Basic info--OHS

[Guest]

OK--I am a novice here.

Have dealt with valve leakage for 10 yrs. and thought I could avoid surgery, but cardio is now suggesting it. So I naively had been thinking that OHS is OHS......and now I am thinking that bypass surgery, which seems to be quite common for us older folks (I got my Medicare card this year) is probably less complex than valve surgery.....and that side effects and recovery rate are probably quite different.

Any comments and insights are welcome!

Pat

 

[geebee]

Pat,

I am not sure there is a lot of difference from a recovery standpoint. The actual surgery might be more complex. Recovery kind of depends on how sick you are before surgery. The actual surgical site "abuse" is the same as bypass, incision, spread ribs, etc. You have to do the same breathing exercises after to prevent pneumonia, infection chances are the same.

However, I have not had by-pass surgery so I could be missing something.

 

[Lisa in Katy]

Welcome!

I think valve surgery is more complex, but I think the recovery from bypass could be more difficult because it often involves an additional incision into the leg.

The healthier you are when you have the surgery, the better you will do.

 

[Bina]

Yes, I believe the leg incision is an unwelcome addition of bypass surgery,
but I also think that VR requires more actual cutting into the heart.

 

[RobNDenver]

Pat,
I just recovered from valve replacement and coronary artery bypass surgery. The entry into the chest is pretty much the same for both- a sternotomy; or big, honking incision down the center of your chest to start with. Valve replacement alone may allow minimally invasive entry into the chest with an incision between your ribs but not all doc's will do that. My sternal incision has healed nicely and I think that it is going to fade nicely in time so I am not too worrried about it. With the minimally invasive (not an accurate term in my view), procedure you will still have a significant recovery time since, after all, its Open Heart Surgery.

If the bypass patient only has one bypass graft required and a stent is not an option, often the surgeon will use the internal mammary artery if it is long enough and you won't have to have the incisions on your leg where they harvest the sapphenous vein for the graft.

I couldn't, since I had two bypasses and they used the vein from my left leg. I hardly noticed the incisions and drain on my leg shortly after surgery, but now I have a little knot on my inner thigh and some pain when I bang or bump the spot. I am sure it will get better in time.

So, differences? OHS is OHS in that your surgeon will get in the chest the most effective, and comfortable way for him . . . You will have chest tubes after the surgery that will be taken out 3 or 4 days post op. You will have to exercise and get stronger regardless and the incisions in your leg may be tender if they use the sapphenous vein for the bypass. . . .

Good luck to you!!