Does the recovery time differ depending on heart condition?

[67walkon]

It seems like the recovery time stories differ greatly, which is probably to be expected.

Do the people who need extended cardio rehab after surgery have more heart issues pre-surgery? If you are symptomatic for a relatively long time pre-surgery, does that make recovery more difficult?

Also, if you do not have any enlargement or other issues pre-surgery, does that make the recovery easier?

I'm going to find out in about 2 weeks what the surgeons recommend as far as timing for AVR surgery, but am still asymptomatic with a 1cm aortic valve. I think the extended time for some people to reach full recovery is starting to worry me as much as the prospect of surgery.

 

[Adrienne]

If it makes you feel better, I had my mitral valve repair and maze procedure at the age of 60, and 3 weeks later, I was dancing around the house singing "I feel good, just like I knew that I would"!!!! Granted, I didn't try to do what I do now, but I felt totally normal other than a sore chest, and even that wasn't as much of a problem as for others. I was told I could take Tylenol when I got home. I took nothing for the pain, because unless I coughed, SNEEZED or moved the wrong way, it was just a bit sore, not painful.

BTW, I looked at your profile and see that you have A-fib. I would speak to the surgeon about doing a maze procedure.

I also see that you are a lawyer. Usually lawyers work like maniacs. If you try to do that too soon you will not get back to normal as quickly as you would like to.

 

[ALCapshaw2]

What do you mean by "heart condition"?
That could be interpreted MANY different ways.

There is probably NO difference in recovery between different valves, especaially for first time surgeries.
Assuming your surgery will be through the Sternum,
healing time for the Sternum is the MAJOR factor in recovery time, taking 6 weeks to reach 85% and another 6 weeks to be fully healed.

Complications can extend recovery. This could range from fluid in your lungs, chest cavity, around the heart, pneumonia, or any of several different types of Heart Arrhythmias (irregular or rapid heart beat).

Your overall condition going into surgery is another factor, as is age and other medical issues.

'AL Capshaw'

 

[Tom F.]

Don't be afraid. If you need the surgery then do it, the alternative is much worse.

Recovery depends on many things. Your age, general health, heart health all are factors. If you are generally healthy today with no major heart issues you will probably bounce back quickly. Those who are older, poorer health, with bad health habits take longer.

You will read where many say that they still feel a bit draggy 4 or 6 mos after surgery. While true, for the most part you really recover fast. I went out to dinner 13 days after my surgery. First trip to my gym, to lift weights, was 6 weeks to the day. One week later I returned to work full time. For a while after if I really pushed myself too hard I would feel it. But you feel the same way if you push too hard after having had the flu !

If you need the surgery do it. If it takes a while to get back to 100% so what? It beats the alternative!

 

[aussigal]

I personally think pre-surgery health and fitness and possibly age has alot to do with our recoveries. Then you have to factor in any surgery complications (of which I had a few serious ones). I am sure I would have recovered at much the same rate as my VR.com friends who had surgery around the same time as me but I lagged behind due to my complications. I spent the same time in hospital as many (11 days) but my body was slower to return to normal afterwards. I caught up with everyone at about the 12 week mark, and now I feel great. So I personally would say 12 weeks is a fairly good guide to allow for complications even unexpected ones like mine.
I would also consider the weather and the healing of the big scar o your sternum...I wouldnt want to be trying to heal that in hot sweaty weather. I had my OP in Autumn/Fall.

 

[ruth]

I've wondered the same thing but I'm not sure I think so. Unless perhaps you are in remarkably poor health going in.

I think recovery time is the luck of the draw, whether you get complications or not. I didn't feel great, like others here report much earlier, until after my cardioversion at 8 weeks. How can you feel good with a pulse of 120 most of the day & afib? I also caught the flu followed by bronchitis at about 5 weeks out. I didn't feel very good. Then again, nobody with the flu or bronchitis (probably caught in Dr. offices) feels good.

That said, by 8 weeks I felt good, by 12 weeks (now for me) I feel positively great. So, budget some time for a slow recovery just in case and know that the day will come when you feel well again. As Tom says, the alternative is worse.

Wishing you all the best,
Ruth

 

[WayneGM]

I can't add much more to what's been said. Everyone is different. Also "recovery" is subjective. I'm 14 months out and I don't feel fully recovered, but I'm pretty much doing all the daily activities I did before.

 

[OldManEmu]

Recovery

Recovery

From my personal experience, I believe it depends on a number of factors. I was in class IV heart failure yet recovered quickly, however I was 41 and had no other health issues. I believe key factors are age + or - 60 years, other health issues, eg diabetes, kidney problems, lung problems. If you are under 60 years and have no other health problems you should feel good at 6 weeks post surgery and fully recovered at 3 months. The valve type shouldn't make any difference to your recovery time.

