... yeah, that's a triple whammy. CAD, plus mitral valve disease, *plus* aortic stenosis. You'd best take it *really* easy betwixt now and surgery day. I'm sure your surgeon has things well in hand, but just don't push it at all. We'll all keep our fingers crossed. J Quote Link to post Share on other sites
HOLMES Posted April 27, 2011 Share Posted April 27, 2011 The Phantom Two, MY BEST WISHES for when you go into Hospital for that major surgery. Good Luck. HOLMES Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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