https://www.survivalistboards.com/sh...d.php?t=952234
I had my surgery done August 18. It's been about 3 weeks, and for the most part, I am doing fine. Planning on going back to work (desk job) next week.
Procedure done:
Replaced aortic valve, with one of bovine origin. Also had one bypass done on one artery.
Symptoms and background:
I had a mild heart attack back in 2011. They put a stent in at that time. They also started doing yearly ultrasounds of my heart.
In 2015, they started to notice a "spot" on my aortic valve. They did annual echos until this Spring, when I was told my valve had gotten to the "critical" category. By "critical", that meant that the valve---which should ordinarily open about as much as the diameter of a 5/8 garden hose, had gone down to about the diameter of a pencil.
The strange thing was, that I felt absolutely NO symptoms. I'm a farmer, so I get plenty of exercise. I had NO breathless or chest pains on exertion. It's fortunate I had the annual ultrasounds done, or I would have never known I had a problem
According to my cardiologist, it is normal not to feel any symptoms of a valve going bad. If someone does feel symptoms, it might be passed off as "I'm just getting older". The cardiologist told me that, by the time symptoms become apparent, the heart is usually in failure. So it is kind of a stroke of good luck that I had those annual echoes.
The operation:
I went to a hospital that specializes in heart surgery.
They had pretty much explained to me prior what to expect. That helped a lot on helping me to face this operation.
The anesthesia was an unusual experience. I clearly remember being wheeled into the waiting room. They might then have given me some preliminary sedation through my IV.
The next thing I knew, I was watching the ceiling going by as they wheeled me back to my room. Someone was telling me that the operation went fine. They asked me to wiggle my toes, and then to squeeze my right hand then my left. I became aware I had a breathing tube in my mouth.
I was on the operating table for 4 hours. But I had no sense that 4 hours had passed. Even when you normally sleep for a long time, you still have the perception that some time has passed. I had none of that with this operation. It seemed like it had all occurred in a flash.
They kept the breathing tube in me for about half an hour. I recall not feeling much or any pain. However I was terribly thirsty. When they took the breathing tube out (you will have a brief tendency to cough when they do this), they gave me some ice cubes to suck on. That was the most wonderful thing, because my mouth was so terribly dry (from the anesthetic?)
They put four drainage tubes in my chest, just below the incision. They checked every hour for the color of the drainage. After about 5 hours, it was down to only a slightly pink tinge, which seemed to please them that I was recovering from the surgery fine.
Recovery during the hospital stay:
I was in the hospital five days, including the day of the operation.
They try to get you up and walking--if even for a short distance--within a few hours of the surgery. They will walk you every three hours or so, day and night. They told me they are always concerned about patients developing pneumonia, so they especially watch for that.
I had ZERO appetite. I'm not sure if it was due to some medicine they gave me. Or if it was because the hospital food was so bland. But I basically ate nothing during the next few days.
They took the chest tubes out after the first day. That helped me feel better.
I really didn't sleep good in the hospital. They come in every couple hours to check you and give medications. So that disturbance can mess-up how you sleep.
I can't say that the sternum incision bothered me that much. I definitely could feel pain when I coughed. They give you a small pillow to "hug" whenever you cough. Which helps support the sternum. That helped a lot.
After I got home:
I was so happy to get back home! It's definitely the BEST place to recover!
My appetite still wasn't the best. But I found that certain foods seemed better to eat.
Things I found good to eat:
Soups with a lot of broth were good. I also enjoyed the occasional grilled cheese sandwich.
Jello gelatin (not pudding) cups were also good.
It's best to eat SMALL portions several times a day. I found that your stomach soon becomes full and upset if you eat too much at once.
Leg incision:
I have found that the leg incision to be the most bothersome. Since I had only a single bypass, they took the vein out of my left calf. From the heel to the knee.
The first week, it oozed quite a lot. Actually through the bandage and onto my lower pants leg. However they told me that this is normal. And as long as the fluid is mostly clear, and no signs of infection (redness, fever, yellow discharge) it was ok. And that it would gradually disappear (which it has done). However, three weeks after the operation, I am still feeling some occasional discomfort. It helps if you can keep your leg elevated.
The best aids I found for recovery:
Lift chair---
I think having a "lift chair" was the best thing I could have bought for my recovery. Rent or buy one, if you can. It helps you stand up without effort. When you get up out of a chair, you usually put your arms back to push yourself up. This puts pressure on the sternum, and was very painful for me to do. The lift chair gets you right up on your feet. It is also adjustable for reclining, and helped support my legs in a horizontal position, which helped my leg incision.
I actually slept in my lift chair, instead of my regular bed, for most of the first week. I found that laying flat in a bed, and especially getting out of it, to be difficult.
Chest truss:
Get a thoracic support truss. It helps to support the sternum, and you don't have to "hug the pillow" whenever you cough.
Leg massager:
This really helped make my leg feel better. Not only the one with the incision, but also the other one. I had swelling in my ankles for 10 days after coming home. Using this massager really helped.
Sorry for the long post. But I'm hoping that this helps anyone else out there who is getting heart surgery (or any thoracic surgery).
Any questions? Just ask!
my open heart surgery---an update, and what the experience was like
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