Ross Procedure - Post Op

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A

aesarco

Hi, this is my first posting to your site. I have read all the post op discussions and I don't see anything that exactly fits my current questions.

My husband, Bobby, age 56 had the Ross Procedure on 12-4. Things seem to be going okay most of the time. However, he does have the eyes problem that I have read many of you relate to. He also has a pain in his lower right side (which is now over a week of pain). We saw the surgeon, he didn't seem to think it was anything to worry about.

Also, we were prescribed Vicadin for the pain. This seemed to interfer with sleep, so we went off Vicadin and started using Tylenol 3. This seems to help take the edge off the discomfort without the sleep interference.

The other feedback we need is on the "clicking" of the sternum. What is normal? Does it ever stop?

Well, I guess that good for a start. Thank you.
 
Hi Ann-

My husband is the patient here also. Welcome to the site. You'll love being here. Everyone is very friendly and understands just where you're coming from.

My husband hasn't had the Ross procedure, so I'm sure that there will be others who will come along to help in that respect.

We hope to see you here often, and ask all kinds of questions. I'm sure you'll get some answers.
 
Welcome, Ann So nice to see you here. As for clicking, everybody says they click away and have not said it ever goes away. They just get used to it. I had bypass so can't address your problem, but there are many who will come along and tell you of their experiences. This is a wonderful site for information and exchange of personal experiences, as well as support for you. God bless:)
 
Hi ,

Welcome to the site. I would suggest that you click onto the "Personal Stories" on the home page here and read some of the stories from those that have had the Ross Procedure. You may also want to send them an e-mail to ask your RP questions.

Many of us may be away for the holidays...I am sure you will get some responses.

As for the clicking sternum, that could happened to any of us after they split it open for surgery. It will stop as you heal. I never had that experience. Guess the doctor wired me up real tight. But many on here have spoke of it. I do not know how much clicking is too much. It does take a long time for the sternum to heal, months actually. However, 5 weeks of healing is a good beginning. They will let you lift more than 5 lbs after 5 weeks, and also let you drive if everything else seems OK . So, I think you really need to be patient, and let things heal. Don't try to do more than the doctor advised.

Happy Holidays,

Rob
 
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Thank you all for your responses. It is encouraging to hear from others who have gone through OHS. I will review the personal stories section as Rob suggested.

Nancy, it is especially nice to know someone who is the spouse of the patient. It is hard being the spouse, but much harder being the patient.

Rob, I bet you are in the minority with the lack of clicking. Yes, you must have been sewn up well!

Hensylee, thanks for the welcome and the feedback. I hope the clicking goes away for us. But if it doesn't, it certain can be lived with.
 
Hi Ann-
I had the Ross on 7/12.
I had lots of strange aches and pains. Most of them were caused by having my chest opened and my shoulders pressed back for 7 hours. Also, a lot of the pain was from not being able to get comfortable and doing "muscle guarding"...walking hunched up so the incision hurt less. I had wacky pains in my sides, too.

The clicking in the sternum goes away. If it is still there in 3 months go back to the surgeons. Bobby is only a few weeks out of surgery, so he has a while yet before getting "excited" about strange pains. The sternum takes a good 6 months to heal completely. I am almost at 6 monts and have a pain in the bone callus at the top on my sternum. My scar still bugs me some, too.

It all takes time to heal. This is a big, invasive procedure, so tell Bobby to relax, he's supposed to feel funny.

-Mara
 
To Mara

To Mara

Mara,

Thank you for the encouragement. It is good to hear from someone that is six months into recovery. I guess we expected pain along the incession and the chest area. We didn't expect pains anywhere else. Kinda dumb, I guess.

I think we also expected the rapid daily recovery that we experienced in the hospital to continue when we got home. This has really slowed down to where we don't "see" a daily improvement.

Thanks for sharing. I look forward to hearing about your continued progress :). It helps us see the end to our own tunnel!

