What happens after you leave hospital ?

[Paleowoman]

When you get home after OHS, what happens ? Do you see your GP ? Do you see your cardiologist ? How long after ?

 

[dg_moore]

Depends - I've seen different accounts. In my case, I saw my surgeon for a followup at 3 weeks post-op, at which point he discharged me from his care, and then saw my cardiologist 3 or 4 weeks after that. I got a new baseline echo, ekg, and thorough exam from him and he pronounced me good to go. Obviously, if you're having issues you can contact either doc for advice.

 

[AZ Don]

I had a couple follow-ups with the surgical team over 4-6 weeks before they discharged me to the care of the Cardiologist. Also had new baseline echo, ekg, etc. I have a 6m follow-up with the surgical team along with another echo and CT scan, then I expect to see the Cardiologist every year or two.

 

[VegasBAV]

I saw my GP 1-2 weeks after I got home, then I saw my cardiologist 1-2 months after that? Still haven't had an echo since the surgery, I'll have that later this month at the one year mark.

 

[big_L]

I saw my GP within a week to get my incision examined. He also extended my work release at that time. The hospital had only written it for 6 weeks. He extended it three more weeks.

I saw the cardio maybe a week after that. He looked everything over. Then revisited the cardio at ~ 8 weeks post surgery for another look-see.

We've been adjusting the beta-blocker and changing some of the prescriptions during this time. I walked out of the hospital with three new Rx - all 30 day. I had to remember to get either the GC or cardio to rewrite these as 90 day for my insurance.

Since I'm on warfarin, weekly/bi-weekly visits for the lab draw and then followup phone calls from the 'coumadin clinic' to discuss dosing.

Now I revisit the GP for a normally scheduled physical soon. Then at 6 months, routine echo and another cardio visit.

 

[Paleowoman]

Thanks everyone.....I should have asked my cardiologist at the last appointment but at the time I was just thinking surgery, I wasn't thinking beyond that as I am now.

 

[Debbrn]

I was out of state for my last surgery. I stayed in town and saw the cardiologist a couple of weeks after discharge. I never saw the surgeon again. I saw my local cardio after I got back in town. I also saw my pulmonologist about 2-3 months after surgery.

Debbie

 

[DanielB]

I had a schedule handed to me at discharge where I was to see the surgeon's PA in a week, my cardiologist the week after, my primary care doc the week after that, then the surgeon a week after that. A doctor a week for a month. Didn't seem like I needed that much attention, but it was their standard protocol.

 

[Freddie]

Thanks everyone.....I should have asked my cardiologist at the last appointment but at the time I was just thinking surgery, I wasn't thinking beyond that as I am now.

Guess what? Don't worry, you should be told when you're discharged who to see and when

 

[kfay]

I traveled out of town for my surgery, so I saw my local cardio the first week I got back home (2 weeks post op).

 

[mike dab]

My surgeon wanted see me a month post op. He turned me back over to my cardiologist for everything else. So I visited both 4-5 weeks after my surgery.

 

[escargome]

GP - 2 weeks after surgery to check my incision and general well being
Surgeon - 3 weeks after surgery, to check my healing process, then turned me over to Cardiologist for follow up at 5 weeks from surgery
GP - 6 weeks, extended my short term disability for 2 more weeks cause I have having some minor lung issues.
Back to work after 8 weeks, desk job.