I've personally experienced the depression following all 3 of my open heart surgeries. Fortunately, the docs and nurses warned me that it was probably going to happen and to just ride it out knowing it would go away. I think it lasted about 6 weeks with me. So, after the next 2 open hearts I knew to expect it. In talking with many people who have gone through open surgeries, I've found that this is not often discussed prior to the surgery. I'm going through it right now after having my 11 stent placed in my heart in January. It's different than the "after open heart depression" but nonetheless, still very real.
I'm just trying to "ride it out" hoping it will pass soon. I fortunately have a very loving, supportive wife that has been my sounding board.

I think I must be one of the three blind mice. I don’t think I was depressed at all but did have a sense of awe. The need for open heart surgery came very fast after some tests at Mayo so I didn’t have time to think about it. I had a total arch replacement and an aneurysm repair. Was in the hospital 8 nights and had to go home with oxygen. Still, I felt well, if a bit tired. I was just so grateful to Mayo, the doctors, the kind after care...thankfulness was my main emotion. However I can certainly understand depression about heart surgery, especially for young folk. I was 72 at the time of my surgery. Whatever you feel, I hope it will ease for you. Rehab helps as you can compare notes with others who have been in the same situation. I have another aneurysm that is not quite big enough for surgery. I really don’t worry about it but do keep going for checkups each year at Mayo. I have all the faith in the world for Mayo. Best of everything to all of you heart patients! Carol

I can understand someone’s scarred feelings. When I had my total heart block level three during the night after they put in a temporary pacemaker ,lying in the dark and alone, I was very scared that I wouldn’t make it. Now that all seems like an old feeling.

@kanaazpereira - Sorry, just now getting to the topic you posted.
I have shared bits & pieces of this story over several posts, but will give this a go and try to be not overly wordy.
Shock, unbelief, crazy are just a few words to describe my initial experience that faithful day in May of 2014.
I had just finished my typical 1.3 hr. workout that Monday and headed home to clean up and grab a bite before returning to work.
As I was about to sit down to eat the lunch my wife had set out I started feeling very flush, sweating a bit and then the pain moved up my left arm and then accross my chest. I decided to sit in my favorite chair in the LR for a moment to pause and think about what I was feeling. My wife followed me in and asked if I was OK. My response was no and I think I'm having a HA!
She expressed her unbelief just as I had and asked me are you sure? I remember reading in a reader's digest once that if you think you are having a HA grab several baby aspirins and chew on them. She quickly got some for me and we prayed for wisdom for that moment. We decided to drive up to our ER just about a 20 minute ride. No more than 10 minutes into the drive I had wished we had called an ambulance (definitely that would have been the right decision!) I asked my wife if she could drive faster please and she responded that if I go any faster I'm going to run into someone! My response was to just go over them!
The pain was excruciating and I felt any moment I was going to pass out!
We arrived in front of the ER and I was met by someone with a wheelchair immediately. I was rushed into the hospital and rather than rush me into the ER they rolled me into a business office where a nice woman started asking me all sorts of questions.
I stopped and said please mam I think I am having a HA! At this point I was in tears and things moved quickly as they rolled me into an ER room and started plugging me into all kinds of machines. I talked with the Cardiologist briefly and after getting the pain under control they proceeded with the several typical tests. My wife joined me and we were both told that I was not presenting any real signs of having a HA, but he decided they wuld admit me and do a stess test in the morning. My wife decided to run home to grab a few things for me and text our good friends to ask the to pray.
Soon after the Cardiologist left the room a Echo Tech arrived and started performing an echo. Within a few minutes he quickly left the room and returned just as fast with the Cardiologist in tow. Things at that point proceeded very quickly and after procuring a team of doctors I was run into the Cath Lab and received a stent in my LAD. I had just survived "the Widow Maker" with 100% blockage of my LAD.
I started not long after this ordeal with Cardio Rehab and because I was accustomed with much of the exercise equipement I relished being alive and got to work. I felt very secure there because it was just down the hall from the Cardiology Dept..
I was told by my Cardiologist early on that my heart had suffered damage to the lack of blood getting to a portion of my heart and he talked about a term I was not familiar with called Ejection Fraction (EF). Mine was at about 30% and he told me that often within the 1st year that will increase. Once complete with Cardio Rehab I get permission to go back to my Gym and I was on a quest to get the blood flowing again and increase my EF.
I was feeling great and it almost seemed sureal at times that I had really experienced this.
After the 1st year I had another Echo and met days later with my Cardiologist. I could'nt almost wait for him to read the Echo and tell how much progress I had made! Much to my surprise I was presented with something I had not anticipated. My EF was about the same!
From that point on although thankful I was alive, I was not expecting what I was told after working so hard over that last year!
I began to feel like "damaged goods"! That feeling really took over me and it was often a real battle. I had been working out nearly 3x a week for years and out of the blue w/o any warning Boom! Seemed like my life was forever changed!
Year 2 came and once again I had another Echo with the same results. I was really bummed!
I decided that since we spend most of the month of April in Tucson, AZ. I was going to get a 2nd opinion from the Scottsdale, AZ. Mayo. I made the appt. and several months later we were there and I met Dr. Lynch. I had a whole series of tests they had set up and he informed me that he would be with me for most of the time. The last test I took that day was a stress Echo and as promised Dr. Lynch was there. He pushed me hard on the Treadmill and I had these monitors in front of me that he was watching while he cheered me on. He would ask can you keep going and I would say yes and before I knew it I had broke a HR of 150 whearas in the last 2 years of doing cardio the highest I had been able to get was 137. He had me drop down on the bed where the tech continued the echo and the whole time Dr. Lynch kept saying great pictures! You did great! I was ecstatic!!
We met about a 1/2 hr. latter in his office and he told me that it would take him a few days to get final results, but he was assured that my EF was much higher than 130. We left a day later to return home to OR and as promised Dr. Lynch wrote me a email stating that my EF was in fact 145.
I tell you this story to encourage you and perhaps get a second opinion.
I nor any of you are damaged goods! We are all God's children and are deeply loved.
I can't say enough about the Mayo Clinic and their Drs., Nurses and Staff!
I will always be eternally thankful for their care.
Jim@thankful

I am just so grateful that my open heart surgery on 2/3/20; at Mayo went so well. I am recovering well - every day is a good day! Never give up!