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krist77

Hi everyone, this is my first post. I had surgeory 9 weeks ago (aortic valve replacement mechanical and aortic graft) and im looking towards the future but getting put down with what im being told.
Ive always been very active, im 29 and have been doing full contact kickboxing for years. i know and accept my kickboxing is over, due to warfarin but today i was told i may not be able to do weights again. i lost 2 1/2 stone after surgeory, all my muscle gone feel gutted, i was 16 1/2 stone now 14 (im 6' 4"). It took years to build up to that. I want to gain it again but was told a) not a good idea to carry that muscle weight b) not a good idea to lift heavy weights

My question is does anyone do weights on here? or have any advise for what i can do? i started jogging again the other week, which is a start but seems there is a long a maybe impossible way to go!
 
You certainly don't want to do anything to cause the valve or graft to tear, which heavy weight lifting could possibly do. Ask Arnold Schwarzenegger. Your only 9 weeks out. You've got to give it some time before you start really working out again. I'd say 6 months minimum.

I'll let the others chime in with their thoughts. I'm limited to sedentary myself.
 
What?! There's a danger with weight lifting?! I had my surgery in May and I'm doing weights now... What's the risks involved?
 
The risk with heavy weights is that you will push your BP into dangerous levels and therefore blow out the valve, etc. I have a valve repair and I did go back to weights around 2 months post op., but I did not lift the really heavy stuff. My cardio is ok with what I am doing, especially since I am careful to not hold my breath. I also still do judo, but I am not taking coumadin.
 
Yeah, they told me no heavy weights 18 years ago too, but no one ever said how much heavy was. I've never been into power lifting anyway so I've kept it at 100-150 lbs., what I would consider maintenance lifting.
 
Got told that carrying bulk increases your hearts work rate (which my doc doesnt want) dont know why or what the long or short term affects of that would be, everyone seems very vague. + they said lifting heavy weight makes it more likely for a clot to form. Something to do with the faster heart rate making it harder for your blood to pass the valve. Youll have to ignore my non tech terms. I was benching 100 - 120kg before, does anyone think this is an achievable figure again?
 
krist77 said:
Got told that carrying bulk increases your hearts work rate (which my doc doesnt want) dont know why or what the long or short term affects of that would be, everyone seems very vague. + they said lifting heavy weight makes it more likely for a clot to form. Something to do with the faster heart rate making it harder for your blood to pass the valve. Youll have to ignore my non tech terms. I was benching 100 - 120kg before, does anyone think this is an achievable figure again?
Click to expand...

It seems that cardiologists/surgeons all have different points of view on weightlifting. Some feel the the increase in blood pressure through the aorta (Johns Hopkins genetics lab states there is a 3x increase according to a recent patient and member) while lifting is too much. Some dr's will advise no lifting, some moderate, and others no restrictions at all.

I would discuss it with your surgeon since he knows your medical history. I would think it would depend on why you had the graft and valve done in the first place.
 
There's a difference between having a replaced valve and having a replaced valve with a section of aorta.

If you are prone to aneurysms (which the extra graft sleeve would indicate), the added pressure can expand weak areas and cause you new aneurysms. That means more surgery (or worse, if it's not detected in time).

You need to look at other ways to restore your musculature. More reps of lighter weights (100 lbs is not "light" for this purpose) would keep your muscles strong. Don't go for bulk anymore. Adapt and overcome.

Best wishes,
 
Sorry to say it: Forget the heavy stuff.

Sorry to say it: Forget the heavy stuff.

I know it's tough to hear it at 29, but trust someone who has been athletic and into numerous sports all his life, including lifting when I played semi-pro football. I lift now, but I don't do heavy squats. I don't do straight bench. Nothing that involves lifting where the goal is trying to lift as much weight as I can. Rather, I lift to keep myself in shape. I'm a cyclist, which does nothing for my upper body; therefore, that's what I work on. Also, it's important to do weight bearing exercise to prevent osteoporosis as you age. And...you will age, if you're lucky.

But think for a moment about your own weight lifting. Picture yourself maxing on the bench, squating, even doing curls or shrugs. Ever look at your face in the mirror while your doing your sets (that's a rhetorical question)? You see bulging veins and eyes, a red face and....what's that sound you make? You get the picture. Now, think about that hard working fist sized pump responsible for getting all that blood to the right places and the fact that it's already had a tough time in life. The pressure you're putting it under just isn't fair to it. You want to help it not hurt it because you need it for everything else you do in life.

I'm just another heart patient, but I've been where you are. You may find a cardiologist who tells you to do what you want with weights, but I sure wouldn't, and I'm not afraid to push myself to the max on a regular basis. But I don't lift weights that way. And I recommend you don't either.

Trust me, you'll find happiness (and longevity) with another activity. A person can't lift like you're used to that much longer anyway. OK, enough preaching. Be wise, do the right thing, stay healthy and live a long time!
 
I was an avid weightlifter prior to my first AVR. The told me I had a dialated aorta at the time that if I remember at a 4.2 or so. i told my cardio at the time that I enjoyed lifting and I think she got the vibe I was going to do it regardless of what she said, so she just told me to call 911 if I felt a severe pain in my chest. :)

Post AVR the most I've lifted (not leg press etc) was 275 lb in a set of 4 on the barbell bench press a couple of years ago. I was able to lift 225 lbs a set of 10 a few months ago, but as SOB and fatige have set in a bit lately I haven't lifted much or worked out much in the last few months.