Ann
 
hi ann!
i've been away for the last 2 weeks and was happy to read your posting. my husband, joey (49), also had a ross prodecure (about 3 1/2 months ago). although he never had any clicking (his surgeon specifically told us that he closed him up very tightly), he did have aches and pains all over the place (they actually moved from spot to spot) for a long time. his sternum still gets a little sore from time to time. from what i've read, as the patient heals the clicking should lessen and go away. but, as mara pointed out, if it doesn't disappear, bobby should see his dr.
while on vacation joey played some golf and tennis and actually jogged in the caribbean heat!!!! the best thing was when he played tennis for the first time.... he told me that he played really badly, but that he had not breathed that deeply in years!! how wonderful does that sound?!
i've found throughout all of this that patience is of the essence when it comes to the recovery. for every few steps forward there was often one step back. little by little it was all forward...even now though, for example, joey is on amiodarone for afib he had post surgery, and while on vacation he had some skipped beats for several hours... we both got nervous and worried, but they went away. now the dr has decided to keep him on the amio for a few more months instead of taking him off it in a week as previously planned.
i imagine things will crop up as you go along, but it gets easier and smoother with time.
i hope this has helped. if you'd like to contact me anytime i'd be happy to talk. my phone number is 914-698-4066 and my email address is [email protected]. please feel free to get in touch.
good luck, be well, and keep us up to date, please.
-sylvia
 
Ann and Sylvia
So I am now off all heart related medicines! Finished up my last baby aspirin today and am only on my daily vitamins!
Wow!

Recovery is very quick the first few days, and then you kind of plateau, but not really. You have to keep doing the walking and exercises. The docs told me I would have what I was going to get at one year post-op, so keep at it.
 
hi mara!
that is soooooo fantastic!!! i'm so thrilled for you!! actually, joey is taking only amiodarone besides all his vitamins and folic acid and magnesium. he can't wait to be in your boat! hope you had a happy holiday and i wish you a happy and healthy new year. all the best.
-sylvia
 
To Sylvia

To Sylvia

Sylvia -

Thank you for your very informative response. Bobby has not felt like he is progressing fast enough. I keep telling him that it is normal to go this slowly. But it is hard for him. I read him your posting and it gave him more encouragement. It is so good to know that we are in the range of normal.

Sylvia, I do like visually you and Joey on the beach and him being able to enjoy his vacation. This gives me something to look forward to (health, vitality, etc.).

Also, it was most generous of you to share your phone number and email. I would expect to use one of the other - it is especially nice to know that someone is out there that understands.

Yesterday (1-4) was our one month RP anniversary. Monday 1-7, we visit the surgeon for the expected last time. I think he will be taking Bobby off Digoxin (controls a-fib). I wonder if any of you were taken off this type of med this early?

Please take care - Ann
 
To Mara

To Mara

Mara,

I think you hit it on the head! Recovery did seem to go very quickly the first week after surgery. Every day there was a visible improvement. Now days go on without any outward sign of improvement. Maybe that's the biggest problem :-(

Thank you, Mara - you are almost at the six month mark! How close do you feel to your "old" self - 50%, 75%?

Did you have symptoms before the surgery?

Ann
 
hi ann!
about the digoxin... joey had had a few bouts with afib before he had his surgery (over the yrs), and so he was on sotolol (betapace) to control his afib and it was extremely effective. when we traveled and he felt something (like the flight) might provoke his afib, he would take an additional pill and be fine. after his surgery, however, the sotolol did not work and although they had him on it, he went into afib anyway. that is why he is on amiodarone. apparently, it's one of the stronger meds used for this and is supposed to be used on a short term basis (in most cases). i think it's very common for patients to go into afib after this type of surgery. i think i heard it had something to do with all the handling and altering of the heart. the heart also doesn't know yet, we were told, that it doesn't have to work as hard as it was working before the surgery.
please tell bobby that he sounds like joey in that joey also wanted to be back to normal immediately. he was so impatient with his recovery. i would print up some of the pages on this forum for him and he still wouldn't believe that it takes up to 6 mos or a year to feel great again. he finally asked his drs and they confirmed it.
i hope bobby just keeps getting better, even if it's slowly for now..
please keep in touch. be well,
sylvia
 
Thanks

Thanks

Thank you, Sylvia. I do read as many of the postive postings as I can find. I shy away from letting Bobby know of anything that is not positive. I hadn't heard of your husband's med before. I guess that's good!

