Cannot take a deep breath after open heart surgery
Posted , 2 users are following.
My son is 45 years old and is a smoker and is over weight. I know this is not good but on 24-03-17 he had to have open heart surgery. The operation lasted 3 hours and was successful. However nearly 8 months later is very out of breath, just getting about. He can only take about 1/2 a breath and cannot take a full breath. Where is no pain. Before the operation he did not get out of breath. He was a self employed carpenter working on building sites. It was a very strenuous job and he got out of breath normally so to speak. Now he cannot work. He has had blood tests and a chest x-ray, all fine. he saw a different doctor as his normal doctor is on holiday. The doctor said his breathlessness is because he is a smoker and over weight until my son told him he had open heart surgery. The doctor looked at his records as saw the chest x-ray. The doctor saw a wire in his chest and asked what it was. My son told him that he had open heart surgery. The doctor said is because his chest cavity was smaller due to the surgery. Is this right? does everybody that have open heart surgery stop work because they cannot breath properly? This cannot be right.
Any advice would be much appreciated. thank you
0 likes, 5 replies
Anonymous111 grimreaper111
Posted
Is your son breathless all the time? Do you happen to know what his oxygen saturation when measured by oulse ox was?
Does your son have swollen legs? Any pain or redness in the legs?
Does he have a wheeze or a cough? How many does he smoke a day?
Does he ever get chest pain or chest tightness?
grimreaper111 Anonymous111
Posted
Thank you for replying. The day before the operation my son shot himself with a nail gun. He put a 50mm long nail into his heart. He tried to kill himself. He was sectioned under section 2 of the mental health act 1983 as he was a danger to himself. After some time he was allowed to go out of the secure hospital to walk to the town. We live in Cornwall and nothing is level. He did get out of breath as he walked and his chest was sore, he says like you would normally get out of breath but as his surgery healed his breathing got worse.
To answer your questions:-
1) Is your son breathless all the time? - No, he is not breathless when he is sitting, when he gets up and walks about he starts getting out of breath.
2) Do you happen to know what his oxygen saturation when measured by oulse ox was? No but I should have a Avax Finger Pulse Oximeter today.
3) Does your son have swollen legs? No
4) Any pain or redness in the legs? No
5) Does he have a wheeze or a cough? Slight wheeze but no cough.
6)How many does he smoke a day? 10 a day max.
7) Does he ever get chest pain or chest tightness? No chest pain and only tightness if he tried to take a deep breath.
I will let you know about his O2 saturation as soon as I can.
Thank you
Ted
Anonymous111 grimreaper111
Posted
Oh goodness.
So there are multiple possibilities:
1. Lung Issue - The beginning of COPD - Cure is to give up smoking.
2. Cardiac Strain - Due to what the Heart has been through - This will get better on its own if it is the case.
3. Angina - Can present as breathlessness rather than chest pain - He'd be very young to get this. Does he have High Cholesterol?
4. Anxiety Neurosis - Psychological issues can actually cause people to feel chest tightness and breathless even when they don't currently feel panicked.
5. PE
grimreaper111 Anonymous111
Posted
Hello Ben
At rest his O2 sat is 96%. His heart rate is 87!!!
He does not know his Cholesterol.
He does not want to kill himself any more but his attempted suicide was brought after his wife died after a long fight with cancer and massive debts. I get pick him up every day from his sheltered home, CCTV's etc., and on the outside he is normal. but he cannot talk about the past and if I call out to him when is in my garden having a cigarettes he physically jumps. When as him what he was thinking about he looks blank and does not know.
I believe your number 4) might right. What is 5) PE?
Thank you
Ted
Anonymous111 grimreaper111
Posted
Which Psych medicines is he on?