What is recovery like after Mitral Valve Surgery

Hi @lindalee, I ha ve to tell you that there was surprisingly little pain, way less than with knee surgery to repair severed ligaments. They did give me a heart shaped pillow after surgery to hold close to my chest when I moved to support my cracked and rewired sternum.
The main feelings I remember were my heart beating fast after surgery.
I did get pain meds when they tried to drain the fluid, but it wasn't constant. I really don't remember needing pain meds.

Okay. Well that’s good news to hear. How long ago did you have your surgery and how long did it take for you to feel like you were back to normal again?

I had the surgery in May 2019. I took a while to recover fully, maybe 6 or 7 months. I managed okay at home and was taking care of my husband with Alzheimer's, who was highly functioning.
My heart did beat fast when I exerted myself for some months afterward. I did walk everyday, but I didn't push myself to do anything more than what I felt I could do. I wasn't out to prove anything.
I thought of myself as an egg. Before surgery I was hardboiled, as I never had any symptoms of congestive heart failure. After surgery, I felt fragile, like a raw egg. and I knew I could easily crack. I passed through the stages of feeling coddled and soft boiled before I went back to being my hardboiled self.

I have heard from afew people that said their heart did beat fast for a few months afterwards they are telling me that if everything goes OK recovery is like 4 to 6 weeks and then I am able to return back to work. I hope that is the case I’m going to retire in January 2026
I’m 66 years old right now having this surgery with a lung condition so I just hope and pray to God everything goes well. I’m doing my surgery at Mayo Clinic so I feel like there’s no other better place I could be with the greatest care team in the United States. I feel like I have every thing good going for me. Thanks again for reaching out I greatly appreciate your time.

I think I probably would have been able to return to work in 6 or 8 weeks had I not been retired. I wish you the best!

Thank you so much for chatting with me. Enjoy your evening.

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.

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…

Thanks, you as well.
I do hope you post after your surgery and let us know how you're doing.
Try to stay positive!

I’m trying