Cognitive Function

[Cooker]

Hello Everyone,

Has anyone had or heard of cognitive problems due to being on the heart/lung machine? If so I would appreciate any information.

Merry Ctristmas!

Cooker

 

[geebee]

Oh Yeah......We have all been there, we call it "pump-head". Problems concentrating, using wrong words, etc. It does go away but some folks have slight problems permanently.

My SO and I had a blast laughing at my word problems after my last surgery. I would know what I was thinking but the words that actually came out of my mouth were totally unconnected to my thoughts (like using the word "dinosaur" instead of "lunch").

To this day I have problems with slight typing dyslexia which I did not have before my last surgery. Thank God for spell checkers.

This, too, shall pass.

 

[Tony]

Please type "cognitive function" in the search listing at the top of the screen.

22 postings appeared for me.

 

[Marty]

Pumphead?

Pumphead?

Hello Everyone,

Has anyone had or heard of cognitive problems due to being on the heart/lung machine? If so I would appreciate any information.

Merry Ctristmas!

Cooker

Hi Cooker, Unfortunately it has been proven by radiologists and pathologists that cardiopulmonary bypass causes little particles of fat to get plugged up in the small blood vessels in the brain. These are called microemboli. The longer one is on the pump the more of them they find. The good news is that most of them eventually seem to get flushed out.Not every body gets pumphead and most recover from it if they do get it. I had surgery at age 72, an hour and fifteen minutes on the pump. My wife tells me I had a little pumphead for a few months post op but after one year I went back into practise as a radiologist and really worked on brain rehab just as hard as on physical rehab. I asked my young smart associates to watch me. They think I'm sharper now at age 79 than before undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass. I advise not worrying about it. Merry Christmas Marty

 

[Granbonny]

My Cardio gave me a script for my Protime..3 weeks..post-op..I had a heck of a time trying to answer simple questions over the telephone from QAS. ..Remembered my name..but had to think about..home address, home telephone #, ect.The worse was trying to read the numbers off my Insurance card. ....Was a nervous wreck when we finished.. .....That's why. I don't think anyone should drive for 6 weeks post-op.....In case, one had to make a quick judgment..in traffic.Daughter was stopped at traffic light last week and got rear-ended.Person said, oh, I'm sorry..I was sleepy..and I looked down and started forward thinking you had gone. ...Bonnie

 

[tobagotwo]

There is another cause for pumphead as well. During surgery, the body is cooled to a hyperthermic state to reduce the chances of collateral damage from stopped or impeded blood flow.

The brain is very sensitive, and can use as much oxygen as the rest of the body parts put together. If the patient is warmed back up too quickly, the brain will develop a sudden high demand for oxygen that will exceed the body's ability to take it in and deliver it. To avoid this, the body should be warmed back up more slowly. You can ask if the hospital practices this.

However, most cases of pumphead do reverse over time. If not, those around you eventually decline, and over time, you begin to look smarter by comparison.

For some of us, of course, pumphead is just a wonderful excuse that allows us to remain in permanent denial of a preexisting condition of mental fog...

Best wishes,

 

[jeffp]

Been there, doing that. I just went through a rather exhausting bunch of mental function tests to measure the extent of the brain function reduction after surgery. (Literally exhausting, I slept the rest of the day.) I was on the pump for a total of 10 hours in two back to back sessions. I still have rather significant short term auditory memory loss, verbal retrieval problems and reaction time deficits. Working on techniques around it, as for me at least, it doesn't seem to be gettng better with time. My wife jokes it's like getting a new husband without all the paperwork.

 

[KAJ]

Cooker,

When I first heard the term pumphead, I was very concerned . Before my surgery, I had to plan a business trip for a coworker who was going in my place. The trip was scheduled to take place about 2 weeks after my surgery. I ended up back in the hospital (which is another story). Anyway, I called my coworker from the hospital just before he left to go over all of the numerous details one more time. I explained I was doing it not so much for their benefit but for mine. I wanted to see if I could convey my thoughts in a manner that made sense, and make sure I could remember the many different aspects of my job. I felt much better because I did recall all of the possible little details. I did not have any trouble. I definitely felt relieved.

Karl

 

[McCln]

It been over four years since my bypass and still suffer from pumphead. Did it today at work. I forgot waht to do to get information off the computer and forgot how for a minute. Still happens off and on. But mostly doing great. Just to have my word in. Happy holidays.

 

[hensylee]

yup. wow, do we have info on this subject. It has been discussed for years - some agreement/disagreement among the troops here. Just click on search (above) the word 'pumphead' and you will find MANY threads about it.

 

[BDMc]

Pump Head

Pump Head

Cooker, Sad but true. Given the alternative, I'd take "pump head" again any day! Brian

 

[MSG Morrissey]

Been there-Done that... It really exists and has changed me. I do my best daily to cope.

 

[Nancy]

In addition to the pump problems, there are other sources of declining cognitive function. All of them can be helped, but they have to be diagnosed. So here's a "head's up"

Anemia

Congestive Heart Failure

Hyperammonemia (elevated ammonia blood levels), which can happen when there is congestive liver and/or renal impairment. Congestive liver is sometimes caused by congestive heart failure, But liver functions can also be impaired by many other things.

So, if things are not improving, then start asking about these other possibilities.

 

[Shine_on_Syd]

Unfortunately its a very real side affect. But there is hope, it gets better,