Recovery time

[Guest]

Hello again. I was diagnosed with both mitral and aortic regurgitation 10 yrs. ago. Initial diagnosis was moderate/severe mitral, mild/moderate aortic. Echos did not show much difference over the years, and I was able to complete the stress test (Bruce protocol) to 9 minutes. I can still walk 2.3 miles (flat) in 40 minutes and do an hour of water aerobics.

In August my cardio introduced the surgery option....after all this time I had just decided I would probably never need it. We have a major trip scheduled for late March 2009.....and I am wondering what the recovery period is after valve replacement. I have known quite a few people who have had artery bypass surgery and they seem to recover fairly quickly. But some of the posts I have seen indicated a full year may be necessary.

Realizing everyone is different, I am asking for comments on how much can be done and how soon. I know after I had my hip replacement I thought I was recovered after 6 mos....walking normally and feeling good....but the improvement actually continued gradually for another 1 1/2 years.

I am 65 and in relatively good health. Thanks for any insights or comments you may have.

Pat

 

[pnwcoast]

After my Mitral valve repair I was feeling well enough to want to jump in my pickup and go for a drive. Of course a jump was the last thing I should have be doing! I was at the coast fishing 4 weeks after my surgery. I admit though, I know that I was pushing it but I wanted to be back to my normal lifestyle the heck with this down time due to my surgery. The fact is my recovery came on it's time not the time frame I wanted, not the time frame I had envisioned. I felt well enough to go back to work after 3 months. I have a job that requires a bit of strenght and stamina so I had to convince my cardio I was ready. I would take as much time to recover as I could next time though. I felt ready but it was very tiring and I did push it a bit. As far as a vacation trip, a relaxing vacation, sure, in my opinion, go, have a great time. Take pictures and tell us all about it.

 

[Ross]

While it takes a full year to recover, you'll be fairly active at 6 to 8 weeks. You'll tire alot, but you'll be functional. The major trip may be a problem and then agian, maybe not. You'd have to have surgery like today to really be ready for March. Just depends on you and also how extensive that trip is and what it involves. I've had my hip replaced too and your analogy is right on, it's about the same with the heart surgery.

 

[Cooker]

As Ross said, full recovery is about a year ... I was back at work in about six weeks.... I' sure you will do fine.

 

[Susan BAV]

Hi Pat - I'm not sure what you mean by 'major trip' but, personally, lifting heavy things at six months (and I was 42) wasn't comfortable for me, such as lifting cases of water. That might have taken me even a couple of years to feel better through my sternum area for some things like that and I tend to let my husband do most heavy lifting, including luggage, for me now.

Leaning over, such as picking things up from the floor, wasn't really comfortable for me for a very long time also -- my sternum just felt a bit loose or crackly or something.

I don't know if that experience helps .

 

[MikeHeim]

As others have mentioned, you need to be a little more specific on what your trip entails. If you are going to Hawaii to spend some quality beach time, I would say 6-10
weeks. If you were looking to climb Everest, I would say at least a year. A couple things come to mind when planning. At 6-10 weeks, there are an unlucky few who continue to have lingering issues such as Pericarditis, a-Fib, constant fevers, etc. for which travel will probably not feel like a good idea. Unfortunately, you won't know how your body will react until that time comes. I personally would plan three months at the earliest to try to minimize the possibility of post-op complications dampening your plans.

 

[debeerusa]

Hi Pat

Fairly new to this as I have been active my whole life (46 yrs old), I had my valve replacement in May after having a heart attack while doing cardio kick boxing. Spent 3 weeks in ICU.

Its been 3 months since my discharge and am back to almost full recovery. Sternum hurts while doing push-ups. Get up as soon as possible and walk. The first day at home could not walk to the end ofthe drive way. By the end of the week I could walk a mile in the morning and a mile in the evening. Just watch your sternum don't lift anything more than 5-10 pounds and listern to the nurses.

 

[Jkm7]

I had my first OHS late December and traveled to Florida to board a cruise ship for ten days in mid March. DH handled all luggage etc I was okay but extremely tired after air travel and had to sleep two hours when we arrived at our hotel. (We went to Florida two days prior to our cruise.)

I had my second OHS surgery end of February, 2008. We had a cruise booked for mid April before I knew I was having the surgery. We cancelled that cruise and was a good thing we did. I was not ready to even travel to Florida to sit on a cruise ship. By June, I felt very much better and we went to a resort for about a week and it was great.

If you plan to do a lot of sightseeing and touring, it could be too tiring for you. If you plan to sit on the beach, that is a different thing.

Good luck. Hope things go very smoothly for you.
Remember..... the waiting and anticipation are the worst part.

 

[Guest]

Thanks for all the informative replies!

We like to snorkel, and the trip involves a trip to Pulau to snorkel. The snorkeling itself is not very strenous, but the airline trip to get there is very long. We would fly from Minneapolis to LA the day before; then fly LA to Honolulu, Honululu to Guam, Guam to Pulau...all the next day!

I have an appt. in early November to discuss the options in more detail. Maybe he will say I can wait a year or so for surgery!

Pat

 

[Eva]

In August my cardio introduced the surgery option....after all this time I had just decided I would probably never need it.


Did your doctor introduce the surgery option based on the results of the echocardiogram? or deterioration in the valves causing heart enlargement?! or is he simply preparing you mentally to the idea for surgery. My old cardio told me 7 years ago the surgery will be needed within 5-7 years. And it was seven years,indeed So, before worrying about the trip and the surgery, get from him the facts and time frame he suggests and tell him about your trip and the activties you will do and see what he advises you. If you do not like what he says, seek others cardios' or surgeons' opinions. I saw 3 surgeons and 4 cardios after my cardio told me I needed the surgery within 6 months Like you, I thought I may not need it! Each had a different opinion.
You may have the time to travel and enjoy your trip and come back ready for surgery and use the trip to remember in your mind during the recovery period which differs from one person to another. I have done MV & AV replacement, in my 6th week, I do chores around the house in the morning, I get tired and take a 2-hour nap to be able to get up prepare dinner and go for a walk (1.5 miles). Despite this, I feel much better than before the surgery.

As for recovery, it differs from one person to another. I am in my 6th week, I am not ready to travel and do activities yet, as the pain is still there, and when I do little chores around the house, I take a 2-hour naps, get refereshed, then cook dinner and eat and go for 1.5 miles walk. Then sleep again.

Keep us posted. Good luck.

 

[Jkm7]

Both surgeries, my docs cautioned me about swimming. Your wounds have to be fully healed to not risk infection. Also, keep in mind the swim strokes you use snorkeling. That could be hard on a still sore chest.

Some folks have little sternal discomfort while some of us have soreness/pain for a length of time. My chest was still sore four years later going into my second OHS. Now, about 7 months later, it is less sore than it was before my second surgery. Same patient, same hospital, same surgeon..... it's hard to predict how you will be.