New Member, Question about HR and BP

[Lidia Rodriguez]

My husband had AVR on 10/2007. He is 70 years old, and he is doing fine, a little weak in the morning, but nothing serious. After AVR he lost around 10 lbs. and BP was normal 120/70. He have an appt to see his cardiologist in Abril. Now he is back to his regular weight (132 lb), but his BP have risen to around 125-130 over 85-98 and his PR is in the upper 80 to 90.
Before AVR he was on Altace 10mg, and his BP was is control. but after surgery Dr. changes it to Metropol ER 25 mg.
Has anyone experience such changes in BP and PR after AVR?
Also any suggestion on a GOOD BP Monitor. We had an OMRON Monitor but was very erractic. Bought a new electric one from CVS and is the same.
Any suggestion?

 

[Cooker]

Hi Lidia and welcome to VR.com. I think that what your husband is experiencing is normal. He and his heart have been through a major trauma and it takes time to heal. My heart rate and BP were higher for several months after surgery. But as we say, when in doubt check it out. Call the doctor and let them know your concerns. I do not monitor my own BP so I can't help with your monitor question.

 

[Ross]

Omron is pretty much the home standard name in monitors. Mine is very accurate. Is there something about yours that makes you think otherwise?

 

[Isis]

A higher heart rate is common after heart surgery. Mine was in the low 50's prior to surgery; after surgery it was in the high 80's. It continues to decrease as you recover and excersise after surgery. I was back to the low 50's at about 3 months post surgery.

 

[Jeff S]

Re: New Member, Question about HR and BP

Hi,

I had an AVR and aneurysm repair on 11/19/07.

My HR was in the 60's pre-surgery, and now it's been in the 80's and 90's since the surgery. I can't wait until it's back to normal!

Jeff

 

[Bina]

Hi Lidia, welcome to the group.
Maybe your husband can see his regular doc, his GP, and discuss his BP readings. He may need a bit more Metoprolol. Try to use the BP monitor at the same time each day when your husband is sitting down and rested. It is normal to have different readings during the day. BP can be higher after meals, after bathing, etc.

 

[Bina]

Hi,

I had an AVR and aneurysm repair on 11/19/07.

My HR was in the 60's pre-surgery, and now it's been in the 80's and 90's since the surgery. I can't wait until it's back to normal!

Jeff

Hello Jeff, welcome to the group.
I see that you are taking Toprol XL, that is great to help your heart stay quiet while it re-models. Remember not to overdo things and rest regularly.

 

[Bryan B]

And as usual I'm the oddball. Before surgery my BP was around 125/85 and my HR was around 85. For 2-3 months after the surgery my BP was 115/70 and my HR was around 70. Eventually my numbers have come back up to about what they were before (now 125/80 and 80). But before surgery the numbers I mentioned were while taking Toprol XL 50mg daily. I no longer take any heart meds (except a baby aspirin daily) so my numbers now are in the normal range without taking meds. Like the others have said...it takes some time for the heart to heal and settle down. A call to your cardio or surgeon to let him/her know that his BP and HR are a little high is a good idea. Like Bina said they might want to see him and possibly bump up his Metoprolol if the readings you're getting are accurate.

As far as the BP monitors...next time he goes in for a checkup take your home BP monitor with you and compare it to the one in the doctor's office. Even if yours is off, if it's consistent you will know the difference between the two.

 

[tcopel]

It isnt unusual for changes in both heart rate and blood pressures after such an extensive surgery. If you pulse is regular and not any type of arrhythmia then the changes are not unexpected. My BP was normal prior to my surgery, then became low for a few weeks after (got dizzy with standing also), and now it is elevated which requires 2 BP meds to control.

There are numerous changes to the heart, blood and circulatory systems and probably to other non-cardiac systems (hormonal, neurological) that isnt quite understood yet. So...all that being said, it isnt surprising. Of course, you definately need to discuss all this with the doctor to make sure. By the way, the diastolic BP (the bottom part of the BP) should be in the 80's or less.

Lastly, I agree with Bryan to take whatever BP cuff you get and compare it to the manually obtained BP in the doctors office to ensure that your cuff is accurate.

 

[spartangator]

bp/heartrate changes

bp/heartrate changes

Hi Lidia,
Like many others posted above, my blood pressure and heart rate have changed significantly since surgery. My pulse was in the 60s before surgery and now is in the 80s, 90s, or even slightly more during exercise.

I was told that it's because the heart is re-setting itself and trying to recover from all the trauma. That said, the doctors have also stressed the importance of tracking my HR and BP consistently to make sure everything's working well. Keeping all that data can help the docs understand what's happening. Best of luck to you and your husband.