3.5 months post surgery

[Adamlee]

Hey all,

Hope you're all doing well.

As the title says, I'm 3 and a half months post surgery and just had a few questions to see if anyone else had similar experiences.

Quick reminder: 32 years old, symptoms before surgery were mild but there, moderately active with job and golf. Had mechanical valve, aortic root and arch operated on. High heart rate which is being brought down with beta Blockers. Oh, also born with three holes in heart.


So my main question is this... How did you feel after 3 months? I was told no heavy lifting (which included my young child), no golf and such things. Last weekend I went to play 9 holes and could only complete 5. I was utterly exhausted and ultimately disappointed. I had been to the driving range the week before and hitting balls was fine. It's the walking. Before surgery this was a doddle (easy - not sure how British the saying doddle is ).

I often feel my stomach has intergestion/bloated feeling (though it is not physically bloated). It had seemed to improve but has come back since the golf episode. Walking upstairs can be tiring at times. As well as holding my little girl (1 years old). The feeling does seem to come more often on an incline.

I just feel that I should be in a better place than I am after 3 months? Maybe the whole 12 week thing has made me think I'd be fine after it. However, reading other people's posts make me feel like I'm not recovering as quickly. I've returned to work on a temporary basis but I'm finding that difficult too.

As mentioned in a previous post they were unhappy with how hard my heart was pumping in comparison to presurgery. However, I've had no follow up as of yet. I have no other symptoms of heart failure (apart from the lack of current fitness).

Obviously I have definitely improved and feel a lot better than I did after surgery or even 4 weeks ago. Just wanted to see if anyone else felt the same.

Thanks all,

Adam

 

[Chuck C]

Hi Adam,

Per your question, I felt pretty good 3 months after my surgery.

High heart rate which is being brought down with beta Blockers

Walking upstairs can be tiring at times

Like you, I was put on beta blockers after my surgery. This is very common after valve surgery, to keep the heart rate from going too high, as well as to keep the heart from beating too forcefully, so as not to damage the healing tissues. However, one of the side effects of beta blockers is that they impair your ability to physically exert yourself. For example, when you hike up a hill, or stairs, you require more cardiac output to achieve this, which the heart manages by beating faster and stronger. When I first came home from the hospital, I had trouble going upstairs and actually got light-headed doing so. A call to my surgeon's office led to a reduction by 50% of my beta blocker dosage and the problem was resolved.

It could be something else, but there is a decent chance that the beta blockers are affecting your ability to increase your cardiac output. Hopefully, you and your cardiologist can try adjusting your dosage to see if this makes a difference. BTW, I was able to completely go off beta blockers by about 3 months after surgery.

 

[pellicle]

@Adamlee

It could be something else, but there is a decent chance that the beta blockers are affecting your ability to increase your cardiac output.

I suspect an easy test of this is "walk up stairs" and then when you feel "tired" stop and check HR ... if its being held down (so, to say ... prevent the stiches holding your valve into your heart while the body integrates it with endothelisation) by the beta blockers.

My vote is to keep walking but use "tired" as an indicator and just "be (a) patient" ... you've been given a second shot at life, ease into it I say.

 

[Adamlee]

Hi Adam,

Per your question, I felt pretty good 3 months after my surgery.




Like you, I was put on beta blockers after my surgery. This is very common after valve surgery, to keep the heart rate from going too high, as well as to keep the heart from beating too forcefully, so as not to damage the healing tissues. However, one of the side effects of beta blockers is that they impair your ability to physically exert yourself. For example, when you hike up a hill, or stairs, you require more cardiac output to achieve this, which the heart manages by beating faster and stronger. When I first came home from the hospital, I had trouble going upstairs and actually got light-headed doing so. A call to my surgeon's office led to a reduction by 50% of my beta blocker dosage and the problem was resolved.

It could be something else, but there is a decent chance that the beta blockers are affecting your ability to increase your cardiac output. Hopefully, you and your cardiologist can try adjusting your dosage to see if this makes a difference. BTW, I was able to completely go off beta blockers by about 3 months after surgery.

Thanks for the reply!

That actually makes so much sense because I didn't take my beta Blockers and amiodarone for 2 days (pharmacy was closed) and weirdly felt better physically - bit of a spring in my step - but my heart rate went back over 100. My heart rate is definitely coming down but very slowly. Its about ~95 most the time but does randomly go down to 50-60 and higher. I guess this is it working and trying to find a new rhythm/rate.

I'll try and have a chat with my Cardiologist and see what's best to do.

 

[Zoltania]

My energy was still limited three months after my surgery. I went back to full-time work and commuting, and tried to go back to gym workouts, but I just didn't have the energy yet, so I scaled back to walking for a while. By six months my energy level was completely normal again.

Sometimes I read postings here by people who are bouncing around doing all kinds of things not long after their surgery, and wonder whether I was a wimp in comparison. But every body and every surgery is different, and we all need to listen to our bodies (and to our cardiologists, unless they are incompetent, in which case we need to find different cardiologists to listen to ).

 

[d333gs]

Hey all,

Hope you're all doing well.

As the title says, I'm 3 and a half months post surgery and just had a few questions to see if anyone else had similar experiences.

Quick reminder: 32 years old, symptoms before surgery were mild but there, moderately active with job and golf. Had mechanical valve, aortic root and arch operated on. High heart rate which is being brought down with beta Blockers. Oh, also born with three holes in heart.


So my main question is this... How did you feel after 3 months? I was told no heavy lifting (which included my young child), no golf and such things. Last weekend I went to play 9 holes and could only complete 5. I was utterly exhausted and ultimately disappointed. I had been to the driving range the week before and hitting balls was fine. It's the walking. Before surgery this was a doddle (easy - not sure how British the saying doddle is ).

