Post open heart surgery cognitive impairment

Q. what kind of surgery did you have and did you know that you had an enlarged aorta ?

A. I had my ascending aorta graph with the 13 inch Dacron graft 30 mm in diameter.
I had absolutely no idea that I had an enlarged aorta because I had never been scanned for that and it dissected suddenly and without any warning.
I'm sorry to hear about your friend. I can assure you that it was quick.

Q. I had a zoom with a surgeon from UCLA (my home town is Los Angeles) but tbh ..I didn't really like their demeanor and nonchalant attitude. Perhaps it's the difference between a physician and a surgeon? I don't know ...I have never had surgery so I don't know if that's just how they are or talk?

A. Anybody who treats an enlarged aorta with an aneurysm and a nonchalant fashion is unqualified to treat you. An aortic dissection is the single most lethal and the single most complicated surgery to repair in human body. Someone who is nonchalant about it is someone who's ignorant about it. The only person I would trust more than my thoracic surgeon to tell me about the dangers of an aortic dissection would be me, because I had one.

Q. I researched the "best" surgeons for this kind of surgery and it seems that they are all in the east . Either Rochester, Minnesota, or the Cleveland Clinic. I have found 2 Surgeons that specialize in this kind of surgery that I would like to know more about.

A. I would recommend Dr. Lyle Joyce who is I believe in Milwaukee now. He was the chief of thoracic surgery at Mayo for a time but now he is over in Wisconsin. I would recommend my surgeon at UCSD La Jolla in San Diego, but he's retired now.

Q. I am so very grateful to have found this support group and especially this thread about the possibility of "cognitive impairment" post surgery.

A. Look, any open-heart surgery is going to mess with your head at some level. After having open-heart surgery, I picked myself up and went to Omaha for a federal mediation 42 days after I had surgery. I'm not gonna lie to you that I was a mess and my wife was very fearful that I would be traveling, but I felt that I needed to pick myself up and dust myself off and start all over again. I did. And now almost 10 years later I am still here, and I am still rebuilding and healing in the sense that you never really get past the experience, but you can help yourself move through it by helping others. As for my cognitive impairment? I'm gonna let you be the judge of that.

Q. I hope that I will live through this to help others with their discomfort and worries.

A. You will. Peace. Here's me three weeks ago standing with my favorite federal judge--you survive, you live on, you thrive....

Looking good moony!! You are such an inspiration to me and I am sure may others here. Thank you for your input and always positiv outlook and encouragement.
Since I have learned about my AAA I feel as though I am living my life more consciously, everyday is a gift. I am definitely humbled by this experience.

As for my friend who passed way ...He had severe back pain for about 24 hrs before calling an ambulance. when the EMT arrived they couldn't find anything wrong and didn't even want to take him into the hospital. His wife "made them take him to the emergency room' where he was left untreated for almost 7 hrs. at which point his wife had a talk with the doctor and asked if someone could please help her husband ... when the doctor finally came in and told her "this is very serious, he needs surgery immediately but we can't operate here ..we have to fly him to a nearby city" my friend had a stroke and passed out....they took him to the helicopter ..where he had a second stroke and passed away in flight. In the end he had a raptured abdominal aneurysm and bled to death.
This was 2 year ago and it happened in a pretty rural area in southern Germany.

I think that the way the hospital handled this was criminal and my poor friend died because of their negligence yet nobody ever took responsibility...

This is a very insightful post . Something I will definitaly keep in mind should I need surgery. I was diagnosed with a 4.4 assending and a 4.2 dessending thoracic aortic aneurysm while getting a calcium scan 2 month ago . I am a 61 yo female. I work in the entertainment (film) industry and my job can be very stressful at times. This whole revelation has put me into a tail spin tbh. and it makes me want to retire soon because I feel 'life is too short" not to have fun. I am so grateful for this support group because I am learning so much about this and most of all, I am not alone!!
I have read that the operation is more risky for females than males , is that something someone can explain or elaborate ?

Looking good moony!! You are such an inspiration to me and I am sure may others here. Thank you for your input and always positiv outlook and encouragement.
Since I have learned about my AAA I feel as though I am living my life more consciously, everyday is a gift. I am definitely humbled by this experience.

As for my friend who passed way ...He had severe back pain for about 24 hrs before calling an ambulance. when the EMT arrived they couldn't find anything wrong and didn't even want to take him into the hospital. His wife "made them take him to the emergency room' where he was left untreated for almost 7 hrs. at which point his wife had a talk with the doctor and asked if someone could please help her husband ... when the doctor finally came in and told her "this is very serious, he needs surgery immediately but we can't operate here ..we have to fly him to a nearby city" my friend had a stroke and passed out....they took him to the helicopter ..where he had a second stroke and passed away in flight. In the end he had a raptured abdominal aneurysm and bled to death.
This was 2 year ago and it happened in a pretty rural area in southern Germany.

I think that the way the hospital handled this was criminal and my poor friend died because of their negligence yet nobody ever took responsibility...