Questions re post surgery

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Chelsea

Hi Everyone. I'm new to this - this is my first post. I've been reading your articles, stories, etc. online for a little while now as I had my aortic valve replaced and an aortic root aneurysm replaced on January 5th, and found the information to be very helpful. I chose a bovine valve as I wasn't really keen on coumadin for the rest of my life, though I realize it's a crap shoot, and I could end up on coumadin anyways. I am 53 years old and have known about my faulty valve since I was 16, but it was still a shock when I was told by my cardiologist that "it was time!" The surgery went well, but with a few complications - low hemoglobin due to blood loss (even after a blood transfusion), high sugar levels for a while (this is now sorted out), fluid on my lungs which was also pretty much cleared up before I was released from the hospital. I did have a couple of bursts of afib, and so was sent home on amiodorone to regulate my heartbeat. In the hospital, I didn't notice the bouts of a fib; however, was very conscious of my heartbeat which I could really feel if I sat back against a chair, or lying down (I'm quite tiny). It seemed much louder than I ever remembered, and did seem erratic. I was told that this was normal, and since being home, I still notice the heartbeat, but it was pretty steady; however, over the last couple of days, I seem to be experiencing an erratic heartbeat again - seems to skip beats, etc. I'm not sure if this is just me stressing out, etc., because I feel quite well otherwise. I do have lots of muscle aches and pains with bad headaches, but I've read that quite a few people have experienced them and put it down to the surgery itself. I'm wondering if anyone out there also really noticed their heart beating, and if so, if you noticed whether it takes a while to regulate. Should I be worried. My surgery was done in Toronto, and I live 4 hours away, so I will have to go to the emergency room in my town which I really don't want to do. Thanks for any info you can send my way.

Chelsea
 
Hope it is nothing to worry about, sorry i can't help but wanted to say welcome to the forum. Sure somebody will have answers for you.
 
Yes, I'm sure that you'll get lots of replies from people who had just your experience. I think all of us feel that our hearts beat louder and stronger after surgery. We really notice them, especially right after surgery. Eventually they settle down and/or we don't notice them anymore.

Also, it will take a while for your heart rate to go down.

As for the irregular heartbeats, I think that's more of a personal thing. I know that some people have posted about that, saying that it eventually went away. That sounds like the sort of thing to ask your doctor about. He might say, "No big deal right now."
 
Welcome Chelsea! I just had surgery a few days after you at St. Michaels and have lots of back muscle aches. In the hospital it took a day and a half after surgery for my heart rate to become regular, but my heart is steady now. I am not an expert but I think I would call the surgeon, or at least my family doctor. Maybe they just need to adjust your medication. Don't let it get you down - I believe the worst is behind you!
 
Do not interpret this as specific medical advice. The anemia is common, and you will get over it by including red meat and green leafy vegs in your diet.

The Afib is also a common after affect and many of us have experienced this. This too shall pass.

What you may be noticing now are PVC's, which while annoying are not dangerous in and of itself. The only way to be sure of what it is exactly is to have your cardio monitor you. I went through this and it really became very annoying. I was given a monitor to take home for a week. This is how my PVC's were diagnosed. I was told in an otherwise healthy heart (I was informed that my heart was now healthy) and with no other risk factors not to worry, as it would calm down. And it has. It took a few months. Now I only experience it on a rare occasion.

Don't you have a local cardiologist who you are seeing for follow up? If not, you really should.
 
If they can't get the beats on an EKG in office - they may have to do a Holter monitor for 24 hours. (not a big deal)

Make sure you aren't over-doing it. Walk and eat right - but don't push your recovery.

Glad you found us.
 
Chelsea,

Welcome and as said before me the worst is behind you. As for me, I felt my heart was loud and felt some skipped beats after I went home, but they were all related in my case to anxiety! A nurse came twice every week to take my vitals and check my INR and she always reassured me and she was right. It all went away.

As Karlynn said...do not rush recovery...I was told this over and over and when one feels abit well, starts doing things which can be postponed.

Keep us posted and good luck.
 
Welcome Chelsea and CONGRATUATIONS!

It's 5 weeks for me now but I remember vividly hearing and feeling every beat of my heart in the first 3. But as each week passes, it become less noticible. Now I can sleep on my right side and I hardly notice it at all.

What I do believe is that the recommended excersize is very important to get the heart muscle and the "wiring" back into order. So do your best to walk and give your heart a good workout.

I'm still taking a percecet about every 8 hours and that does the trick for me on the aches and pains. I've always found the symptoms of the operation to be more like a bad flu. The pain killer does a great job. Weening off them seems to be about an extra hour or 2 (per pill) per week that passes.

Best wishes...Vincent (54)

Vincent (54)
BAVR with 27mm ON-X and Dacron conduit NYP Weill Cornell Dec 19, 2008.

PS. I am not a medical professional or a doctor. My comments in this forum are my own opinion and are not intended to be given as medical or professional advise or a recommendation of any valve choice. Decisions that affect your health and wellbeing are ultimately yours and your doctors. vprnet
 
Remember that your heart has been through a lot and is in the process of recovering and remodeling.

Your correct that you are highly tuned in to your heartbeat at this point. You may find that especially so if you are trying to sleep on your left side.

