Aortic Stenosis heart valve replacement
Posted , 4 users are following.
Hi Has anyone had an aortic stenosis heart valve replacement (not the mechanical one the pigs valve one)
My husband is going into hospital tomorrow and having the op on Thursday. Just wanted to hear some of your experiences and what to expect for the recovery. He is absolutely terrified and I was just looking for people who have had the op and some advice on how to look after him.
many thanks
Izzy
0 likes, 9 replies
derek76 isabell51157
Posted
You are actually in the wrong Forum as this is. Look for the cardiac one and post it again. I'm here as I also have an aortic aneurysm that has been slowly growing for fifteen years,
I had a tissue aortic valve fitted in June 2012 when I was 78. It really is nothing to get up tight about it is pretty routine surgery. The porter wheeling me down to the theatre said that I was the calmest patient he had ever had. I had researched it well before hand and had watched operations on Youtube.
I came to wide awake and pain free in ICU with a nurse to myself. There was still some morphine in my drip. After that paracetemol was enough and after day two I was refusing it. The next day a nurse took me down to the bathroom for a wash and then to the main ward. My wife was surprised to see me sitting in a chair when she came to see me. The next day was the worst part when two physios walked me down the corridor and up two fights of stairs to get my circulation moving. I got a seat at the end of the corridor and on each landing but I was totally out of breath and sweating when I got back to the ward. I still had the drip to cart around plus in my case a container that was draining fluid that had accumulated in my lung.
Some patients are out in six days but I was in for ten as well as the fluid in my lung I had developed atrial fibrillation and a cardioversion on day four had not settled it. About 35% get AF. Some revert back into sinus rhythm after a couple of day on their own. Others need drugs or a cardioversion, I was more obstinate as the first one did not work and I had to go back later as an out patient for another.
Walking once you are home is quite hard and you have to go out twice a day for very short walks and gradually build up over the weeks. He will also go to cardio rehab classes. I found them rather a waste of time as by the time I went I was pretty much back to normal in two months. By September I was well over it and going to the races and out for five or six hours and traveling by bus and train
Most people find sleeping a problem as your chest is uncomfortable unless you lie on your back. Car seat belts are also uncomfortable.
With summer coming he is having it at a good time for getting out to help his recovery.
Good luck with it and don't worry he will be fine. Post back on his recovery.
isabell51157 derek76
Posted
Hi thanks for your reply. I will look at the cardiac forum. Good to know that you are ok now and to hear about how your recovery progressed. It always gives you encouragement to hear first hand about peoples similar experiences. I used this site when I had a knee replacement and I found it really helped me. I will post back on his recovery.
Paganalley isabell51157
Posted
Hi, my Mum did in 2017. She dissected on the table (familial problem) so spent longer in ICU. Her age made recovery slower (79yrs) but was asking for a Chinese takeaway within five weeks ..... because she finally had an appetite and taste buds back.
It helped that I had emergency surgery in 2006 for an aortic dissection - and Mum had seen that I had recovered slowly but surely. She knew she had back up in recovery - because I knew how tired & weak she would feel as well as (weirdly) better?
Be positive, have faith in your surgeons and take courage and help from friends & family.
it's a shock to your body and mind. Be kind to each other and eat lots of ice cream!
derek76 Paganalley
Posted
When he goes to cardiac they spend the second half of the session on a blame game telling patients they brought it on them selves. I protested that my aortic stenosis was not caused by smoking, diet or lack of exercise unlike the majority of others there with other cardiac problems.
derek76 isabell51157
Posted
How long has he been on the waiting list ? In my case it was 54 weeks.
isabell51157 derek76
Posted
hi he has been putting it off for 2 years. He doesn't have any symptoms just a little shortness of breath but has a heart murmur and surgeon said they have to operate before he gets worse he is 67 and retired now. He went to see the surgeon last week and they did the pre op there and then and gave him 1 weeks notice which is why its a shock. We are in Leicestershire so having it done at Glenfield.
derek76 isabell51157
Posted
I knew that I had a murmur but it had not been said to be a problem until I tried to get on to a trial for a new blood pressure treatment. The professor at Imperial College said it was aortic stenosis and although I did not yet have any symptoms it was worsening and would kill me in about two years.
As I live in Sussex he said it would be more convenient for me to have it done locally. That involved me in long waits for the various tests and a registrar who forgot to refer me on to the hospital that would be doing the surgery. By then I was starting to get symptoms.
He is fortunate to get it done so quickly as many areas have very long waiting lists. I was waiting so long that I did actually go to see a surgeon privately. Even he had an eight week waiting list. When I said that I would wait for what was supposed to his twelve week NHS list he offered to do it the following week and bring his team in on Boxing Day ! The twelve weeks stretched out to over twenty.
Good luck for tomorrow.
derek76 isabell51157
Posted
At his pre operation assessment did they not give him a booklet about the procedure and the recovery from it .
isabell51157
Posted
hi just wanted to let you know that my Husband MAL came home yesterday. The op went well and he is recovering well. He is in a little pain as to be expected but stitches all out. His main problem is he cant sleep very well on his back but Im sure he will get through it. Thanks for your kind words and I wish you all the best.