58 male. 6.5cm aortic aneurysm, ascending and decending full length aortic dissection, damaged aortic root, damaged aortic valve. Presented to ER - immediate surgery. Ascending aorta replacement, aortic graft, aortic valve replacement. Still present: full-length descending aortic dissection.
Additional: 35% heart failure (HFEF) post surgery, improved to 45% with meds. Stable.
Time: Surgery then ICU 5 days then ward recovery 1 & 1/2 weeks = total 2 weeks until discharge.
Challenges: HF - weakness, tiredness.
Answers
1-Would you go for surgery now or you would postpone it?!
Good question for surgeon. I would consider if my life could be worse with a significant medical co-condition. Now, while I am more healthy, or later, when I am less. As I said, my danger was imminent. The decision for surgery was made while I was lying on the bed in ER.
2-Did any of you have the surgery and if so, what was your results and time of recovery?
I did but not by choice - I was not walking out of the hospital without surgery. Details above. Start to finish = two weeks recovery in hospital (inc 5 days in ICU). My liver did not do so well and I lost a lot of the red stuff during the four procedures.
Drive a car in 6 weeks but I waited longer. I have a post elsewhere about the difficulty of a normal life post-surgery. I recovered (everyone should) but it could have been longer with a co-condition, and less family support. Support is key for stronger and shorter recovery.
3-Can a patient with aortic heart aneurysm travel long hours (about 16 hours) in the plane
Another great surgeon question!
I can drive a car for about 10-15 minutes before I feel tired. I prefer someone else to drive. I have been on an eight hour cross-country road-trip, with support and a level of comfort. This took me a recovery of about three months before attempting this trip. I cannot talk to a plane journey. I would not even think about such travel and I am at 12 months post-surgery. It is not that it is physically challenging - but I am not feeling that I would like to try. Just not feeling it.
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Please talk to your surgeon about these points. If they are saying "I think you should" then the decision is yours alone to follow that advice or not.