pre-op tests?

[Roncul]

I am scheduled for aortic valve replacement in early April at Columbia-Presbyterian in NYC (Dr. Craig Smith). My pre-op appt. is mid-March. What does that usually entail besides basic blood tests, blood pressure, EKG, urine, etc. Do they do arterial blood gases through the wrist (OUCH!)?

Thanks!

 

[Bina]

Your hospital can tell you exactly what they will be doing if you call them.
12 days before, I had a cath.
One week before, I had blood and urine tests, EKG, BP, meetings with anesthetia nurse, surgery nurse, internist.

 

[jax]

At the beginning of the week I was to have surgery I had my heart cath, blood testing. And urine testing. I also had pulminary testig. All of my test were crammed into 3 days and surgery was to be performed on the 4th but was postponed for one day due to an emergency transplant.

 

[Jkm7]

I had TEE and cath a few weeks prior to my surgery.
Day before my second surgery at Mass General, I had blood, urine, chest x-ray, ekg and physical exam. Nothing that was anything of an 'ouch'. Totally painless.

 

[Nicholas288]

I just has an aortic aneurism and aortic valve repair Feb 4 at Weill Cornell in NYC. I had to have blood test ekg etc. no more than 15 days prior. I was given a cardiac cath the day before the surgery and admitted right after.
My recommendation would be to call the surgeons office and they will give you any information you are looking for.
Best of luck
Nick

 

[Roncul]

I had a cardiac cath at the University of Pittsburgh in November, which the surgeon required (we sent him the disk). I'm glad to hear there is no arterial blood gases tests, from what I see here. Let's hope that's not true. There's enough pain I'll have to deal with when I undergo surgery. Thanks for the replies!

 

[Luana]

Well, the good news is any ABGs you need after surgery will be totally painless as they'll insert an arterial line before surgery (and after you're knocked out!) so any arterial samples needed can be done through that. I had some lung problems day after surgery and had quite a few done. A nurse removed the line too soon and I had to have one additional one, but I really didn't find it bad, and I am most definitely a person who hates anything that involves a needle. If you need to have one and your arterial line is gone, ask for some extra pain medication and if it can be done in an hour or so, when the pain meds have really kicked in. This is hindsight on my part, never occurred to me in the hospital.

Wishing you all the best!