follow up

[drewg]

just wondering what the normal follow up is after surgery and sent home. I know this is probably case to case but any feedback would be appreciated.

cheers
Drew

also had an employee state my surgery is on national boss day (oct 16th) . haha karma at its worst

 

[dg_moore]

I had a followup visit with the surgeon 4 weeks after surgery, and with my cardiologist 4 weeks after that.

 

[epstns]

Well, since I was stuck in the hospital for about a week after surgery (complications), my final check up with the surgeon was 4 weeks after discharge. I saw my cardio around the same time, and the electrophysiologist (pacemaker doc) about the same time. Then I saw the cardio and EP about 2 months later, then 3 months after that. Now I see them both every 6 months. I probably could press for once a year, but I have good insurance and it helps my peace-of-mind to have the more frequent feedback on how things look.

 

[drewg]

wow, I thought it would be once a week or so for the first month.

 

[Rachel]

I was in the hospital for 3 days after my surgery - then after I passed the "discharge tests" (walking up a flight of steps and going to the bathroom....LOL) I was sent home.

I had a home nurse visit me twice a week for the first few weeks after my surgery - also a physical therapist as well as someone to check that I was able to move around my house came over within the first week that I was home.

Then about 4-5 weeks after surgery I had an echo - shortly after that I saw my surgeon - then my cardio - then I went to cardiac rehab somewhere in all of that....

Something like that - I didn't feel neglected that's for sure!!!

 

[big_L]

I had no surgeon followup at all after discharge. I'm guessing this is typical with Mayo, since a lot of patients are not local.

I visited my primary care Dr for an incision check a week later. Then Cardio a couple of weeks later. Then I have a second cardio visit about a month after that.

 

[epstns]

Drew - Unless you are having some nasty complications, by the time you are discharged from the hospital, you are a lot more self-sufficient than many people expect. I, too, had a home health nurse stop by for the first few weeks - mostly since I was taking warfarin for the first 3 months, so as long as I couldn't drive yet, they came to the house to do INR checks. They also checked blood pressure and general health -- things I could check for myself and call the doc if they were not good.

I was lucky enough that my wife was able to stay home with me for the first 3 weeks, so I didn't worry about much then. After that, I pushed her to go back to work (save the leave time for something we could enjoy, etc.) because for all intents and purposes, I could take adequate care of myself. I was driving and back to work (part-time in an office) at about 5 weeks.

 

[drewg]

thanks for all the feed back.

steve, I also work in a office setting and im hoping to be back within 3 weeks. (at least a 4-5 hours a day). but my job does get quite stressful, and from what I am hearing about the depression post surgery, don't want to push it to much.

thanks
Drew

 

[epstns]

Depression can happen, and when it does, it is real. But you, as the patient, are at least aware of what to look for and can seek out tools to help you recognize the symptoms and control the situation. I guess being fore-warned is also being fore-armed.

The one gating factor to your getting back to work at 3 weeks (aside from the question of whether you actually feel up to it) may be how to get to work. If you take public transportation - are you up to that mayhem? Long waits for trains/buses? If you drive, will you be released to drive yet? (Many of us weren't released to drive until 4 or 5 weeks, and might not have been up to the torso movement required to drive even at that time.) If you have a way to get a ride to and from work, of course, then these cautions don't apply.

Another thing to keep in mind is that the meds used in and after surgery may have effects on you even out several weeks. You won't know until then what, if any, effects there will be. I know that at 3 weeks I was just stopping the pain meds, and was still not up to my normal mental acuity levels. By 4 or 5 weeks, I felt sharp enough to get back to my normal range of work responsibilities, with shorter hours. (To give you an idea of my stress levels, I am Chief Financial Officer of a manufacturing company that supplies the auto industries in about 30 countries. No stress here. . . )

At this point I would keep all of the options open. Plan for the best but be prepared for less. Tell yourself you will go back at 3 weeks, but give yourself permission to take more time if needed. I told my office that I would be out about 6 weeks, but that it could be up to 8. Then when I got back at 5 weeks, we were all happy.

 

[drewg]

I am a plant manager of an ice cream manufacturing plant. and believe it or not ice cream can be stressful, haha. I did tell them up to eight weeks.

the sooner the better for me, I cant stand not being there, being out and falling behind will stress me out more.

less then two weeks from now ill be out of surgery sooo, I guess ill know soon enough.

cheers,
Drew

 

[epstns]

I know what you mean about stress in a food plant, Drew. I spent a couple of years working in the management of a large regional commercial cookie bakery. The food industry has its own set of stressors not known to us metal-benders. OSHA is one thing. . . the FDA is another.

 

[Shellbell]

Drew-
Im 3 weeks out from surgery and my follow-up was see my gp a week after coming home, then see my cardiologist 4 weeks after coming home ( thats next week, i had a chest xray and bloodwork done yesterday for it, first bloodwork since the hospital since i went tissue so no INR to monitor ), and then i see my surgeon approximately 8 weeks after coming home.

Work- wise for me, im in sales and work on my feet all day with lifting, so i told them it would be 6 weeks for sure, and even then no lifting for at least 12. Next weekend i am gonna fill in and try a shift, light duty of course, at 4 weeks out to see how it goes and help out as we're short-handed. Good luck on your surgery and recovery. Wish me luck at work and hope i can keep from taking work stress onboard right away!

 

[Shellbell]

O and btw- its the 19th now so i hope you're feeling fine and "bosses day" went well. Hopefully you'll be on your wY home any day and starting your own follow-up. Looking forward to hearing how it went.

 

[T in YVR]

My follow up is similar to Shellbells's from a timing standpoint.

- I saw my family doctor 1 week post op (it was fairly routine.....check BP, HR, look at scar, some Q&A, discuss INR situation
- I am supposed to see my cardiologist 4-6 weeks post op. They will also schedule an echo just before i see him.
- I see the surgeon 3 months post op
- I also have mech valve and am getting my INR checked every 3-4 days. No one comes to my house like physio, nurses or rehab people. I walk to the clinic (about 1.5km) to get my INR done.

I was in the hospital for 8 days and saw the surgeon every day. I also had some intense pain and went back to the hospital on day 12 at which time they did a full check on me as well as a brain scan and chest X-ray. This part was all unplanned, but nice to know they took the situation seriously.