I often feel my stomach has intergestion/bloated feeling (though it is not physically bloated). It had seemed to improve but has come back since the golf episode. Walking upstairs can be tiring at times. As well as holding my little girl (1 years old). The feeling does seem to come more often on an incline.

I just feel that I should be in a better place than I am after 3 months? Maybe the whole 12 week thing has made me think I'd be fine after it. However, reading other people's posts make me feel like I'm not recovering as quickly. I've returned to work on a temporary basis but I'm finding that difficult too.

As mentioned in a previous post they were unhappy with how hard my heart was pumping in comparison to presurgery. However, I've had no follow up as of yet. I have no other symptoms of heart failure (apart from the lack of current fitness).

Obviously I have definitely improved and feel a lot better than I did after surgery or even 4 weeks ago. Just wanted to see if anyone else felt the same.

Thanks all,

Adam

"So my main question is this... How did you feel after 3 months? I was told no heavy lifting. "

Hi Adam!
In terms of upper body usage it took me to a while to get my confidence back due to all the little twings & pops I would feel during exsertion. I had the sense that there were a lot of little connections that needed time to ajust to being pulled on again......... After all,we were sliced in half, and deep breathing and chest expansion take time.
At about 4 months I was cutting trees ,splitting wood and shoveling gravel but limited to about one hour a day . Biking & hard walks were a nonissue by month 4. By month 8 I was 100%, with absolutely no concern about pushing too hard . In fact other parts of my body failed to keep up. I now worry about my knees rather than my heart , knock on wood.

 

[Adamlee]

Update:

A couple of weeks ago I had a 72 hour ECG. Turns out I'm still in constant A-flutter from late November.

Docs say that's why I've been finding recovery difficult. Wish they had sorted it sooner but now on the waiting list for an ablation. Hopefully that will sort this and I'll feel better soon.

 

[tommyboy14]

I had my first surgery at your age. It took me 6 months to fully recover. I would definetly do as much cardiac rehab as you can. If you are in the UK, a private Cardiac Rehab company called CP+R can give you a 6 week free trial. Def worth doing. Finally, I recommend getting a good smartwatch that measures your heart rate so that you are alerted to Afib next time this happens.

 

[Adamlee]

Another update:

My situation detoritared quickly and I was admitted into hospital on the 17th. Ablation completed on the 18th.

Immediately I felt better. My pulse has dropped from mid 90s to 60s resting. Over the last week or so I have began to build up strength again and will hopefully feel a lot more normal soon.

Doctors said that the flutter would have disrupted my recovery and made everything harder. My ejection fraction rate was 25% - they're confident that will rise back up after a few months of normal rhythm.

Was a bit worrying at times before the ablation as I could barely walk to the toilet, wasn't eating and couldn't sleep due to shortness of breath. Definitely on the up now though and in some ways I feel better than at any point in my recovery.

Just thought I'd write this update for anyone who feels like they are going through the same thing.

Adam

 

[d333gs]

Another update:

My situation detoritared quickly and I was admitted into hospital on the 17th. Ablation completed on the 18th.

Immediately I felt better. My pulse has dropped from mid 90s to 60s resting. Over the last week or so I have began to build up strength again and will hopefully feel a lot more normal soon.

Doctors said that the flutter would have disrupted my recovery and made everything harder. My ejection fraction rate was 25% - they're confident that will rise back up after a few months of normal rhythm.

Was a bit worrying at times before the ablation as I could barely walk to the toilet, wasn't eating and couldn't sleep due to shortness of breath. Definitely on the up now though and in some ways I feel better than at any point in my recovery.

Just thought I'd write this update for anyone who feels like they are going through the same thing.

Adam

"Was a bit worrying at times before the ablation as I could barely walk to the toilet, wasn't eating and couldn't sleep due to shortness of breath." That sounds uncomfortable and worrisome, glad you are feeling better!

 

[Mister_James]

Hey all,

Hope you're all doing well.

As the title says, I'm 3 and a half months post surgery and just had a few questions to see if anyone else had similar experiences.

Quick reminder: 32 years old, symptoms before surgery were mild but there, moderately active with job and golf. Had mechanical valve, aortic root and arch operated on. High heart rate which is being brought down with beta Blockers. Oh, also born with three holes in heart.


So my main question is this... How did you feel after 3 months? I was told no heavy lifting (which included my young child), no golf and such things. Last weekend I went to play 9 holes and could only complete 5. I was utterly exhausted and ultimately disappointed. I had been to the driving range the week before and hitting balls was fine. It's the walking. Before surgery this was a doddle (easy - not sure how British the saying doddle is ).

I often feel my stomach has intergestion/bloated feeling (though it is not physically bloated). It had seemed to improve but has come back since the golf episode. Walking upstairs can be tiring at times. As well as holding my little girl (1 years old). The feeling does seem to come more often on an incline.

I just feel that I should be in a better place than I am after 3 months? Maybe the whole 12 week thing has made me think I'd be fine after it. However, reading other people's posts make me feel like I'm not recovering as quickly. I've returned to work on a temporary basis but I'm finding that difficult too.

As mentioned in a previous post they were unhappy with how hard my heart was pumping in comparison to presurgery. However, I've had no follow up as of yet. I have no other symptoms of heart failure (apart from the lack of current fitness).

Obviously I have definitely improved and feel a lot better than I did after surgery or even 4 weeks ago. Just wanted to see if anyone else felt the same.

Thanks all,

Adam

YNWA...