What would you do?

[Duffey]

A sad story here in our local community. A man in his late 40's was scheduled for valve replacement, was in the OR and had been given the paralytic, when it was learned his father had collapsed and died on his way into the hospital. He was at the hospital for the son's replacement.
The family insisted that the replacement be stopped (the son had been given the paralytic) so there was no replacement surgery done that day.

I'm not sure how I would feel if I was the one undergoing replacement, but I think I would prefer to have it performed.
What do others think

 

[Greg~]

That is a very sad story. If I were scheduled for the surgery I would prefer to continue. I don't know circumstances regarding the surgery, but I would not want my son to delay such a critical surgery over my death.

 

[nngbwh]

That is a very sad story. If I were scheduled for the surgery I would prefer to continue. I don't know circumstances regarding the surgery, but I would not want my son to delay such a critical surgery over my death.

Sad story. I'd do the same.

 

[bbuck]

Yea, I dont think my Dad would want me to reschedule my surgery, he'd want me to press on so that I got better. I'd also want my son or daughter to press on as well if I were to die. But, this family made the right call for them, may not be the same call for all of us. My heart goes out to them regardless.

 

[Phil]

Hi,

What a horrible story. And very sad for the son. When I had my AVR in 2002 I woke up in recovery to discover the surgery had been delayed at the last moment as they noticed a bleed after they turned me over. At this stage I had had a fair amount of anaestic. I was devasted and angry as I was mentally pumped and prepared. The 7 day wait for the successful surgery was a long one. I also believe my recovery was slightly harder as I had had two anaestics in a short time period. At the time my father had been recently diagnosed with lung cancer and I was scared he would die whilst I was in hospital. Thankfully, this wasn't the case and dad and I had a lot of time hanging out together (he lived next door) in the three months I had off work to recover. Sadly, dad died a month after I returned to work, but I have always been very grateful for post surgery time we had with one another.


Phil.

 

[Cooker]

I would want the surgery to continue....

 

[Bina]

When I had my surgery at age 46, I made sure that my Dad stayed home. It was hard enough on my husband to wait. Tough decision.

 

[Greg a]

The only thing that could make the story worse is if anything happens to ther son an d family has to live with the decision to stopping a lifesaving procedure

 

[Jkm7]

What an awful situation.
I agree with the others that I would want the surgery to go forward.
I also agree with Greg...... what if something happened to surgical patient waiting to finally have his surgery?
Very sad.

 

[Adrienne]

I agree with everyone else.

 

[SusQ]

What Bbuck said. If he was already in the OR and I had to make the call, it would proceed as planned. I couldn't begin to imagine having to explain it when he woke up after surgery, but I don't see much of an advantage to postponing it. Thankfully he and I are on the same page.

Man, what an awful situation for that family. Very sad.

 

[ElectLive]

Such a sad story...and difficult situation. I seem to be the exception here, because if it was me on the table, I would have wanted it stopped - assuming like most valve surgeries a delay of a few weeks would have no real impact. Part of my reasoning is this... The day after my surgery, early morning, there was about a 4 hour window of time where I was completely unable to get in contact with my familly when I was expecting them to already be at the hospital with me. As time went on, I got more and more worried that my wife might have gone into preterm labor (2 months early) and that I was not being told because they didn't think I was in position to handle the news until it was all over. I completely forget about my own situation, and it was all I could think about...my biggest pre-surgery worry had been that something might go wrong with my surgery and the stress of the moment would put my wife into labor.

Anyway, long story short, thankfully everything was actually fine. But after having that very brief but torturous period of worry, I couldn't imagine facing a horrible moment such as this story after the replacement. I would want to be there for my mother, my siblings, and my children without limitation. I had decided pre-surgery to postpone if my wife went into labor first, and I have the same view here.

 

[Ovie]

Tragic, and sad story. I'm bittersweet on the situation, yes I know my father would want me to continue on and get my surgery, however if I hadn't been cut open, regardless of what my father wanted, and if I wasn't in an emergency situation, I'd prefer to eventually wake up, and be with my family, and morn for my father. I can't imagine waking up from surgery feeling as terrible as you do when you finally wake up, than learning your father died, I can't even begin to imagine the emotional toll that'd take on the mind, and physically on the body I can't imagine that's be good for you. To sit there weak, drugged up and be out of it while your father is buried to me IMO is unacceptable. However as I said its bittersweet because he also died waiting for his son to come out of surgery, so in a sense it's saying he died for a cause that didn't happen? But than again I dont know details on his health. If it were me, wake me up unless I have hours to live because I need a replacement ASAP.

What a sad story though.

 

[Fundy]

I would definitely want the surgery stopped for sure. As Ovie mentioned, not the way I'd want to wake up from an OHS.

 

[tobagotwo]

I'm with the majority on this one. I would want the operation completed.

There would be nothing I could do for my dad, and he would have questioned the mental competence of everyone involved if the surgery hadn't followed through. He would not have wanted his demise to block anything like that.

Better to go into this major operation without being in a state of deep sadness, which might affect the success of it. Afterwards, at least the body is past the highest danger point before being subjected to the pain of such a loss. You're only out for a few hours, and with the strain of waiting and having to do it all over again (tied now with the depression of loss), it seems selfish and short-sighted to have woken him up.

Best wishes,

 

[njean]

Such a sad story for everyone concerned!

But I have to try to understand the 'why' the family thought it was better to have the surgery stopped. Perhaps the mayhem and shock of losing the dad in such a manner was so overwhelming that they may have thought they might be losing the son in the surgery, don't know??? And too, you know the doctors always feel that there will be a better outcome if the patient is in a positive and good frame of mind, so this too may have been part of their reasoning.

Whatever the reason, such a terrible situation for all!

 

[Mom2izzy]

How tragic! I can see both sides to this one...I can't even imagine what I would want or do either as the patient or the family who had to make the decision.

 

[Eva]

What a tough sad situation for everyone in that family!! I cannot tell what I would have personally done in such a situation.

 

[Guest]

Aye .... I, too, wouldn't know what I would want done in that type of situation.

I think it is one of those that you just decide at that moment ... and don't really prepare yourself for that "what if". Interesting that nobody has mentioned (unless I missed it?) the financial ramifications of delaying the surgery, especially after given the paralytic.....



Cort | 38.m.IL | pigValve + paceMaker + cowValve | 5 MCs + 1 Caprice Classic
CHD.MCs.CC + RoadTrips.hobbies.RadioShows.us66 = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort
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"I just turned around & there's nobody there" __ Heart __ 'Stranded'

 

[Duffey]

Aye .... I, too, wouldn't know what I would want done in that type of situation.

I think it is one of those that you just decide at that moment ... and don't really prepare yourself for that "what if". Interesting that nobody has mentioned (unless I missed it?) the financial ramifications of delaying the surgery, especially after given the paralytic.....



Cort | 38.m.IL | pigValve + paceMaker + cowValve | 5 MCs + 1 Caprice Classic
CHD.MCs.CC + RoadTrips.hobbies.RadioShows.us66 = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort
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"I just turned around & there's nobody there" __ Heart __ 'Stranded'

I hadn't even considered that aspect, Cort; however, I imagine the son did when he realized what had happened.