high blood preasure

[caterb85]

9 weeks after my husbands aortic vavle replacement surgery his blood preasure is not going down ( only started going up about 4 weeks after surgery) 1 week after increasing med of norvasc to 10 mg. dr. just started him on ace inhibitor also. Just wondering if anybody else with this surgery has had this problem after bicuspid vavle replacement. Also when they take his blood preasure they can hear the beating the whole time down to about 8, anybody ever heard of this?

 

[VikiVix]

me too

me too

Hi
I also had blood pressure increases. Right after surgery it was very low which was great but then it went up after a couple of months. I am on Lisinopril and a diuretic so now it's under control but I really would like to stop the meds. I thought it would improve after my valve replacement.

 

[caterb85]

So did we but i quess we were to optimistic. Have you ever heard of your top # suppose to stay under 120 if you had bicuspid valve. His preasure is staying pretty steady a 150/90.

 

[Philip B]

Bp

Bp

My blood pressure following AVR surgery ran higher than the folks in my cardiologist's office wanted it to. 140/90 was pretty much my average. It improved over the course of about six months. I think my last visit with my cardiologist in December had me at 112/60. My cardio doc really liked that.

Remember, this recovery stuff takes time. It is a very individual process.

-Philip

 

[caterb85]

Thanks Philip this is so new to us that it is hard knowing what is normal and what is a warning sign. Thanks for taking the time to answer us. Do you know if it is normal not to actually see the cardioligist but just the nurse practionar every visit so far.(He also has a pacemaker)

 

[Philip B]

Cardio Doc Stuff

Cardio Doc Stuff

For what's it's worth, my experience was that I visited with my cardio doc's nurse practicioner much more often post-op than I saw the doctor. Whether or not everyone else had a similar experience I don't know. I suspect it varies depending on your cardio doc's case load.

My NP monitored my progress and provided support from the moment my decision was made to have AVR surgery. I worked with her often post-op with regards to the meds I was taking. We actually dialogued several times a week during the first few months following surgery. I've mostly dealt directly with my cardio doc every few months for checkups and for me that's okay.

One of the issues you guys must traverse is your comfort level as you deal with your NP. I had a high level of confidence in my NP following surgery. She really helped me through some bumps. Unfortunately, she quit my cardio doc to take a job running the ER at a large hospital. I have a lesser degree of confidence with my new NP.

During my first conversation with the replacement, we were discussing my INR data for the past six weeks and she asked me if I found that I needed to take more coumadin when I was engaged in my exercise program. When I replied with an affirmative answer she asked me why that was the case. She then explained that she had not ever worked much with AVR patients and this coumadin thing was new territiory. Needless to say the new NP will not be receiving a bottle of wine for Xmas this year.

I encourage you guys to ask lots of questions and make sure both your NP and cardio doc are responsive to your needs. Address your BP questions with them.

I found that as my level of cardio fitness improved post-op, my blood pressure improved. I still do BP meds to protect the overhaul work my surgeon did. As noted in my previous post, the stuff involved with recovery and rehab is a process. The process takes time and is a very individual thing.
It's perfectly normal to want to be back to normal as quickly as you can.

My last conversation with my original NP just before she changed jobs was wonderful. We reviewed my BP and INR data. She commented that it was obvious that I was cured and was going to be okay. I'll probably be delivering a bottle of wine to her office at the ER around March 28 to celebrate my first anniversery.

-Philip