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What is recovery like after Mitral Valve Surgery
Heart & Blood Health | Last Active: Apr 7 2:20pm | Replies (20)Comment receiving replies
First, I wish you all the best and hope it all goes well for you.
When you come off the anesthesia, you may still be intubated (they want to make sure you can breathe on your own before they remove the tube) and as a warning, your wrists may be loosely tied down. This is to keep you from pulling out the tube. I woke up still intubated, which was uncomfortable, but not real painful. The nurses should be there to assure you. I was told I wasn't ready for them to remove the tube yet, then fell asleep again until I was ready.
I had minimally invasive surgery so can't tell you about a sternotomy, but was told that going in between the ribs healed faster, but was more painful. I was on pain meds for a week or so.
Hope that's helpful.
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Thank you for reaching out to me. My situation is my lung condition. I have copd which makes everything more high risk. I walked 20 minutes on my treadmill and I’ve been doing my lung exercise exercises with several devices plus coughing exercises plus anything and everything I can do to build up my lung function so that my lungs will breathe again for me after the anesthesia. That is my biggest concern. I wish mine was minimally invasive, but I need a mitral valve replacement so therefore they have to do basically open-heart surgery and crack open my sternum and all that I’m certainly not looking forward to it.🙁 I’m going on the 15th for a pulmonary test. I’m hoping and praying to God I can blow at least in the 60’s hopefully in the 70’s ..that’s what’s scaring me…