First Surgery after OHS

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hetmarie

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 12, 2011
Messages
68
Location
Wisconsin
Hi all,

So, I've been scheduled next Thursday to have my gallbladder removed. It's my first surgery after having the ticker installed and I'm nervous about it. I met with the surgeon and explained to him my medical history as much as I could. I have a rare connective tissue disorder to which he admitted he looked up on Wikipedia 5 minutes before he came in the room. At least he's willing to do the surgery.

A little history (and venting)...A week ago Monday, I ended up in the ER at my local hospital with horrendous stomach pains thinking it was stress-related (newly diagnosed with a "deadly disorder", OHS in March with lots of little complications along the way, was downsized out of my job a week after going back to work and there are no jobs open in my field within a 50 mile radius - yeah, I've been under a little stress lately). The ER doctor had an ultrasound done and found gall stones. He admitted me to the hospital and was going to have the surgeon take care of it the next day. As soon as I was brought to my room, the hospitalist came in and started asking questions about my medical history and why was I on warfarin. I told him about Loeys Dietz Syndrome and my surgery in March and he said "I don't think we can handle you here." I asked him to ask the surgeon anyway and he came back to say the surgeon didn't feel comfortable. So, they discharged me with some oxy and told me to call my doctor the next day. I saw my doctor's NP the next day (still in pain) and she tried to find a surgeon who could meet with me. After 2 hours she suggested we go to the ER and the UW Hospital in Madison because I'd get in quicker. So off my mom and I went to the ER and spent several hours there. First the doctor didn't think it was gallbladder because the pain wasn't where he thought it should be. Then they did an ultrasound to rule out an abdominal aortic aneurysm which it wasn't and he determined it was indeed my gallbladder (DUH). So, he decides to send me home because to him it wasn't an emergency and it wasn't infected. The discharge doctor told me to take motrin or ibuprofen for pain and I said "um, can I take that while I'm on warfarin?" and she said "oh right, well, it would probably be okay if you took just a little." No thanks, not listening to you! Anyway, as we were about to leave, a surgeon came in and said he just wanted 20 seconds of my time. He explained what was going on and causing the attacks (first person to actually explain anything) and then he said he was told by the ER doc that I was going to see a surgeon in my hometown. I told him that there weren't any surgeons in my hometown willing to do surgery on me because of the high risks. He gave me two options. He said he would admit me in the hospital that night and they would try to do surgery sometime in the next 2 to 3 days or I could go home and meet with a surgeon at the hospital and get on their schedule sometime probably in the next month. I opted for the second route because I spent enough time hanging around the hospital waiting for my INR to get high enough to get out in March.

That brings me back to yesterday and meeting with the surgeon. I researched him and he specializes in minimally-invasive surgeries, especially gallbladders and bariatric surgery (maybe I can get a little lipo out of the deal?). He was familiar with having to bridge the warfarin and Lovenox and he said he is going to keep me overnight because of the bleeding risks. So, besides a little venting (thanks for listening), has anyone had any issues with bridging Lovenox and warfarain? Any side effects, or issues with giving yourself a shot? Anyone have any major issues with surgery post-AVR that I should be concerned about or put on my surgeon's radar??

Thanks!
 
Heather, Sorry to hear about all you've dealth with. If it helps, We ran into problems when Justin broke his arm, it was actually bent a little since both bones were broke and he needed rods put in and they wouldn't touch him because of his heart, and put a splint on his arm sent us home and told us oto take him to the hospital he had all his heart surgeries at. I was annoyed , but then was glad if they didn't feel comfortable operating on him they said so and told us to go somewhere else.

As for the bridging. I would probably start a thread in the anticoag forum with something like bridging in the title. There are quite a few threads about bridging in that forum too
 
Can't really answer your questions, but my gallbladder was removed in 2005 ... and that surgery felt like a piece of cake compared to my open heart surgeries! GOOD LUCK ... thoughts/prayers en route.



Cort | 38.m.IL | pigValve + paceMaker | 5 Monte Carlos + 1 Caprice Classic
* PRE-SURGERY PARTY = ~5:30p-10:30p, Saturday, 10/29/2011 at Beef Villa, 1225 W Spring St, S Elgin IL *
"You really think you're in control?" __ Gnarls Barkley __ 'Crazy'
 
Same here, OHS in October 2010 and Gall Bladder in June 2011. My surgeon said that was very common to have gallbladder removed after major OHS. I agree, that was like going to the dentist compared to the OHS.
 
Thanks for the replies! I can't wait to see what the surgeon says about the bruises on my tummy from the lovenox shots. One of them is about the size of a softball. I just hope he did his homework about Loeys Dietz Syndrome. I also might feel a little more relaxed if my cardiothoracic surgeon hadn't fled the state after my surgery. (Okay, he didn't really flee but he did get a great job offer in New York, much to my dismay.)
 

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