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What is the recovery like following septal myectomy?

Posted by quinn @quinn, Mar 17, 2016

What is the recovery like following septal myectomy?

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jh56 | @jh56 | Mar 9, 2018
In reply to @colleenyoung "I thought I'd bump this discussion up because I'm thinking of Dave (@lamborama) as he goes..." + (show)
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I thought I'd bump this discussion up because I'm thinking of Dave (@lamborama) as he goes in for a septal myectomy today. See his post here http://mayocl.in/2fAIClG. As he looks forward to post-surgical recovery, let's gather your recovery stories.

When did you have surgery? What you wish you had known to prepare you for the the recovery period?

Tagging @cynaburst @lynnkay1956 @ronaldpetrovich @1949 @mbcube @vivian88 @FrancineFafard @woodywood @lepadelford @lisa7 @lucindag

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I will be having the surgery April 17, 2018

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jh56 | @jh56 | Mar 9, 2018
In reply to @lamborama "2:30 AM - 7 days post surgery Colleen and the group - thanks for your prayers,..." + (show)
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2:30 AM - 7 days post surgery

Colleen and the group - thanks for your prayers, thoughts, and support. I am just back home (5PM, Monday, Nov 7) after having surgery Tuesday morning, November 1 at Mayo Rochester. From everything I have heard, read, and experienced - it sounds like it was a rousing success! Everything the nurses have said to me is that I am on the front end of any of the recovery charts. I do feel better now (7 days post surgery) than I was before the surgery. I am hurting but also healing and feeling pretty good. I went into ICU after Surgery, starting walking the next day and day 3 I moved out of ICU to a ward on floor 5 and was able to walk there with my family and the nurses carrying my stuff! I walked a lot which helped with the chest congestion, lung expansion, and just getting the body woken up in general. I got all my final drain tubes and connections off by Saturday AM so that by Saturday and suppertime we had moved out of the hospital into a hotel across the street and walked over to supper at a nearby restaurant. By the time I got back to my hotel room I was whipped. I will write more shortly - but wanted to say that info I found here helped me to keep a great attitude, appreciation for the nurses, doctors, and staff which made an extremely quick recovery so far.

I am pooped right now - I just got about 3 hours of sleep in and was waiting for the next pain med window before trying to go back for a little more sleep.

Encouragement for recovery:

Listen and respond positively to the work the Drs, nurses, staff give you. Get daily goals and work until they are done before giving up for the day
Get up and walking as much and as soon as you can
Try to get your body waken up by starting to eat and drink what you can
Wean off big pain meds when you can - but not before you need it! Pain is an indication of healing as well You need to heal and pain meds help
Keep positive! Nobody likes a downer - and the stories everyone has can get overwhelming - focus on the positive aspects of each day
Get happy people to visit you and get you to start laughing!

All for now. Thanks for the great group.

Dave @lamborama

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Thank you Dave. I am a pretty positive person and hope that will help me through this. I am scheduled for surgery on April 17th 2018 with Dr Schaff in Rochester. I live in Fl but decided he was the best Dr for me. Who did your surgery? I will appreciate any advice you can give me. Hope you are doing well Thanks!

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jh56 | @jh56 | Mar 9, 2018
In reply to @eelnaloblob18 "Thank you the info I have received. I would like to know how long after a..." + (show)
Profile picture for eelnaloblob18 @eelnaloblob18

Thank you the info I have received. I would like to know how long after a septal or apical myectomy I would be able to return home. I've read that I would be in the hospital almost a week, but since I live in Florida, I need to know when I can travel and whether to drive 3 hours or fly home to Florida. I have a son in Michigan about 3 hours away with whom I can stay, but I'd prefer flying back to Florida if possible.

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I will be having surgery on April 17, 2018. I live in Fl and was wondering weather to drive or fly. I know flying would be much faster but I was worried about the cabin pressure. Did you have any problems, and did you have to get permission from the airlines? Thanks!

