1 week post op and doing well!

[mike dab]

First I want to thank all of you for the great advice and feedback throughout the pre-op process. I went in feeling very well informed and it made things easier.

They took me in at 7:20 AM last Wednesday, the 18th, and did a mini AVR with a 19mm On X valve. The whole thing took about 5 hours because they had to scrap out a lot of calcfication in the aorta and around the annulus. But I woke up around 5 feeling pretty good and the only "surprise" was how
sore my throat was. It seems they put the air pipe in there, and a camera too. My throat is still sore, but better.

Working on balancing my INR now, and should be in good shape next week.

It's funny how it takes forever to find a comfortable sleeping position, only to wake up in a few hours totally contorted.

Did anyone else experience a significant change in their heart rate? I know that the "pounding" heart beat is normal because they disrupt the sack that surrounds the heart. But my heart rate is now in the high 80's and for most of my life, it has never gone above 60.

 

[epstns]

Glad you're doing so well, Mike, and thanks for letting us know.

As for the higher heart rate - I can't be of any help, since I ended up with a pacemaker just after valve surgery, so all bets were off for me. Prior to surgery i had undiagnosed bradycardia, with resting heart rate down in th emid-40's. Now, with the pacemaker, mine is usually in the mid-70's, but the pacer keeps it to at least 60, no less.

I'm sure some of the others will come along soon and be able to help there.

 

[Stopper]

So glad everything is going well. I had my surgery just over 6 weeks ago, and for the past two weeks my resting HR is back to its pre-surgery level of around 60. Sleeping will come easier with time, at about three weeks I was back to my normal patterns. I wish you the best in your recovery, and I am sure each day will be a little better than the last. Many Blessings!

Steve

 

[neil]

welcome to the other side of the mountain,

 

[-andrew-]

Re: 1 week post op and doing well!

Congratulations on the successful op! I'm just over 7 weeks out now and my resting heart rate is still a bit higher than it was pre surgery, but it's heading in the right direction. I think an elevated HR is pretty normal for a while after surgery

 

[mike dab]

thanks for the nice responses. one other thing I notice is a slight tingling or numbness in my hands and feet. It comes and goes throughout the day. is that normal?

 

[Heart Of The Sunrise]

Congrats Mike....it will keep getting better. I am just over 6 months post op. My INR has been locked in at 2.4 to 2.5 for several months now. I only test once a month now.
I am on 50 mg Metaprolol once a day to control the common accelerated heart rate after heart surgery, initially this was twice a day. I am very happy with my ON-X valve choice.
My HR was normally pre-op in the mid 80's. After surgery over 100. Now it is getting back to normal.

 

[AZ Don]

Glad your surgery went well. High heart rate is normal for many weeks after surgery. Even with metaprolol my heart rate was higher the first 3 months, this past month it is now a little lower than it was, but then I'm still on metaprolol.

 

[Heather Anne]

Congratulations! Glad to hear it all went well. Don't sweat the heart rate; that poor muscle has been beaten with a meat tenderizer -- it's entitled to be a little upset! (Okay, gross analogy. I take it back). My heart rate was also about 60 pre-surgery, and 80-85 the whole time I was in the hospital. Seven weeks out, it's now in the high 60s, and I expect it to get all the way back as I increase my fitness level.

I think you will be amazed at the body's powers of recuperation. Get as much sleep as you can, and walk...

 

[big_L]

I'll also add that my rate has really stabilized at 5 weeks post-surgery. I'm still trying to get used to the "pounding" heart rate (as you so aptly describe it).

 

[Fundy]

My throat was also very sore for quite a while. I took dilaudid for about seven weeks and for about the first five weeks when the meds wore down my throat got unbearably sore. I still had some slight soreness at about 8 months when I stopped metoprolol. Sometime between then and 11 months it stopped being sore I think. Had my wires removed then and don't remember soreness from that. I'm not sure if the metoprolol had a prolonging effect to the soreness or not. Maybe it just took some time to get better.

My heart rate was high 80's when I left hospital after five days and it was still somewhere low 80's when I went back to work at three months. Seems 70 ish or so now.

 

[jmstallard]

thanks for the nice responses. one other thing I notice is a slight tingling or numbness in my hands and feet. It comes and goes throughout the day. is that normal?

Please tell me you talked to your doctor about that. I had some intermittent numbness in my left thumb the day after being released. I went to the ER just to be safe, and it was just a nerve issue due to bruising. I'm sure you're fine, but they need to know stuff like that.

 

[Eva]

Mikes

Glad you're doing well. Don't worry about your heart rate as long as it remains below 1000...your heart is still readjusting to proper bumping!

My heart rate jumped to the 90s after my surgery for about a month or so. My doctors didn't worry about it, but I unnecessarily did as my pulse was in the low 70s before the surgery. It was very uncomfortable and nerving and the more anxious I was about it, the longer it stayed high. About six weeks later it slowed down to 85, then to 80 and remained in the 80s for a long time [I had double valve replacement and had a complete heart block after the surgery was over].

With time I got used to it and didn't bother me anymore. Now, at last, it is down to the high 60s while resting.

Don't waste your energy on being anxious about as I did. I regret now all the unnecessary worries I had!

Soon your heart will calm down and be at ease with what it went through!