Another discussion board I review was just posted by a person who recently had the RP and it has failed. Another person posted in response to that posting stating hers too had failed! We have been banking on the stats - 15% failure rate in 24 year history.

Best Regards,

Ann
 
hi ann!
i too have been reading many posts lately talking of failed rp's. it can certainly be upsetting... i agree, you're not alone in this. still, i am convinced that these are flukes and that our surgeons didn't miss a thing!
even arnold schwartzenegger's rp failed and his valve had to be replaced the day after the surgery because it was leaking terribly...it happens, i guess. i just pray each day that things stay as stable and steady as they are.
let's just see bobby recover first and then worry about the other stuff, ok?
i'm here if you ever need to talk..
be well,
sylvia
 
Ann-
Sorry for being such a slug about responding. I have been swamped with work. (Isn't that the lamest excuse ever?)

Any way. My symptoms before surugery were few. The major one was fatigue. I could go to sleep at 10pm get up at 9am and by 2pm I was ready for a nap. I wanted to sleep all day and had no energy.

Now, I feel great. I would say I feel 100% like my old self. In fact, I feel 100% better than pre-op. I have finally managed to shake the hazy "pumpheadedness" and really feel ready and to go. I don't need an afternoon nap, and have been exercising as never before. (lost 3 pounds this week!)

Tell Bobby that it all takes time. This was a huge surgery. Be careful when going back to work. Someone on here said, very astutely, that your co-workers are so glad to see you back that after the first 2 days they forget you just had major surgery and try to put all the old stress back on you. Take the time off and relax, get well and get your energy back.

It will be 6 months tomorrow and the only complaint I have is that my scar has a big keloid at the top, it drives me nuts because it itches. Other than that, I feel great!

-Mara
 
Thanks

Thanks

Hi Mara:

Thanks so much for your reply. I really need to read it at this time. This past week as been very hard for Bobby. He doesn't seem to think he will be getting better. I explained (and he knows) that this is a passing thing. We have both read that depression is one of the "side effects" of OHS. I think this is the phase we are in. Did you have depression? How long did it last?

Others have told me that once the depression lifts, the patient begins to feel better than ever, as if s/he can concur the world.

I know he is ok. He just needs to get through this.

Ann
 
Ann and Bobby-
I had a lot of depression right after the surgery, like the immediate weeks post-op. I got depressed becuase I felt as if my brain wasn't working from all the anesthesia and the by-pass machine. Once I got past that I was feeling great. I'd say about 8 weeks total.

A doctor who is a famliy friend put me on Celexa to help with the depression! What a huge difference that made. ANd my family doctor put me on a drug called Peracitam for the fuzzy headed feeling. That really helped a lot, too.
Now I am off all of that stuff. (but thinking of going back on the Celexa. We are building a house! Talk about a nightmare!, Stress anxietY! Arghh!)
Anyway, it just takes time. Doing your exercises, getting out, feeling good about yourself really help.
You know, now that the surgery is over you are on the way to getting back to better than normal.

-Mara
 
Thanks

Thanks

Thanks for the response Mara. It helped to read that you went through the depression too. We are 5 weeks post-op, so maybe we will get out of the dumps soon. Also I will check on the meds.

Happy Anniversary!

Ann
 
hi ann and bobby!
joey didn't really go through a depression, but he was very disturbed and frustrated by the fact that he couldn't get comfortable in the bed, that he couldn't run yet (only walk on an incline!), that he just couldn't be "normal". i think he truly expected the recovery to go much faster than it did. actually, i think he may have gotten some of his aches from doing too much. he was back in the office after 3 weeks (if only for a few hours a day)!!!! i thought that was nuts, but he needed it for his mind.
little by little he started to get stronger and more able to do some of those things. he actually thought he'd never be able to play golf or tennis again (considering the movements required), but he tried while away and did just fine. he is, as i write this, away on a golf trip.
it just takes time. please tell bobby to be patient. it will all fall into place little by little.
in fact, please extend our offer to have him call joey or myself anytime. joey would surely tell him about how impatient he was with his own recovery. (he'll be back by the weekend).
i'm glad he's doing well though. (and you too!)
you are in my thoughts. be well,
sylvia
 
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