 

[67walkon]

Thanks. I meant condition of the heart, not heart condition. Except for the valve issue, as far as I know, the rest of my heart is in really good condition.

The not knowing is difficult. I know the valve is down to 1cm, but with no symptoms, it is hard to accept that OHS is in my relatively near future.

 

[dick0236]

To 67walkon

To 67walkon

The not knowing is difficult. I know the valve is down to 1cm, but with no symptoms, it is hard to accept that OHS is in my relatively near future.[/QUOTE]

I know its hard to accept such a problem if there are no REAL symptons. I was 30 years old, had a wife and two young sons, unemployed, was in my senior year of college and knew I had a heart condition when the docs dropped the bomb that I had a one in four chance of dropping dead without any warning. Shortly after graduation I had MAV surgery and within six weeks of the surgery I passed a preempoyment physical with a major company and went about a normal lifestyle with no restriction. That was in 1967.

I have always believed that my recovery has been without major incident because the surgery was done before symptons became evident. Even back then my surgeons gave me overwhelming assurance that I would survive the surgery. They also assured me that the condition would only deteriorate without correction. With the curent state of technology, the real risk is doing nothing.

 

[Bina]

You sound like you are in good physical condition....go for it!
I waited until I was ready to drop dead, lots of symptoms and my valve was at .8 cm I am a smallish person, not athletic for sure, and I was terrified of surgery (I hadn't found this fantastic group yet).
Post op my kidneys had a hard time to get rid of the anesthetic and I had lots of nausea. 16 days in hosp. Lots of discomfort too, but no painkillers
after the first week.
Now, 18 months later, I am still not very active but feel pretty good. I have tachycardia episodes just like before my surgery...we are working on that

 

[Soilman]

Walkon,

As you replied in my post, I'm right there with you. I found out just 2 years ago about my valve problem and it was like a punch in the face. There I was, 41, running 5 miles 3 days a week, lifting weights and doing very physical work on the job, watching my diet and had no symptoms and was told I had a valve problem and needed OHS. I'm now 43, still go 5 miles and lift (very light now) weights yet my medical evaluations show I'm getting ever closer to the OR. Yes, it's hard to understand how I can feel this good and be so close to surgery at the same time. However, I've had time to accept surgery is GONNA happen so I focus on doing everything in my power to make sure it's done in a timely manner, I know my options and keep the rest of my body in good shape. I have been told that the rest of my heart is in good condition as you suspect yours is. My valve is at about 2cm, but the regurgitation has increased significantly causeing my left ventrical to enlarge. My doctors encourage me to do aerobic exercises to strengthen my heart and keep the arteries clean. I can't imagine exercise before hand would hurt recovery and highly suspect it will help. Definitely talk with the surgeon. I think you will feel better afterwards, no matter what his diagnosis. Good Luck!

 

[aussigal]

Thanks. I meant condition of the heart, not heart condition. Except for the valve issue, as far as I know, the rest of my heart is in really good condition.

The not knowing is difficult. I know the valve is down to 1cm, but with no symptoms, it is hard to accept that OHS is in my relatively near future.

Thats exactly my point...you just dont know for sure the exact condition of your heart or how it will react to surgery until the time comes...it was my heart that stuffed me up with the cardiac arrests the by-pass and other difficulties I had. My heart didnt like surgery and there was nothing to predict this occurring.

 

[Susan BAV]

You may think you don't have any symptoms because they can happen so gradually.

Recovery is absolutely difficult to project. I don't know what the statistics are but it seems to me that, of those who post here, well over half of us had some post-op recovery glitch or glitches, either major or minor. I had a bigger glitch, which is common, that caused me to be rehospitalized and some smaller glitches that just have kept me reminded of where I've been and what I've had done -- things I just work through.

That said, I felt pretty good about three months and took on a vigorous and enormous and complicated painting project in my house which I hadn't felt up to for years, requiring dragging a large ladder around back and forth to get at high ceilings. At five months, I remember thinking I felt super good -- not perfect, because the sternum won't really let you forget what it's gone through, but super good in other ways like energy, etc.

Keep reading. Keep asking questions. Have you read the stories section too? That might give you some more practical information with all those first-person accounts. Take care.

 

[tommy]

1. For those that are very symptomatic and struggling prior to surgery, a successful surgery seems to quickly bring them to a performace level that they haven't seen in years. For these, cardiac rehab can be very helpful.

2. For those that are in great fitness, recovery is often very quick, with people itching to go run and bike within a couple of weeks.

I fell in the middle. I was not struggling, but was sedentary and out of shape. Surgery knocked me way down. Cardiac rehab was a Godsend because of the physical/medical aspect, but also to change my paradigm about exercise.