Has anyone experienced heart valve/ coronary bypass surgery?

[zs]

Mum's heading for Southampton General in 2 weeks for both operations: Aortic Valve replacement and Coronary bypass surgery. The survival odds are said to be close to 99%. As well as being worried about the basic survival aspect, the other possible after-effects concern me - stroke, etc. The valve is said to have been damaged after suffering fever when she was young. Mum's 63 now.

The coronary artery has recently been determined to be 60% restricted due to a heriditary high cholesterol condition. The surgery involves being put to sleep and the heart being stopped.

Has anyone or anyone they know been through either/both of these types of surgery before? Any advice or just some details on how it went would be appreciated.

We're heading in for a pre operation talk & assessment tomorrow so hopefully the rest of our questions will be answered, but it would be good to here your experiences.

Thanks

[thepeoplespal]

We have quite a few patients with "cabbages" CABGs, some with multiple goes at it too. Most have a good quality of life. As for the valve replacement Arnie -I'll be back-Schwarzenegger is 11 years and counting after his replacement.

So yes there are quite serious risks, but good odds of a good outcome. Good luck with the surgery.

[mybrainhurts]

I kow someone who had a quad(?) bypass after a heart attack.

He checked himself out of hospital soon afterwards and ended up back in hospital, then got straight back to work in a very short time. Looking at him a few weeks later, you would never have known any of this had happened.

He seems to have got away with a great deal of post op self abuse...

Which must be some comfort to anyone about to undergo such surgery.

Edited by mybrainhurts on Sunday 1st February 23:51

[Tom_C76]

zs said:

Mum's heading for Southampton General in 2 weeks for both operations: Aortic Valve replacement and Coronary bypass surgery. The survival odds are said to be close to 99%. As well as being worried about the basic survival aspect, the other possible after-effects concern me - stroke, etc. The valve is said to have been damaged after suffering fever when she was young. Mum's 63 now.

The coronary artery has recently been determined to be 60% restricted due to a heriditary high cholesterol condition. The surgery involves being put to sleep and the heart being stopped.

Has anyone or anyone they know been through either/both of these types of surgery before? Any advice or just some details on how it went would be appreciated.

We're heading in for a pre operation talk & assessment tomorrow so hopefully the rest of our questions will be answered, but it would be good to here your experiences.

Thanks

My Grandmother had aortic valve replacement a few years back at the age of 84 and made a full recovery to get back to active life. Was a bit worrying when she was in theatre, but was home within 3 weeks.

TC

[chr55y]

Hey Pete hope all goes well best of luck to your mum chrissy x

[blank]

My dad had a double (I think, might have been triple) after having a heart attack about a year ago.

He's now lost maybe 6 stone in weight (he was pretty hefty) and has never been healthier.

[The Flying Sofa]

Hi,

No experiance myself but my Dad had a triple bypass about 18 years ago, left the hospital under instuctions to take complete rest for at least six weeks, when I visited him 3 days later he was decorating the bathroom!!!! He is still going strong at age 84.

Hope everything goes well for your Mum.

Walt

[jagracer]

My mum had a birdcage valve fitted 40 years ago, before that she had the equivalent of angioplasty which involved open heart surgery and the surgeon opening the valve with his finger. Her quality of life was transformed but unfortunately she suffered a couple of strokes about 20 years later which eventually killed her.
My uncle had a triple bypass about 25 years ago but is now back in hospital with angina symptoms and awaiting an angiogram although he did have a stent fitted last year but one.
You say one artery is 60% closed and they are doing a bypass, my neighbour had one 95% closed and they did a stent. You really don't want to know the details of the operation but suffice to say that although it is major surgery it is also very routine with excellent recovery rates. It'll take around a year for her to fully recover as the chest and rib cage will take time to heal.
Good luck to her.

Edited by jagracer on Monday 2nd February 08:54

[Si 330]

My dad had Aortic Valve replacement about 7 years ago. He was very ill before the operation and spent 11 days in intensive care afterwards. It took a while before he got back to normal life, but he did.

[F i F]

Can't comment about the specific procedure, but I had a cardiovascular procedure in my neck, and depending on where you read the risk of stroke was up to 10% on the table and 30% within 30 days. My surgeon's failure rate was stated to be 1%, and I reckon 3% is the global rate.

Was 5 hours down in theatre, came back around 6pm, and at 12 noon the following day, they had my bag packed, bed stripped down and saying things like, "WTF, are you still here."

Not allowed to drive for 6 weeks which was a bugger, but other than that, and a stiff neck, and a humomgous "Who are you looking at then" scar on my neck, no after effects. Got a few looks out on the street for a month or four but scar now fading well. Mate reckoned I should have bought a Harley and Hells Angels style leathers but that would just have got me into even more trouble than normal I reckon.

She'll be fine. I'd guess. Two people on my HDU had had aortic ruptures dealt with. I've known two colleagues die of that even after being got to the hospital and onto the table so I reckon cardio surgery is rather good these days.

