A-Fib

[HarryG]

I have read many stories about a-fib after surgery, as I have decided to go with a porcine valve replacement along with the aortic aneurysm repair, am very concerned with the a-fib issue.

How many have you had issues with a-fib, one reason for choosing the porcine valve was the absence of coumadin use (at least forever). What I have read is there is still the chance of needing coumadin forever with a-fib problems.

I am sure there are you out there that will say there are many other issues after surgery to worry about, but let's discuss these one at a time, I still have a few days prior to the surgery.

Well if you want you can mention them now I am a great listener.

 

[Tom F.]

I had a valve sparing procedure done to correct on ascending aortic aneurysm on 12/20/02, which was a friday. That sunday, my second day in a step down room, I had a brief afib episode. I was sitting up, eating lunch, and said to the nurse "I am not feeling right". Next I know there are people running everywhere. They got it under control quickly. I spent the night a little shook up, but the afib never returned. That entire night my hear rate was up, way up, but it came down. I asked the doc if that was my heart's was of finally saying "what the heck just happened to ME?". The doc said that was about right. I am told that a significant minority of people that have open heart surgery go through some afib, but for most it is not recurring. There are some, and I do not know the numbers but I understand it is small, for whom this becomes a permant problem, or nearly so. As nearly everything about this stuff, so much depends on one's individual reaction to having had the surgery.

 

[Ross]

I'd say you have a 8 out of 10 chance of having an encounter with afib. As was pointed out, it's usually just a brief period while your heart finishes it's screaming for being beat up. There is almost a great chance that you'll be put on Coumadin for at least a month. I know it's running through your mind, but really, this is not a big deal. You will be fine.

 

[Phyllis]

Dick had a brief episode of a-fib the second day after surgery in the step-down unit and it sent everyone flying with a quick IV of beta blocker to quiet it down. He has had no other episodes, no Coumadin and is now on 2 (50mg) does a day of beta blocker for blood pressure. That was the only bump in his recovery.

 

[Bill Hall]

Harry - I was afib for a month after surgery. I took Amiodarone for afib and coumadin. My heart went back to normal rhythm after the first month and has not had problems since (surgery was Jan 2001). I have a homograft for Aortic and Mitral repair. I was definitely concerned that I would have to continue coumadin and they could not tell me it would go back to normal rhythm.

 

[tobagotwo]

I had on-and-off afib before surgery.

The second night after surgery, I had afib most of the night. It was at least partially triggered by some fine pain I was experiencing from inflammation around the heart and the lungs, which I could feel rubbing against each other (and the blasted chest tube) with each breath. The nurse gave me a toradol (sp?) injection in the thigh for the inflammation and pain, and I was better in less than a minute. The afib petered out shortly after that, and I was fine when I finally fell asleep before morning.

I was already on Plavix for post-surgical anticoagulation (they like to have you on something, at first), but they never put me on Coumadin, or spoke about moving me over to it. The Plavix was terminated rather suddenly about three weeks after I got home. I called the surgeon's assistants to ask if I needed a refill, and they told me no. "In fact," they said, "you can just throw the rest you have away."

Most people who do wind up on Coumadin for afib with a tissue valve go off of it after three months (standard practice) or less. Most of the time, the afib subsides when the heart gets over its sulk.

Alternatively, if you have afib, you can ask your surgeon or hospital physician to consider using Plavix instead, or even aspirin. Note that three months of Coumadin anticoagulation used to be the recommended post-surgical approach for tissue valve implantation, so some more traditional hospitals still do it routinely, afib or not.

Best wishes,

 

[Carol]

Atril-Fib

Atril-Fib

Harry,

I had mitral valve repair on 6/21/04. On the 4th day after surgery in the hospital, I was in bed, and just started not feeling good. I could tell something wasn't quite right. The nurse came and told me I was in a-fib. Medicine was given, and within the hour I was back to normal. I now take a beta blocker twice a day. They say this is normal for mitral valve work. I have had some trouble since coming home with irregular heart beats, but it doesn't last very long each time. I've been told by my doctor that this all should pass in time. It can be very frustrating at times and scary, but I am so glad that surgery is over. I just try to keep myself calm when these spells hit me.

Carol

 

[jenny]

a fib

a fib

Hi all it is Jenny again...ugh still in a fib....yikes I have had this 3 times this month..now it is the fourth time. I am a wreck ..I usually have it just once a year. I am still in afib as I type.
I had a bypass and a mvp repair in 1997... I just wish they could fix this, as I said before in another post, my son had died and I develop severe panic disorder . So when I get this, I just get so so scared and i know this does not help. I am hoping the valve I had repaired is really leaking again...last echo it was leaking moderately, however if it is worse ...My cardio Dr. said at that point I could have the Maze proceedure and valve fixed. However if valve does not need repair Yet (they told me 5 years ago sometime soon it would) I don't want just the Maze proceedure and they return for a third time for a repair........ugh I am so depressed over this...I have a young son , that I adore and kept me going after his brother died and he is in the Air Force and he is coming home pretty soon for a week and then I will have no idea when I will see him again. I feel so terrible that when he is here that I am feeling so lousy and I don't want him to worry about me which he will do. I am very very depressed right now..I am sorry folks, I live alone and just needed to vent again....... thanks for being my sounding board.....Jenny