Open heart surgery

[gal4God]

Been told I’m gonna need open heart surgery. I’ve onli had it as a tiny kid and had keyhole surgery since witch probably made it easier. I was so young I can’t remember having open heart surgery. Wat should I expect? The onli thing I’ve thought of is the scar and have no idea wat the recovery time is.

[morpheo]

What are you having done? I had an AVR 30 months ago and I was driving and riding the horse within 6 weeks and into rehab very quickly.

[gal4God]

Im having a valve replacement.

[bee862]

Hello. Wow morpheo you r very lucky that’s was super quick. Gal4god I hope you are well. I had AVR on the 28th February and I still have bad days. But the bottom of my wound opened up and set me back a lot. To be honest for me the scar was the last thing on my mind but everyone is different. If you have any questions I’m more than happy to help if I can. Take care x

[morpheo in reply to bee862]

I think I was bored. You were unlucky to have your would open. I had a minor infection because a bit of stitch was left in over long. The hole closed and the pain when the nurse had to tug it through.

[Fortepiano]

Generally the younger you are, the faster the recovery, but it's really very variable and depends whether you have complications. Fast or slow, recovery does happen!

Which valve are you having replaced?

I must admit I pleaded with my surgeon for a small scar, as low as possible. I had my aortic and pulmonary valves replaced through a full sternotomy, but a much shorter actual skin incision - just over 3 inches, which starts at the top of my breasts so l can wear scoop necks without it showing. If you don't ask you don't get, so if it's important to you make that clear, also if you don't want staples. I think I was still reminding them when I went into surgery and I was very happy with the outcome. He even used small chest drains that have left no scar at all.

It is also helpful to wear a bra 24 hours for several weeks until the incision is healed to stop the weight of your breasts widening the scar, and keeping it out of the sun for a year (and always wearing sunblock). Silicone strips or gel are also useful to keep it flat and pale.

[gal4God]

My last keyhole surgery I had complications after surgery so it took over a year to recover, hoping open heart surgery won’t take that long.

[morpheo]

The scar is the least of it. I had my operation 3 weeks before my 57th birthday. Get some good front fastening bras, bigger than you would normally wear and soft to start with just in case there is swelling. I still wear front fastening sports bras for support. The worst thing is when the drain comes out. I spent 7 days on the ward post op including ICU and HDU. I would have left earlier. There was a dreadful gobby nurse who kept switching the ward radio to some community station that had 3 records, Fast Car, Smooth Operator and something else. When Adrian came to collect me I ran down the corridor holding my pad to my chest to stop everything from spilling out. The main thing is good rehab. I had the nurses at my door within two days. If your rehab nurses are as good as mine you will be in good hands. But seriously gal4God surgery had come on in leaps and bounds in the 30 months since I had mine. There are plenty of people on here who will give good advice and wish you well.

[gal4God in reply to morpheo]

I hadn’t fought of buying bigger bras but after my last surgery I onli wore bras for church so may do that but wear bigger bras and my last heart surgery was keyhole surgery.

[bee862]

My wound is still a tiny bit open. It’s been a long process but I have had it better than some so I am thankful for that. I understand the boredom morpheo. Feels like ur going crazy. Yes a stitch was the start of mine. Gal4god do I know when you are going to have surgery and what hospital

[gal4God in reply to bee862]

Not yet.

[bee862]

Aww good luck. I wish u the all the best

[MichaelJH Heart Star]

For speedy recovery you need to be as fit as your condition allows (you may need to take advice). This includes eating a healthy diet. One concern I have is that you do not have very good dental hygiene. Because of the risk of infection spreading to the heart you must have no outstanding dental work, healthy gums and no loose teeth. A friend's wife had her valve surgery cancelled on the day as the anesthesist was not happy with her teeth!

[gal4God in reply to MichaelJH]

It was my teeth that affected my recovery last time so changing things but can see my teeth affecting it again.

[morpheo in reply to MichaelJH]

A week before I was due to have surgery I noticed a bulge in my gum. I went straight to the dentist for emergency tooth removal.

[MichaelJH Heart Star]

Make an appointment for a check up and hygienist in the morning, and start brushing twice a day. Having your operation cancelled is stressful enough and even more so if they are unhappy with your teeth. Most cardiologists have zero tolerance to dental issues these days!

[MichaelJH Heart Star]

If you check the online, or downloadable, patient information from the major heart hospitals like Papworth, and the Royal Brompton and Harefield you will they stress the importance of dental health particularly in regard to valve surgery.

This is my last comment on the subject.

[gal4God]

As I’ve thought about it more I’ve realised I may struggle seeing myself hooked up to wires. I watched a YouTube vid that helped me think about wat I may expect. How do I overcome this fear before my surgery?