My open heart surgery was 11/19/24. The operation combined two procedures: removal and replacement of the highly calcified, stenotic aortic valve and replacement of the ascending aorta, which had an aneurysm. This was not a Bentall procedure since the aortic root with the attached coronary arteries was not touched.
The new aortic valve is 25 mm which is a medium-large size. (The range goes in 2 mm increments from 19 mm to 27 mm.) That should give me plenty of blood flow for Zumba and plenty of space to insert a new valve should I need TAVR in the future.
I weighed 155 on the morning of surgery. After surgery I weighed 167 pounds. They clearly pumped me full of fluid, some of which went to the lungs. I had a serious pleural effusion. While I can normally move 2000 cc of air in my incentive spirometer I was reduced to only 250 cc.
I have never experience such weakness as this surgery (despite a splenectomy, hysterectomy and bilateral mastectomy). My pain was kept more or less under control but I literally could not move on my own at all.
I was given IV Lasix. Unfortunately, the IV wasnāt well-seated in the vein so it diffused rather than going directly in. After a few days they decided to place a new IV lineā¦ Three nurses made a hash of my arms before they called an ultrasound specialist who placed an IV in a deep forearm vein. The nurse confessed that the nursing schools have taken phlebotomy training out of the course work.
They kept extending my hospital stay one day at a time since the Lasix was working and I was losing weight fast. By yesterday, I weighed 155 pounds again.
I was released yesterday. I can still only move 1000 cc of air in my spirometer but Iām strong enough to walk on my own.
I wrote much more detail but my internet shut down and it was lost.
Bottom line: Iām alive but have a long way to go to re-acquire full lung function and strength.
Donāt do open heart surgery unless your life depends on it.
Hi Wendy. Glad to hear you made it through sugery successfully. Iāve had a similar experience as you with the IVās. More than once. One time my forearm blew up and looked like Pop Eyeās.
Very maddening and Iām not sure what patients (the customer) can do.
So glad youāre home and recuperating. I hear exactly what youāre saying about how debilitating this surgery was. Iāve never seen my husband so pole axed. Such big operations take a lot of the bodyās resources during the healing process. Rest up and take all the help you can getā¦along with the dulcolaxš
Excellent to hear you are home. As disciplined as you are, hopefully you will recover as fast as humanly possible.
It makes me cringe to hear how the nurses botched your IV. Iāve heard similar from family and friends. If IVs are part of their job description they should put training for that skill set back into the cirriculum !
I am so glad to hear from you. The silence has been concerning. (Or my perception of silence - havenāt been reading as much here lately and could have easily missed an update.)
May you be blessed with daily improvements as you continue to recuperate.
Welcome back. Glad to hear you are doing great! Take it slow, take it easy, soon you will be ready to climb Mt Rainier. Wishing you a speedy recovery and great spirits.
Iām a regular lurker for years and am so relieved and happy about how well youāve come through all of this- way to go!
WRT the persistent fluid, it will reabsorb so much more quickly now that you are up and around, and you got a new improved pump/ valve capacity. The more upright you can stay, the better the part gravity will pay too in clearing your lungs.
WRT the IV trouble which I much regret, so unnecessary. Most major hospitals have av āIV teamā- request/demand/ use them. I used to allow one attempt by an RN for my 93yo motherās multiple surgeries. If that failed, I demanded the IV team or the on duty anesthesiologist. If neither available, next best ( and really good option up front if you know you are a difficult stick)- pediatric/ pediatric NICU nurses are great. Donāt allow even a second failed IV attempt before you demand one of these alternatives. Spot