Fitness Post Surgery Long Terms

[andyabernethy]

Hi Guys

It's been a while since I was last here so I hope you are all well. I am still waiting for confirmation for surgery but it is likely to be early in the New Year. I have opted for the ross procedure with the help of my surgeon.

I am a keen cyclist and in terms of the mental recovery would like to have a long distance cycling tour to aim for. I was training for the Lands End to John O'Groats tour before I got the news about my aortic valve (that's the length of the UK for those on the other side of the Atlantic). It is 1000 miles and would take me around 14 days at full health and after a lot of training.

I realise I am perhaps being ridiculously optimistic that this would be possible say 12-18 months post surgery but would like to hear from any other cyclists out there (or runners for that matter) and their experience post op in terms of getting back to optimum fitness.

Thanks in advance as always for the benefit if your post op experience.

Andy A

Severe AS (75 gradient) - Valvotmomy in 1990 - Ross Porcedure in 2011.

 

[Shobu]

I'm not a cyclist, but, assuming you are relatively complication free and things heal up as they should, a timeframe of 12-18 months doesn't sounds ridiculous at all. There was a patient with a mitral valve (still had OHS) that did a triathlon within a year post-op. It is the first pdf at this link . I am not aiming for anything that ambitious, but am very active and at 4 months post-op am up to 30+ min of swimming a day, 4-5 days per week, as well as getting back into some martial arts 1-2 days per week. I'm still healing, but easily see myself in ridiculously good shape 6-8 months post-op, given the rapid gains I am making in the gym. I've consulted with my cardiologist in all this and he has known me and my activity levels for years, so after a rough period post-op, gave me the go ahead at 2-1/2 months to resume swimming. I skipped the cardiac rehab at the hospital, as my nurses and cardiologist told me at a follow-up I was already ahead of most of the people in rehab as I was walking up multiple flights of stairs and taking care of myself at the time they put most people into the cardiac rehab system. Plus, I'm pretty self motivated.
Make sure you keep to your doctor's recommendations, but you may be surprised at how son you can get back into all those activities if everything goes well. Post-op, once you are getting better, there is no reason in the long run you can't be just as active as pre-op. Maybe no heavy weightlifting, or seriously high impact sports due to coumadin, but otherwise, I wouldn't understand what the restrictions would be, at least as it was outlined to me.
Good luck. keep us updated with how things go post-op.

--Dan

 

[scott.eitman]

First, You don't give your age. I know it is comforting to have made a decision, but I hope you will keep doing research. I wish I had this site 12 years ago. A second surgery has not been fun.

Now on the the good stuff. Cycling!!! I do not see 12-18 months as a problem, I hope that it will be more like 6 months. At 34, at 3 months I did not feel lide a heart patient. I was working out with our local wrestling team by 18 months. This time, at 7 weeks I easily rode 16 miles (on a mountain bike because of sternum pain) and two weeks ago, at 10 weeks, I rode a slightly hilly 22 miles on my road bike. I go to spin classes 3 - 4 times a week. The biggest problem I am having right now at 3 months is chest cavity healing: the heart is good. I fully expect to be riding 50-100 miles in a day by next spring.

At three months, this time I feel like a heart patient. 1st time was minimally invasive, this time a full incision.

You need to set you sights high. You will be asked to walk after surgery; so do it. You will be asked to go to cardiac rehab; so do it.

 

[spartangator]

Your time frame is not ridiculous at all. I did my first marathon about 15 months out and did well for a first-timer. I was cycling quite a bit way before that, easily doing 50-mile rides on weekends probably 8 months out.

Make your cardiologist part of your plans and keep up with your post-surgery exams, and your plans are all feasible. Be patient with yourself at the outset, though, because everything takes longer than you want to heal. While no one can promise a timeline, Shobu and Scott are right: keep the goals and work to them safely. We're looking forward to hearing about your progress.

 

[Philip B]

Tour?

Tour?

It didn't take me twelve months to get back to normal activities which had me doing lots of cycling. Recovery timeframes tend to vary among members, but mine was pretty quick. I was cycling again at six weeks and at twelve weeks completed a century ride, which included riding up and over three 12,000+' mountain passes.

Set some reasonable goals, train consistently, and see how you do.

-Philip

 

[Bean Counter]

I am only a little over 4 months post surgery and am comfortably building up my running mileage again and plan to return to racing in 2010 (after the Cardiologist's blessing in December). Having said that, I think your plan is pretty realistic based on what I have researched over the months. I would suggest heading over to cardiacathletes dot org and seeing what some of the member have accomplished post surgery. I read of one guy that won a criterium and there are also several post surgery ironman finishere over there.

 

[Shobu]

@Scott.eitman; not to cause too much thread drift, but as a second OHS patient myself, I totally agree as to the second surgery and recovery being not fun. I'm doing well now, enjoying rehabbing and was glad I did tissue originally, but there is no way I want to go through another OHS. Ever. Much, much tougher the second time around.

--Dan

 

[mntbiker]

One year post op I did a six hour MTB race to celebrate. The only issue I had was unrelated to the heart. I screwed up my electrolytes, big time, my legs cramped so badly I couldn't unclip from the pedals. It must have looked really funny when I fell over.

I don't see any reason why you shouldn't be able to do it. The only way you will know for sure is when you complete it.

Keep us updated.