I'm meeting with a surgeon tomorrow about a redo with an aortic root replacement and I'm sure whether to lift or not to lift will come up. Since my condition will be changing, what I do lifting wise certainly may have to change as well. Oh well.
 
The best thing you can do is have an open conversation with your physicians since--as has been mentioned--they know your case best. You can, though, ask for reasons as to why you shouldn't do certain things. That way, you can work with the restrictions to get where you want to be.

Your athletic career is not over; it'll just be different. That's all. As you know, there are plenty of ways to challenge yourself, whether it's with higher rep counts, focusing on multi-joint movements, or CrossFit-style bouts of controlled intensity.

JeffM is right on in saying that you may find a cardiologist who'll tell you what you want to hear, but that doesn't make it wise to listen. However, maybe you want to at least talk to a doc who's an athlete as well. That person may be more helpful in terms of giving you guidelines that'll get you going again. Docs are human just like patients and sometimes give incomplete advice or fail to understand the patient perspective. at least talking with someone who gets where you're coming from would be a step in the right direction.
 
You have to make sure you breathe properly during your workouts. REALLY make sure. Holding your breath while lifting heavy usually results in a valsalva maneuver. This puts extra pressure on your aorta. I'm lifting regularly, but I'm a weakling :) I'm just trying to develop good habits for when I'm actually able to lift a decent amount of weight. Try to read up on the valsalva maneuver. I'm going to research this further.
 
Post-op Weight Lifting

Post-op Weight Lifting

As others have mentioned in previous replies to your post, doctors seem to be divided with regards to weight lifting activities following AVR and aortic graft surgery. My cardiologist placed no activity restrictions on me after AVR and aortic graft surgery. He's actually encouraged me to do whatever I want to.

I lift when my cycling season comes to an end due to cold weather. I really have no interest in power lifting and focus more on lots of reps with lighter weights.

How much you can lift and defining what a weight lifting program could look like for you would be the basis of a good conversation to have with your cardiologist.

-Philip
 
I was an avid weightlifter prior to my AVR. Just had a bad valve, no aorta problems.

Post-op my cardiologist asked me to stop doing heavy lifting, especially squats, lifting to failure, etc. I switched to high reps with moderate weights.
'Moderate' weights can mean different things. I was bench pressing 300lbs prior to my surgery and afterwards could still do 175lbs without straining. 175lbs would be 'heavy' for a lot of people.

My cardiologist encouraged me to do more aerobic exercise, which eventually led me to start doing triathlons three years after my surgery. I also did my first half marathon earlier this year.

I'm now going on nine years post op and at my most recent annual check up my cardiologist is now actually encouraging me to do more lifting to help maintain my upper body muscle mass as a get older (I'm 56). My plan is to do more machine circuit training and fewer free weights to make it easier on my joints.

Everyone is going to be different. To repeat advice offered in the previous post, I would encourage an open, frank conversation with your own doctor.
Good Luck,
Mark
 
I'm having a bunch of aorta grafted along with an AVR next month. The amount of aorta to be grafted will be determined during surgery depending on the condition of the tissue, although a good portion is definitely already on the chopping block based on my CT scan results. Regardless, I was told there will be NO restrictions on my exercise after I recover and get cleared by stress test. Obviously, they are pretty confident in the repair. You need to get the advice of your surgeon and cardiologist (BOTH - they may differ and they need to give you a consensus). They may have good reasons you should not do this or that.
 
I was instructed by my cardio to lift higher reps with lower weights.

Specifically, he told me that if the weight I was lifting was making my face red I was lifting too much.

For me I find that 25 - 35 lbs per arm up to 20 reps on any one exercise is just right. My upper body circuit includes 4 body weight and 6 weighted exercises. One circuit takes me about 30 minutes with rest in between each exercise.

I feel pretty worn after completion but I get a wicked rush of energy about 30 minutes later. Even with the lower weight I am getting good definition.

Rob
 
I lifted heavy weights for years after having aortic valve repair when I was 9 years old. I was advised against lifting weights for years by my pediatric cardiologist but I did it any way. At age 42 I had my aortic valve replaced with a St. Jude valve and a portion of my ascending aorta replaced with a dacron graft. Two years after surgery I continue to lift weights on a regular basis (5 days/week) with no problems. I do not lift as heavy as I did prior to my surgery in 2007 but I continue to lift none the less. No adverse effects to date. I had a bench press of 405lbs. prior to surgery. I now bench 225 lbs. for reps of 10. Is this advisable, I cannot say, however it is something I have been doing for most of my life and I truly enjoy doing it. I do cardio work on a regular basis as well. My echo reports post surgery have all been good.
I am a firm believer in living your life as you wish and not being limited by restrictions that a doctor places on you. Let your body dictate what is right for you.
 
I lifted for years and am presurgery but no longer lift as I do not want to put any stress on my BAV or dilated aorta. My motto on these things is that "if there is any doubt, there is no doubt, dont do it"..... the joy of lifting or almost anything is not worth any potential risk. If it does not hurt and I gave up weights, who cares? But if I lift and find out it hurts your heart even gradually, now that is a high cost for lifting. That is my logic for myself.

Rick
 
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