Ascending Aortic Aneurysm-Tips for post surgery

Hi there. Sounds like you are the support he will need. My wife was the same for me. I would not have made it to the hospital that night without her.
I had a dissection and aneurysm and drs replaced the asc aorta and other bits in OHS.
Search for my first posts to this forum about 1+ year ago. I have a list of recovery tips.
The most important (for me) was to practice lying on my back when sleeping. If your husband can do it now start sleeping on his back only. After surgery he MUST sleep on his back for at least six weeks to let that sternum heal. And it took me about six weeks to get used to it and it wasn't nice at all. I was an emergency surgery so no time to practice, and no idea what I was in for. I went for 3 months on my back and now it is hard for me to do otherwise. But it is a good thing.
So that first six weeks is going to be the most important to get that sternum right.
Therefore, no reaching, no stretching, no bending over, no tying shoes, no crouching, no physical twisting or flexing. They told me about the cylinder, keeping within an invisible cylindricalbarrier, tucking elbows gently in, and not extending out arms for any reason.
I needed assistance for showering, dressing, getting into and out of bed, going to the bathroom (esp number two) and wiping. I found it easier to have shower after the number two than to try too hard to reach around.
(sorry everyone for the descriptions - but we are all here for a reason)
If your bath is also a stand-in shower then getting into and out of will be difficult. Try to avoid slipping. Really try. A slip can tear wounds and break fragile mends.
Wear slip-on, safe shoes. Open shirts that button easily - there will be NO over-the-head method of wearing shirts. Same with pyjamas.
The sternotomy wound will be super-sensitive - give it some space. For me the slightest touch meant excruciating pain and discomfort. (back sleeping to the rescue!)
Walk.
He will need to walk even though he won't like it.
I forgot how to walk. I was in ICU 5 days and in the ward I couldn't walk. My body was ruined and exhausted from the surgery and recovery. Nine hours or more for my OHS.
Walk outside on nice flat ground, grass or pavement. The legs are the powerhouse of the body. They will pump the blood and keep things in sync. Don't push too much, don't struggle, and stop every few yards - strength will return after a time. I used to go to the mall and walk up and down past all the stores. Kept my mind active so I would forget how boring walking is. Make sure there is plenty of supports.
Get out of the bed, and out of the chair. He is not going to re-learn how his body should move if he is lying in bed. But he should pace hmself, and not go too hard.
Focus on good foods, and some meds will make everything taste like cardboard. But eat like you're sick (because you are) and get the best nutritious foods. That heart has to heal and the wounds have to mend. Give the heart and aorta so much love and support.
Check yourself (and when I say "you" I mean "him" because this is general advice for all "you"). Check for symptoms and signs. If you are doing to much - stop. Your body will tell you when it is hurting and you have had enough. If things change esp chest and heart, seek medical help.
Check urine and poop for any signs of blood (internal bleeding) - if found, seek help.
Take meds - always. Never skip a day for any reason - you can quibble with doctors later but for a start take your meds. If you have missed a dose, don't double dose or "catch up". Just take the dose later that night or when you remember and resume dosage next time and listen to pharmacist or doctor advice - that will be a question to ask before discharge from hospital. What if I miss a dose?
Get into a rehab program - think about it now. I don't think I live near you so I cannot help here. But there should be at least one hospital offering cardiac rehab. Don't skip the education component, and attend with him so you can learn something.
Ask questions. Always ask questions. Information is a powerful tool for recovery. PM me if you need. My CT angio scan is on 11th. I will thinking about your stories.
Tell us all how you are doing.

(edit: I just realized how long that comment is - sorry, but I hope it helps)

A good recliner is essential. Don't underestimate the importance of the heart pillow. I am over 6 months out and still use it at night. Coughing will be excruciating and hugging the pillow tight is the best way to mitigate that. Sneezing is worse but again the pillow. Sleeping at night is going to be rough for a few weeks for various reasons and just have to work through it. I tried to focus on something unrelated to the situation or anything stressful. The reacher (I named mine Jack Reacher) is the 2nd best thing I left the hospital with besides the pillow. I avoided needing a walker when I left the hospital, but my legs were strong. I used my tall 62 inch hiking stick instead to have something to lean on when needed. Walk as much as possible several times a day. That is important early on even when you don't want to. The 1st few days after surgery will be the worst regarding getting up. Discipline on not pulling up with your arms is critical. Fortunately I had good leg strength.

Thank you both so much...... Printing so I don't forget anything. I will need to take a look in the Help Center for how to look for old posts and how to PM on this site....I am not super techie! Thanks again.

I'm 78 years old and on March 27th I received a new aortic heart valve, a Bental procedure to repair the aortic root, and a 5.0 cm aneurysm repaired. I was in St. Mary's in Rochester for a week, because after 5 days my team decided I need a permanent pacemaker which took a couple of extra days. We returned home on the 7th of March 7th. Our adult son drove us home and stayed with us for a week to assist where needed.

I may be an exception to the rule, but have experienced none of the difficulty some others have reported. I had minimal pain during my hospital stay, aside from the brief (and sharp) pain when I coughed. During my stay I only took painkillers stronger than Tylenol 3 times. Since returning home I have continued to improve each day. I resumed driving locally after 4 weeks and started cardiac rehab at my local hospital 10 days ago; three days a week for about an hour. I take a couple of Tylenol a day, but I often did that before surgery. I returned to church a week ago, and am planning to try singing with our choir at practice this week. I'm sleeping on my side and again using my CPAP. I have no problem showering or dressing my self. Again, this is 4 1/2 weeks after my surgery. Good luck to you and your husband and prayers for an uneventful recovery.

I like you did not have as many issues as others have described, I slept on my side with no problems. I was the one who suggested the bidet especially for #2, I read someone above recommended shower after, the bidet worked well for me. I needed minimal help, my biggest issue was my leg as I had fracture surgery 2 months prior (how they found the aneurysm), otherwise just dealing with the sternum pain (and leg in my case) and the pillow was my best friend. As others said, walk, walk and walk.

I did feel bad for moments , my surgeon told me that was my body readjusting to the trauma of having my organs manhandled. I was back to work in 3 weeks.

I did of course had the help of my wife, especially for meals, medications, etc but physically I was able to do almost everything on my own.

I guess everyone is different. Hope surgery goes well and the recovery is as easy as it can be!!!

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I can't find my earlier posts - are they deleted?
I am happy to help but I am not a doctor or physician. I can only relate my experience.

And I never had a pillow. Wish I did 🙁
I didn't know about it until my support group shared pictures of people with the pillows and by then it was too late.
< SIGH>

Super helpful! Thanks for the directions!
I assumed it was a regular pillow???? ...I have not seen any pictures.

Mayo and Cleveland Clinic give out heart shaped pillows. They are specifically designed for that function. They also serve to go between you and the airbag when you are allowed to ride in the front of a vehicle, again.
https://www.genesishcs.org/news-search/heart-pillows-pressure-can-reduce-pain-cardiac-patients

If you are caught without a pillow, you can cross your arms tightly across your chest when you feel a cough or sneeze coming on. It isn't as effective as with a pillow, but it helps.