[zs]

Wow, thanks all for all the details in your responses - i'm a little more reassured now!..still cautiously worrying a little though! Very grateful to the Nurse @ Southampton today after allowing us to keep the appointment after being an hour late due to train 'stagnation' - very calming in the way she went through the procedure, etc and answering the questions. 4hr operation including taking a section of vein from the leg (if good enough - should be!) to use as bypass piece and replacing the valve with an animal (pig i believe) valve - mechanical alternative can be audible (clicking) from outside the body...i know it'd annoy me when trying to get to sleep..or maybe one can get used to it quickly?
Have there been any not so positive experiences by anyone?

[Randy Winkman]

My Dad had a triple by-pass aged 50, 25 years ago. He's still around, doing all the things he wants to do, such as travelling the world birdwatching, walking all day in really tough conditions that would wear out someone half his age.

[Dr JonboyG]

jagracer said:

You say one artery is 60% closed and they are doing a bypass, my neighbour had one 95% closed and they did a stent. You really don't want to know the details of the operation but suffice to say that although it is major surgery it is also very routine with excellent recovery rates. It'll take around a year for her to fully recover as the chest and rib cage will take time to heal.
Good luck to her.

Edited by jagracer on Monday 2nd February 08:54

Stents were gaining popularity for a while, especially if was only for one or two coronary arteries, but they're falling out of favour again - the drug eluting stents aren't any better than non-drug eluting but they're obviously more expensive, so restenosis is still a problem.

[mikeyr]

i worked for the cardiac surgeeons at SGH lat year - my job was to make sure the cardiac stats were done in time (CCAD). some of the best surgeons / cardiologists there so she is in safe hands...

have a gander through these

http://www.ic.nhs.uk/services/national-clinical-au...

http://www.scts.org/sections/audit/Cardiac/index.h...

http://heartsurgery.healthcarecommission.org.uk/in...

[Monkey boy 1]

My Gran had it done just before Christmas,she's in her mid 80's & is doing fine now. she's up and about walking & doing things for herself now. Was in hospital for about 7 - 10 days & needed 24 hour home care for the first 3 weeks just to be on the safe side. but she feels 100% better. Just a bit sore in the rib cage.

[juice]

My Dad had a quadrupal (Should have been a quin, but they couldn't get to the last artery) in 2005. He was out here playing bridge this time 3 years ago. Ended up being medi-vac'd to Johns Hopkins in Baltimore where he underwent the procedure. Was up within 3 days, another week convalescing and then flew home Business on BA (Thanks travel Insurance !)

Now gyms every single day has lost 2 stone, hasn't smoked since the day he was first admitted and just looks so much better its untrue.

Fingers crossed for your mum, the Docs nowadays are brilliant and I'm forever in Mr Vrichella's debt for all he did for my Dad.

[zs]

And that's some good evening reading Mike, thanks.

mikeyr said:

i worked for the cardiac surgeeons at SGH lat year - my job was to make sure the cardiac stats were done in time (CCAD). some of the best surgeons / cardiologists there so she is in safe hands...

have a gander through these

http://www.ic.nhs.uk/services/national-clinical-au...

http://www.scts.org/sections/audit/Cardiac/index.h...

http://heartsurgery.healthcarecommission.org.uk/in...

[davidjpowell]

my dad had a Aortic Valve replaced about 10 years ago, after a virus had damaged it 10 years before that. he had got to the stage where he struggled to get up stairs (at 45). First operation was called off at last minute due to lack of beds, which was a bit distressing. Actual operation, seemed to go quite well - after a couple of months, seemed to be much better, but took a few more to be back to normal. Had to go back in last year after the wire which they used to fix the ribs shifted.

One side affect that he, and my uncle both swear they have had (uncle had bypass) is their short term memory is slightly dud. Personally I think they are just getting old.

HTH.

[King Herald]

zs said:

Mum's heading for Southampton General in 2 weeks for both operations: Aortic Valve replacement and Coronary bypass surgery. The survival odds are said to be close to 99%. As well as being worried about the basic survival aspect, the other possible after-effects concern me - stroke, etc. The valve is said to have been damaged after suffering fever when she was young. Mum's 63 now.

The coronary artery has recently been determined to be 60% restricted due to a heriditary high cholesterol condition. The surgery involves being put to sleep and the heart being stopped.

Has anyone or anyone they know been through either/both of these types of surgery before? Any advice or just some details on how it went would be appreciated.

We're heading in for a pre operation talk & assessment tomorrow so hopefully the rest of our questions will be answered, but it would be good to here your experiences.

Thanks

My old boss had a quadrupole bypass done in Bangkok Bumrungrad hospital some 10 years ago. It cost him $10,000 and he was out and about in three days.

Poor bugger developed lung cancer and died a couple of years later, but then he still smoked 50 a day after the heart bypass. There is just no changing some people.

[*Al*]

My Dad had a Quadruple bypass around 12 years ago at Kings college hospital London, he's been fine since.Certainly wouldn't have been here now if he didn't have it.He gave up smoking straight away!