Post Op Elevated Heart Rate - Factors, Causation, Theories?

[GordoAVR]

I am 12 days post op, and recovery is very good. All data and subjective measurements are favorable. The only metric not in line with optimal recovery range is the heart rate (HR) data. Resting HR has remained high, between 85 and 95 bpm. Pre-op the HR was a consistent 65-75 bmp.

After researching this topic, it appears that the heart eventually self-regulates itself and the HR will return to a lower rate as recovery progresses. However, I was curious to know if there is a simple explanation for the elevated rate which occurs so often after valve surgery?

 

[Just ASK]

The nontechnical answer is that your heart is pissed off after what was done to it...lol. I was put on Sotalol immediately following OHS and at 3 months was taken off of it completely (along with Coumadin). 2 days later I was back on it as my resting heart rate went from 60-70 bpm to 100-110 bpm. Seems my heart has quite a memory - the official answer from my cardiologist. Seems there is no rhyme or reason other than the fact that some folks require more time than others. Plan is to be on it a total of 6 months and to try weaning off it gradually. Hopefully, my heart will "normalize" and not go racing again. Small details relative to the whole OHS experience in my eyes

 

[Julian]

As Just ASK stated, the heart does not like to be screwed with. As it heals it goes through different phases during the "restructuring" process, the heart has to get used pumping with less resistance and pressure changes. Big changes over the next year from heart to lung, and lung to heart, and both to brain. People report elevated heart rates anywhere between 1 week post op to 1 year post op and possibly beyond is normal. I'm now 23 days post op and my resting heart rate is now 65-80 when just 1 to 2 weeks ago it was 90-105 range.

I'm on metoprolol which seems to have my blood pressure in the 95/55 to 105/65 range. A bit too low if you ask me, within the next month or two I'm going to talk to my cardio about lowering my does from 75mg a day to 25mg a day and see how I work on that. He wants me on this for life because of the aortic graft I have (keep pressures down), I've never had high blood pressure so me staying under 120/80 without metoprolol should be doable, only time will tell.

 

[Cort]

I'm in the same boat.. 21 days post op and resting heart rate is generally between 85-95 bpm, and blood pressure ranges from 96/63 - 105/70. I'm on 150 mg of toprol so hopefully my cardiologist will lower that soon. Sounds like this is the normal recovery, so nothing to worry about.

 

[Jason]

My heart rate ran faster before surgery than it does now, but that is probably mostly due to the metoprolol. I was on 75 X 2 daily, and gradually over time my heart rate dropped down into the 40's. They bumped me down to 50 X 2 after that, and I have stayed there now for the last several months. I go in for my 6 month visit (seven months after my surgery date) in the first week of October. I don't know if they will take me off of metoprolol at that point or not, but we shall see...

 

[hook]

mine was in the mid to high 90s the first two weeks, dropped into the 80s on the third weeks and dropped from there. I was stuck at 72bpm for many months, and with increased excersize it now dips to the low 60s when the kids aren't screaming. It don't get any better than that for me.

 

[jake]

Mine was at 100-110 after surgery on 100mg of Metorpolol and stayed that way as the surgeon weaned me off of the Beta Blocker. 9 months later, I’m back in the 60's and 70's with no metoprolol.

 

[Rocky]

I am around the 65 range. Lower than it was before surgery. It did go up to 170 for several hours about a week after I got home from the hospital, which required an ambulance ride back to the hospital. What is odd, is how strong my pulse feels. I can see it in my eyes now.

 

[normofthenorth]

Mine stayed abnormally high for MONTHS -- not even counting an A-fib HR=150-ish ambulance ride back to the hospital a few weeks after discharge. My Cardio didn't find 100-ish RHR even worth mentioning in those first few months.

I went off metoprolol (BB) at 3 months, which didn't seem to boost it much. It gradually dropped back toward resting HR of ~60, my usual normal, starting the drop maybe ~2.5 months post-op. More recently, it's been dropping much lower, with the help of PACs (diagnosed after a 48-hr Holter monitor). I haven't tried seeing my booming (slow) pulse in my eyes, Rocky, but now I'll try!