Thudding Heartbeat

[Gary Snodgrass]

Hello Everybody,
I am now 4 weeks post-surgery and doing well. I started my formal cardiac rehab program today. I think it will be very beneficial to me. My question is in regard to the thudding sensation I feel with each heartbeat. I have a St. Judes valve and dacron ascending aorta prosthesis. I have noticed that unless I take very shallow breaths I get a thud against my breastbone which feels like I am being tapped from the inside. My surgeon said this was due to reverberation through the breastbone with valve closure. When I went for my physical to begin cardiac rehab the nurse practicioner was shocked at how hard the thudding was. I got a little worried with that response wondering if everything was okay. The valve function is fine by echocardiogram so I guess things are okay. Is this a common occurrence? Does this get better with time and healing of the breastbone?

 

[Perrster]

Welcome!

Welcome!

Hi Gary,

Glad to hear you are doing well at 4 weeks post-op.

I believe the thuds you are talking about is a "bounding pulse." I have one (actually two, as I have dual MV/AV St. Jude Mechanicals). You should be able to hear them all the way from Chicagoland!

Everything I've read, asked doctors and gotten answers about the pulse leads me to accept that it is a common thing. I'm pounding away as I sit here keyboarding this message!

Try a google internet search for "bounding pulse"and read up on it.

I think the nurse may have overacted. It was explained to me that my heavy duty pulse (which measures quite normal) is due to the way that prosthetic/ mechanical valves function-the leaflets "thrust" open and close vs. an easy, flowing movement of normal tissue valves.

I have found that exercise helps and I am learning to ignore it too. I also think Magnesium supplements have helped me to some degree. It's weird and takes awhile to get used to.

Hang in there.

 

[Lorraine]

Hi Gary,

Sounds like except for the thudding, your doing very good post-op. Glad to hear that. The thudding or bounding pulse,as Perry calls it, are quite annoying. Perry and I discussed this a while back as we are both dual valvers. I agree with Perry, the nurse did over react about the noise it makes. I too went to the cardio and wanted to know what was going on and they did an echo and said it was functioning normally. It took me a long time to get use to it though. Now only occasionally it seems quite loud. Usually when I'm somewhere quiet like in bed or when I'm on the computer at home. I can feel it thumping. Then other times it's quite faint. Exercise does seem to help too. Like Perry said, with time you will learn to ignore it. Now I'm at the point I rather hear the thudding once in a while, at least I know it's working! Take care!

 

[hensylee]

Dear Gary - from what the others said, just keep on thudding. It's maybe just reminding you it's working well. Sounds like your progress is coming right along. Are you getting strength back? God bless

 

[Dave M]

Gary,

I have the combo St. Jude valve/dacron aortic root like you do and also experience the "thudding." The dacron root enhances the force of the valve closure when your heart goes into diastolic creating the thudding sensation. The dacron also amplifies the sound of the valve. It takes a while, but you will get used to it.

Dave M

 

[Getzfixed]

Gary,
I also have the ST Jude valve with dacron graft and am experiencing that thudding with deep breaths. My surgeon told me that this is normal with an explanation similar to the ones given above. I am almost twelve weeks post op and the thudding seems to be decreasing-or maybe I'm just getting used to it.
Getz

 

[alpage]

I have a bioprosthetic valve and the dacron graft. When I take a deep breath it feels as if the valve is closing with a bit of a snap or 'thud'. The doctors who have listened to it feel it's normal and the echo is fine. Glad to know there is an explanation for it.

Alan

 

[cookie]

Hi Gary!
I also have a Medtronic-Hall aortic valve with a dacron conduit. The "thudding" was really scaryso I ask my cardio about it and he put me on the smallest does of beta bocker there was and that did the trick. It still thuds with deep breaths but I can live with that. Recently he ask me to cut back to one pill every other day and the first day I didn't take it the thudding was back! Good luck with yours. Maybe I would have gotten used to it, but I really bothered me.

 

[Gary Snodgrass]

Thanks everybody for your replies. It helps to hear from others who have been through the same path I am on. I am 6 weeks post surgery now and doing well. Rehab has been going well and I am getting used to the thudding due to the valve closure. It does still seem weird to me that at times all I feel/hear is the valve ticking and other times for no apparent reason it feels like someone is tapping hard on my breastbone. I guess I will learn to ignore it with time. As others have noticed when I exercise I don't notice the valve closure at all. All in all I am looking forward to being fully recovered and returning to life as I knew it!

 

[Pat Hicks]

Thudding

Thudding

I too had avr and dacron aorta. I have a constant thudding which I can hear and feel when I choose to listen. I am 5 months post surgery and I used to hear it all the time. I can still take my pulse just by looking at a watch because I can feel the thudding. I have had 2 echos and am told all is okay!

 

[RobThatsMe]

Hi Gary,

I am now 2 years post op AVR with a dacron graft, and remember very clearly the thumping feeling, especially at night when laying in bed. I mentioned the thumping and clicking in my narrative.

Well, I hardly feel it now, either that or I just got so used to it that I don't pay attention to it anymore. However, at night in bed I can still hear the clicking, at times it acts as a comforting reminder that I am stil alive, and at other times it reminds me of how fragile we all are.

I think you will also find that in time the thumping will not be as noticable.

Hope your recovery is full and that you are back to enjoying a very active lifestyle.

Rob

 

[ALCapshaw]

I think Perry is on to something with his comment about the rapid opening and closing of the mechanical valves. An engineering analogy would be like a Square Wave that is either ON or OFF versus a Sine Wave that gradually rises and falls.

Another factor is that your heart is no longer floating in a liquid pouch since the pericardium was opened for access to the heart. (I hope I'm right in this concept. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong) Is the heart actually up against the sternum after surgery?

'AL'