Arrhythmia after open heart surgery - any others with similiar experiences?

[LadyZ13]

Hi there, I'm new to this forum and looking forward to learning from you all.

8 weeks ago I had open heart surgey to correct a large atrial septal defect (hole in the heart). It was diagnosed at Christmas. Prior to this I had no cardiac symptoms at all - I was power lifting in the gym, cycling a 20km daily commute and running 5kms weekly.

About 4 weeks ago my Fitbit notified me it had picked up an unusual heart rhythm that could be Afib, and so began my journey with pacing issues! My blood pressure monitor has corroborated this, as has a couple of trips to hospital - one cardiac rehab assessment ECG that showed atrial flutter, and one trip to A&E with post-surgical pain, also showing flutter on the ECG. I asked my consultant about this and she said I was too young to be left in flutter (!) and she would refer me to the arrythmia nurses.

I'm so gutted that my heart seems to have healed into this dodgy rhythm having been fine before. I'm on 2.5mg of biosoprolol and anticolagulants after a heart attack in March (small clot passing through the hole). My surgeon said to take an extra 1.25 bisoprolol if I had palpatations but to be honest I don't think I've noticed anything - or assumed it was all just the usual soreness and fatigue that comes with OHS.

I've had electrical cardioversion mentioned to me a few times which feels like they're prepping the ground for such a procedure, but I'm worried it won't work and I'll be back and forward to hospital forever trying to get fixed. The surgery was supposed to be the 'fix' that I needed 😭 I didn't expect it to cause a new problem!

Has anyone else had post-surgical arrythmias and how did you get on with having them corrected?

TIA,

Zoë

[Rosie1066]

Yes, I had open heart surgery 13 years ago and suffered from AF afterwards which I think is quite common. It took quite a while to settle and I was OK until it reappeared five years ago. Even since then I have been having suffering AF and Flutter which had gradually got worse and fir the past few months I have been suffering bad lightheadedness with it too. After my last episode back in June this year I was fitted with a Pacemaker six weeks ago. I have had one episode since then but now seem OK.

[LadyZ13 in reply to Rosie1066]

Thanks for sharing this experience Rosie, it does reassure me that AF isn't uncommon after OHS - and I am reassured that yours settled down eventually - though I am sorry that yours worsened some years later and that this has lead to a pacemaker. But it sounds as if the PM is keeping you steady now, which is great!

[Rosie1066 in reply to LadyZ13]

Thank you, so far after blip a couple of weeks ago all is now OK - fingers crossed!

[Hidden]

I remember to have read that, after the heart transplant, whereby a donor and receiver never had problems with arrhythmia, patients who received the heart developed AF in 40% of cases. I read it years ago, so could not provide the link. So, it seems that open heart surgery has the potential to cause arrhythmia...

[LadyZ13 in reply to Hidden]

I guess that is not totally surprising - the intervention is quite a big one and liable to upset the electrics. I just hope mine can be treated!

[BobD Volunteer]

Very common especially after bypass surgery.

[Rainfern]

My hole in the heart op was quite an early one - 1960s - and they didn’t make that connection with arrhythmias back then. It was successful and my heart has remained in good shape. However for the first few years I started getting what were diagnosed as panic attacks, and I now suspect were linked to the open heart surgery. Those speedy heart rate episodes during my teens and twenties were scary, but eventually it settled out and I had no issues over the following 40 years. Until last September (age 70) when the AFib hit. My EP doesn’t think this has anything to do with previous condition or surgery, but who knows.

Please don’t be remotely scared of having a CV, it’s quick and plain sailing and does work for some (not me unfortunately!). The anaesthetic is for a brief moment - not a bit like for OHS. Hoping your heart soon settles and does what it’s told! Good luck

[LadyZ13 in reply to Rainfern]

Wow, that's quite the story! I think OHS does leave quite a lot of residual trauma, even if we don't realise it consciously. I'm sorry that CV didn't work for you but really appreciate you offering the reassurance that it's no biggie. Have a lovely weekend!

[Regeton]

Hi. My husband had OHS about 4 months ago and experienced arrhythmias in the first 2-3weeks and we ended up in A&E. They changed his bisoprolol dose and since then he has been fine. I understand arrhythmia affects about 25% of patients who have undergone OHS.

[LadyZ13 in reply to Regeton]

That's good to hear. Maybe mine will just sort itself out, but I suspect now I'm almost 9 weeks that this needs something doing... And the longer it's left, the less likely it is to revert to NSR. A worry!

[2learn]

Hi, I had open heart to repair to valves plus ablation at same time. My heart rate didn't pick up enough so pacemaker fitted 5 days later. Home 2 wks then developed atrial tachycardia, pulse around 200 which could wipe me out a couple of times a day. Had another ablation 2mths later and that seemed to sort it. 2.5 bisop not alot, I was on 5 to control the tachy. In the past I've had 3 cardios, all worked to control HR for over 12mths and in many ways seem preferable to an ablation.

[LadyZ13 in reply to 2learn]

Blimey, that's a lot to go through, I'm sorry you had that complex and unwelcome experience. My HR is keeping up with demand and not running too wild and is I think symptomless but the atrial flutter isn't welcome. Glad the cardios were successful in the medium term, bodes well that they might do the job for me too, as and when they get around to it!

[MikeThePike]

I am sorry to hear this but tbh I'm not surprised at all. The heart is an extremely sensitive organ and any kind of surgery on it can cause arrhythmias. "I didn't expect it to cause a new problem!" is what everybody says and I think that's because doctors and cardiologists don't prepare their patients well enough by giving them this information in advance. I 'suffer' from regular ectopic heartbeats but I would never rush into any kind of 'corrective' heart surgery unless my life was threatened. The reason why is that from reading other peoples experiences here it's clear to me that learning to live with an existing non- life threatening health condition is the safest option all round. 'Better the devil you know than the devil you wish you didn't' is my policy when it comes to 'corrective' treatments and medications.

[LadyZ13 in reply to MikeThePike]

That's an interesting and reassuring take on this situation Mike, thanks for sharing. I'm already on 2.5mg of Bisoprolol and anticoagulants as my ASD caused a heart attack in March - and they want to keep me on these while the flutters persist. The meds do take it out of me a bit and have other side effects and restrictions to my life, so it's a tough call (if indeed it's something I get to decide) whether to pursue correction or to run with the risks of an inefficient heart for the rest of my life. I don't yet appreciate the long term prognosis if my flutter was to be permanent. But you've given me food for thought!