a-fib before surgery???

[sylviayasgur]

hey everyone! i bet you're all as happy for peter and his family as i am!!
glad he's ok.

my husband who is scheduled to have his avr a week from tomorrow has
had bouts with a-fib in the past, the last one being about a year and a
half ago. he increases certain preventative meds and has always reverted
spontaneously, except for one cardioversion some years back.

last night he went into a-fib again. we are all sooooo upset about this (our
kids included). has anyone had this happen to them? dr. stelzer (rp)'s office
says that this won't be a problem. we are meeting with dr. craig smith at
columbia presbyterian on friday, 9/7 (name sound familiar to anyone?).
we hope this won't pose a problem....

wow! never a dull moment, right?

i hope the rest of you are all doing well. thanks for the support,
encouragement, and the laughs!

-sylvia

 

[Mb]

Sylvia:
My husband is having AVR/MVR and an aortic graft on October 4th. He has been in chronic a-fib for many months now. It's always fibrillating. Takes meds for it, that really help. He was cardioverted on June 1st....lasted four days. The doctors aren't at all concerned about it, going into this surgery. They just said he may or may not have a-fib after the surgery. Obviously sinus rythm is better, so we are really hoping for that. The a-fib really affects him......tiredness, dizziness, etc. So, don't worry. I think about 30% of folks with heart problems have a-fib. Best of luck. Marybeth

 

[sylviayasgur]

Thanks Marybeth,
My husband, too, gets tired when he's in a-fib. I think with him it's more about
being upset that he's in it though. He is not chronically in a-fib, and in fact,
takes sotolol to prevent fibs. We're hoping he'll convert on his own sometime today.

I know there is a window of about 48-72 hours after which they like to start
a warfarin drip.... wonder how they are going to do that if he's scheduled for
his cath tomorrow?!
Plus, his surgery is in a week. How do they handle that? Do they take him off
bloodthinners a few days before?

I know that a-fib is nothing. My dad has a St. Jude's valve and is in chronic
afib (he was before his surgery). It's just that when it's new and unusual, it's
just one more thing. Maybe it's all the anxiety (?)

Thanks so much for responding, it really has been so helpful.
I love this site! It's like a family. Thank you all!

-Sylvia

 

[srwieland]

A severe bout of afib is what precipitated my need for surgery after 25 years of managing mild symptoms on meds. It was scary and no fun at all. I think the degree of afib varies quite a bit. For the three months between that severe episode and my surgery last May, I felt always on the verge of afib, but the meds kept it in check. Make sure that the cardiologist keeps a close check on the meds if afib continues. The surgery may or may not resolve it. My afib was most likely the result of my heart enlarging according to my cardiologist, and since my heart has returned to normal size since surgery, I haven't had any afib since. But, that is unusual and many veterans of heart valve replacement surgery continue, or even begin, to have afib post-surgery.

There are others on this forum who have much more experience with this, Mike in Florida is one.

Good luck and you and your husband are in our prayers.

 

[Bill Hall]

Hi Sylvia - One of my roomates when I had surgery had been afib on and off for ten years. He wasn't disturbed by it at all, just took medication. In my own experience, I was afib for a month after surgery and it has gone and hasn't come back. The doctors in Cleveland told me I shouldn't worry about afib, that it would not significantly affect my life. Good luck on your husband's surgery.