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open heart aneurysm repair

Posted by scottbliz @scottbliz, Jan 23 7:36am

Does anyone have any suggestions on how long I should feel out of breath and very tired and weak in the legs after the open heart surgery?Before the surgery I was in very strong condition for 75 but it been 2 months and I am still shakey in the legs and have to sit and rest more. I did have fluid in chest cavity and had to drain 7 times. Could that be slowing my progress. and Im on prednisone to dry up inflamation causing fluid build up

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scottbliz | @scottbliz | Feb 1 9:43am
In reply to @cyfanter2024 "My experience with AAA repair is ongoing. I needed grafts to the ascending aorta and lower..." + (show)
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My experience with AAA repair is ongoing. I needed grafts to the ascending aorta and lower part of the arch. Surgery went well, but afterward my heart would not resume proper beating and needed rest. I now have right ventricle dysfunction. My chest was left open for 5 days until it could finally be closed. I was in ICU with EVMO, dialysis, intubation for many days. What was supposed to be a total hospital stay of 5 to 7 days became 21 days. I’m 78 years old and was in excellent shape going into the surgery. The worst part was the continuous testing and vital taking done morning, noon , and night for the entire hospital stay. I was completely exhausted . It took a week on a walker, then a week on a cane, and about 2 months more to feel substantially better.

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I am so sorry about your experience. My heart would not start beating again and Dr put on a pacemaker for a while and then by the time I was fully awake it had been removed. I totally agree with you on the vital checking and blood drawing. Everytime I would doze off here came someone else to check something. It was non stop NO rest. I am at my 2 month mark today and can tell a big diference. Once again thank you for your input. It will help someone who has had your same experience

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mikeneverwired | @mikeneverwired | Jul 16 6:32pm
In reply to @scottbliz "@mikeneverwired Thankyou so much. Now I feel like I will make progress with your encouragement. I..." + (show)
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@mikeneverwired Thankyou so much. Now I feel like I will make progress with your encouragement. I knew I could get some great advice and thought on here

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@scottbliz How is your recovery coming along, Scott? With luck, by this time, you are out doing most things but don't despair if it takes longer.

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tommy1957 | @tommy1957 | 6 days ago

I had aortic valve replaced twice and my aorta grafted twice. Each time it took about 5 or 6 months before I felt good
I hope you have moved way past that now! I was 56 on 1st surgery, 61 on second

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anonymousanonymous | @anonymousanonymous | 6 days ago
In reply to @cyfanter2024 "My experience with AAA repair is ongoing. I needed grafts to the ascending aorta and lower..." + (show)
Profile picture for cyfanter2024 @cyfanter2024

My experience with AAA repair is ongoing. I needed grafts to the ascending aorta and lower part of the arch. Surgery went well, but afterward my heart would not resume proper beating and needed rest. I now have right ventricle dysfunction. My chest was left open for 5 days until it could finally be closed. I was in ICU with EVMO, dialysis, intubation for many days. What was supposed to be a total hospital stay of 5 to 7 days became 21 days. I’m 78 years old and was in excellent shape going into the surgery. The worst part was the continuous testing and vital taking done morning, noon , and night for the entire hospital stay. I was completely exhausted . It took a week on a walker, then a week on a cane, and about 2 months more to feel substantially better.

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@cyfanter2024 I totally feel your pain. Every time I go to the hospital I come home exhausted from not being able to sleep properly. On top of having the same type of experience you did I also am a third shift sleeper which meant I slept days which nobody in the hospitals recognized at all and they treated me just as if I went to bed at 10:00 and got up at 6:00am with no disturbances and well refreshed. So not only did I not have my sleep cycle followed, by the way which is vitally important for me because I have fibromyalgia and deep sleep or restorative sleep as it's called is so vitally important to feel even half decent otherwise I wake up feeling like I've been tossed around in a concrete mixer all night. Put sleep apnea and insomnia on top of that and you got a perfect storm for only a few hours of horrible sleep each day. So on top of that was the constant interruptions for meds, vitals checks, nurse, social worker, meals, pt specialists, etc coming to my bed daily. It was brutal. There is a saying around here that you don't come to a hospital for rest which is exactly what one of the original meanings of hospital is. You have to go home for rest & recuperation. It is so true. It was almost to the point that I was in tears from extreme exhaustion. I had heated discussions with supervisors and with the floor doctor. It was awful. My advice to anybody is to stay out of hospitals if at all possible. Just my experience.

You all sound like you have really good experiences in the hospital and that's great. Me, I hate hospitals. I have had one open heart surgery in my life and I pray to God that I never ever ever have to go through that experience again. I was the worst thing I ever went through in my life! I do everything that I possibly can to stay out of them but unfortunately I've been in them seven times since October 2010. Oh they also like to lose my personal belongings and then not replace them or reimburse me for them. It's gotten so bad that I'm switching hospital networks. Hope it helps a little bit...

Peace to all,
Gary

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