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nightlite8 | @nightlite8 | Mar 10, 2018
In reply to @lynnkay1956 "I had some mega back pain on left side and coughing was painful. Had a lot..." + (show)
Profile picture for lynnkay1956 @lynnkay1956

I had some mega back pain on left side and coughing was painful. Had a lot of mucus to cough out. I tried to sleep in a recliner but it felt like too much pain on my back. I slept in bed with a large body pillow propping me up. I could walk, go to the bathroom and fix a sandwich etc without help. You aren't suppose to lift a gallon of milk or use your arms to lift or pull you up...I had no problems like that. The chest tube holes ( I had 2) healed quickly and without infection. Just take a shower and wash hair and let the shampoo wash your incision ( Mayo suggested that)...no wound dressings...no leakage...I waited for 5 weeks to do cardiac rehab..I used a chiropractor to help with back pain...the back muscles around to the chest were traumatized by the breast plate being cut so it really did help. No rx pain meds after a couple weeks. Lynn

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Hi @jh56, my husband had a septal myectomy and a triple bypass on December 17 of this year with Dr Schaff. You are in great hands with Dr Schaff and with all the post surgery nurses at St Mary's. My husband is recovery well and will finish his cardiac rehab next week. Make sure you have an electric recliner to sit in and sleep in when you arrive home.

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jshah | @jshah | Mar 20, 2018
In reply to @lynnkay1956 "I had some mega back pain on left side and coughing was painful. Had a lot..." + (show)
Profile picture for lynnkay1956 @lynnkay1956

I had some mega back pain on left side and coughing was painful. Had a lot of mucus to cough out. I tried to sleep in a recliner but it felt like too much pain on my back. I slept in bed with a large body pillow propping me up. I could walk, go to the bathroom and fix a sandwich etc without help. You aren't suppose to lift a gallon of milk or use your arms to lift or pull you up...I had no problems like that. The chest tube holes ( I had 2) healed quickly and without infection. Just take a shower and wash hair and let the shampoo wash your incision ( Mayo suggested that)...no wound dressings...no leakage...I waited for 5 weeks to do cardiac rehab..I used a chiropractor to help with back pain...the back muscles around to the chest were traumatized by the breast plate being cut so it really did help. No rx pain meds after a couple weeks. Lynn

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Hi @jh56, how are you doing? I have to say You are in good hands..:)
Be positive and hang out with happy people. Dr Schaff is awesome.
My husband is doing amazing. It's been 3 weeks since he had his surgery. He started working from home for couple hours a day.
Only problem he has now is shoulder pain because he has to sleep on his back which in general he never did.

Things that my husband liked after surgery was:
-Loose pants
-Reclining bed ( you can rent it and some insurance will pay for it if you have a doctor's note)
-electric warm blanket.

Please feel free to call me or email me if you have more questions.

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nightlite8 | @nightlite8 | May 17, 2018

Has anyone else had fluid in their lungs several months after the procedure?

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Kanaaz Pereira, Connect Moderator | @kanaazpereira | May 17, 2018

Hi @nightlite8,

I merged your post about fluid in lungs after myectomy in to this discussion on "What is the recovery like following septal myectomy?" so that you could reconnect with the members who joined this discussion.

I saw that you had posted about your husband's progress after septal myectomy, earlier this year; are you concerned that he may have fluid in the lungs? May I ask if has any symptoms?

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bariemma | @bariemma | May 17, 2018

Surgery on 2/19/18. Recovery was going well but developed pain in my lung area and heart (side & front) when lying down or taking a deep breath. Local doctor did blood to see if I had inflammation and it was negative. I still have the pain 11 wks post op. Has anyone had this?

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Kanaaz Pereira, Connect Moderator | @kanaazpereira | May 17, 2018

Hello @bariemma,

Welcome to Connect. You may notice that I moved your message and combined it with this existing discussion on septal myectomy recovery. I did this so that you can easily connect with other members who've discussed similar experiences.
If you click on VIEW & REPLY in your email notification, you will see the whole discussion and can join in, meet, and participate with other members talking about their or their loved ones' experiences.

I'd like to introduce you to a few members – @lynnkay1956 @vivian88 @mbcube @ronaldpetrovich @wintergirl8 and Mentor @cynaburst – to see if they can help answer you concerns.
@bariemma, while we wait for others to respond, can you tell me a bit more about your pain? When did you notice the painful symptoms? Have your doctors suggested what might be the cause?

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bariemma | @bariemma | May 18, 2018

I called Dr. Shaft's office and his PA said it sounded like Dressler's (chronic inflammation) because I did not have the pain until about 3 weeks post op. My local dr. in Florida did the blood test to confirm this and it was negative. He tried a regimen of steroids but I still have the pain some nights worse than others. At this point, my local doctor said it is all part of the healing process. I am reaching out to see anyone else has had this experience. The pain is the worst when I lay down on my left side. It hurts in my heart and goes around to the start of my back. Not sure if it the lung area or the back of the heart.

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