In the recovery process, small nerves are reattaching at the cut areas of the heart. While these are not the main nerves that direct the heartbeat, they play a small role in making the beat a smooth motion. They will heal.

Your heart is also beginning the process of remodeling, which basically means returning to its former, smaller, normal size. That will take months. Even if the initial ventricular enlargement was concentric, as the heart reshapes, there are bound to be points at which the muscle is not entirely balanced. That may reflect in harmless but annoying PACs and PVCs (premature atrial and ventricular contractions). These are likely to come and go, but shouldn't stick around for a long time.

However, if you feel unsafe or threatened by the palpitations, or if they're accompanied by faintness or other symptoms, by all means, please go to your cardiologist and get an EKG and ask for an overnight holter monitor, to determine the type and severity of the arrhythmias.

If you are still on amiodorone, please work out with your doctor how to get yourself off of it as soon as you safely can. It's a very strong drug with a number of possible side-effects, not all of them immediately noticeable. It's intended to be used as a last-ditch chemical method to control arrhythmias, and now seems to be overused for lesser reasons or when less potent drugs would suffice. Paradoxically, it can be a contributing factor to the PACs/PVCs, and it can take up to six months to totally leave your body after you stop using it.

Best wishes,
 
Hi there Chelsea - welcome to the zoo!

I had AVR in Hamilton Sept. 2007. I didn't notice anything except the ticking of my valve, but I was automatically put on beta blockers, BP pills and a whole host of other stuff (including iron) just to be sure. I recently tried to wean off the beta blockers, and at a quarter of the dose, could feel my heart around my neck and ears, so went back to taking half the original dose, and it has stopped it.

If I were you, I would certainly check with my cardio or family physician; I can understand you not wanting to go to local emergency, I would crawl to Hamiton before I let anyone here touch me!
 
Questions re post surgery

Thanks so much everyone for replying to my earlier post and for your good wishes! Reading your replies has made me feel much better and convinced me that in order to ease my mind, I will call my cardiologist tomorrow. I have an appointment set up with him already which is not until my 5th week following my release from hospital. I think I'll feel better if I can at least see him to find out what he thinks. I am so happy that I found this website - it made the weeks leading up to my surgery better, and has certainly helped since coming home. I will definitely stay tuned! Chelsea
 
Hi chelsea and welcome!
I'm also thin and very sensitive to everything.....post op I thought my heart was going to pop out of my throat a few times.
It's a scary feeling. This is all new for us.
In hospital my heart raced away one night, the rate was 170 so they gave me Sotalol, but I went home on Metoprolol which really did not work as well and I ended up in ER a couple of times to be checked out.
Oh boy, I understand your feelings about local hospitals....I'm also far from a major centre.
It does get better, rest often and your heart will re-model itself.
Me too: I avoid leaning back on anything and I stay off of my left side. :)
You may enjoy having a BP monitor at home, mine saved me a few nervous breakdowns. ;)
 
Welcome to VR, Chelsea. Glad you found us. It's natural to have heightened wareness about your heart and health post-op. For me, I really didn't know how I was supposed to feel post-op so second guessed every little thing. It gets better with time, and soon your not aware of anything.....like normal. Best wishes for a smooth and speedy recovery.
 
Just thought I'd post an update. Went for my EKG yesterday, and am now fitted with a monitor which I will record for 2 weeks until my appointment with my cardiologist. From what I understand if anything is amiss when the readings are scanned, my cardiologist will be notified right away, and I'm assuming I will be notified. After reading posts on other threads re pounding hearts and PVCs, I realize it is very early days for me yet, and hopefully all of these will fade away over time. It is true that I often don't notice the pounding but as soon as I think of it, the pounding returns. The most difficult time is when I try to sleep and can't seem to find a way to sleep yet so that the pounding isn't as noticeable. It certainly does keep me awake, and then the old mind starts to run away with everything that could possibly go wrong, and that certainly doesn't help. I'd really be interested in hearing how many people were on amiodarone following surgery and how long. I feel it does contribute to the erratic heartbeats, but yet my heart really seems to beat quickly in the morning until I take it. I'm quite leery of this drug after reading all the possible side effects. I am supposed to take it for just 13 more days once a day. Thanks a bunch!
 
Your heart went through a great deal of abuse. Then it was expected to go right back to work. It's sore and probably mad! You'd never expect any other muscle to go back to work right after being operated on! The monitor will give them an idea of how often it's happening and perhaps what sets it off, but hopefully it will go away or at least lessen with time.
 
Chelsea,

Cann't comment on the amiodarone, but I was on 75mg of Metoprolo in the hosp and now on 25mg at bedtime. It seems to drop my HR by about 8-10 beats and hope the drug will be dropped from my menue sometime in the future. Doc says its to help prevent arrhythmias ( which is what amiodarone is also used for). Ask your doc if you can take your med at night instead of the morning.

I also found that I had to sleep semi seated in bed with several pillows behind my back for the first three weeks out of the hosp for the best comfort and least disturbance from the heart beating. Don't know if you already tried this position in bed.


Vincent (54)
BAVR with 27mm ON-X NYP Weill Cornell Dec 19, 2008.

PS. I am not a medical professional or a doctor. My comments in this forum are my own opinion and are not intended to be given as medical or professional advise or a recommendation of any valve choice. Decisions that affect your health and wellbeing are ultimately yours and your doctors. vprnet
 
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