Heart Surgery

[Leoniejade]

Has anyone had open heart surgery?

If so can someone explain it to me and how they felt ? And also would you be happy to send me a picture of your scar ?xxx

[skid112 Heart Star]

hi there,

I had bypass surgery nearly two years ago, how did it feel? bloody painful for a few months post op, but recovery after about 5 or 6 months is fairly rapid assuming you keep up with exercise and make sure you tend to the wound.

My scar turned keloid for some reason, had to have some rather painful cortisone injections but now its behaving as expected.

For me, my scar is personal, I try not to show it full stop, I do know others who are happy to bear it, not sure how people on here feel, but I am sure you'll find some takers. There is always google images, try looking there

regards

Mark

[PMRPete]

epainassist.com/chest-pain/...

[shopman]

I would hazard a guess and say a good proportion of folks on here have had OHS in one form or other over the years. I have to assume this is something you are possibly facing and the thought of it all is probably making you nervous or unsure about the procedure. Heart Surgery in my mind is one of the safest around nowadays - there was an article on our local news only yesterday about those who had to have amputations and their survival rate was a lot worse than the 1% quoted for Bypass Surgery.

Have I had it - yes nearly 20 years ago and this week I get my bus pass. No doubt there are some who have it done longer ago and I always remember the feeling I had when I woke up after the up - I could breathe without struggling so knew it had worked.

[MichaelJH Heart Star in reply to shopman]

A colleague's father is forty years post bypass. He is now in his nineties and fitter than average for his age - and when he had it done you weren't discharged looking like you were a drug dealer! I came round feeling like Big Daddy had splashed me but free from angina and breathlessness - bliss!

[Leoniejade in reply to MichaelJH]

Awww amazing what a positive message thank you ever so much,

It's just super crazy to get my head round it all 6 weeks ago I was fine and everything was normal now open heart surgery xx

[Leoniejade in reply to shopman]

Yeah, I thought that may be the case but no one seems to talk about the positives or how there feeling now, it's a lot of worries and anxt, so reading them wasn't beneficial, unless I ask the questions 🙈yeah I feel awful about it- not because I'm having surgery just all the healing and the scar I'm only 26 and just can't get my head round the scar being there when I haven't got anything there at the moment,

Thank you for such a positive message and outlook

[Hidden in reply to Leoniejade]

Dear Leoniejade,

I’m sorry to hear you’re facing this big op so young xxx I honestly do understand, I was 27 when I had my first open heart surgery and the scar was the big deal for me. I had a second surgery for a new valve when 36 and I’m 62 now. It’s horrible to go through and the op and scar takes some adjustment but honestly, don’t hesitate to have it done, you will get your life back and your health will be transformed when you’ve recovered. My experience, as a young woman was that my recovery was fast and I hope and pray that’s the same for you. If you have people around you that love you, let them help, the scar won’t make a bit of difference to their love, they’ll be glad to have you in good health.

[Leoniejade in reply to Hidden]

Yeah I'm 26, how did you deal with it all & how did you feel, wow you've under gone it twice that's admirable,❤️ how are you coping now?

Where did you have the surgery done ?

I have no doubt in my mind about getting it done, I have to I don't have a choice, they were gonna consider monitoring my conditions but they said it's best to have it done.

How long were you not able to do anything for? Thank you for your message 😘❤️

[Hidden in reply to Leoniejade]

I had the ops done at the Middlesex hospital in Mortimer st London W1; 1st in 1983, 2nd in 1992. Was a well thought of hospital, old building, bought by UCHL and knocked down around 10 years ago, passed into history now. I had 2 children at the time, ages 4 and 13 months. I had to get better quickly as no family living nearby and a workaholic husband. (We divorced a few years after, he couldn’t handle that I wasn’t perfect anymore) Have a wonderful husband now who adopted my kids, married 31 years end of Oct 😄 He totally doesn’t see my scar and after a few years, I didn’t either. It’s there for sure but it’s part of me and I see it as a war wound, part of the price of being alive.

Surgery is painful at first, especially after those first weeks, I made sure I took painkillers cos that really helps. The second op, new metal valve replacement, I was out of hospital in 5 days, swimming by 6 weeks and running up and down the stairs laughing because I could soon after both ops. Didn’t realise how ill I’d got before surgery, was wonderful to not be tired and breathless. I found I couldn’t lay down flat in bed after ops, was too painful to pull myself up to get out of bed. Spent a good 4 weeks with a mountain of pillows so sitting up in bed. It may have changed a bit now, I’ve read about cardio rehab and so on, I was pretty much left to recover at home and a 6 week post surgery check with surgeon. I think it’s different for lots of people, some have more complications, some don’t. If you’re older I think it may take longer to recover, but not always.

So I have a nearly 26 year old (as old as you!) metal valve which is still working ok. I take warfarin, bought my own inr measuring machine several years ago, means I’m not always at the gp/nurse for testing and I don’t look back. I’m in reasonable shape and really enjoy my life. Very grateful to the medics and care I had/ have from NHS.

One of my children is a nurse and the other a medical doctor!

That’s part of my story and I really do wish the best for you when you face your own path xxxxx

[thetidders]

I had a triple bypass in April so it’s 6 months ago next week, I woke up feeling sore everywhere but pain control helped. I had to have extra oxygen a day or so after, which is apparently quite a common complication. My scar on my chest is now beginning to fade, once it healed I applied moisturiser twice a day massaging it into the scar, this I still do & also to the scar on my leg from where the veins were taken.

I don’t know what else you want to know or what detail, everybody heals different but don’t hesitate to ask anything else you want to know.

Jean

[Leoniejade in reply to thetidders]

Thank you so much for your message,

You say the scar is fading is it not very thick ? Sorry to ask but I have looked on google and majority of the photos that have come up are children, oh ok when was you allowed to start putting the cream on? Sorry to ask so many questions,

How are you finding it all now ?

Was you scared ?xxx

[thetidders in reply to Leoniejade]

It’s not thick, at the moment it’s like a thin “white” line surrounded by faint red on both sides. Initially it looked a bit like a zip, anyone who has had open heart surgery is called a member of the “zipper club”. We are all different though & how we heal depends on you, the surgeon who does the operation ect. I honestly can’t remember how soon after the operation I started moisturising but you must wait until the scar is totally healed that means no open bits. The bottom end of mine was slow to heal so it was a few weeks before I could begin.

Jean

[laura_dropstitch Heart Star]

You might find this article (and links on right-hand side) helpful - bhf.org.uk/informationsuppo...

Hope all goes well for you x

[Hidden]

Leoniejade,

Just to say I have NO scar. Why? Because I went online and found alternative surgery procedures, and discovered that they offer minimally invasive (keyhole) at some hospitals. However, they DON'T tell you thins unless you ask, or do your own research. I'm glad I did, because I found alternative hospitals offering keyhole surgery, where they cit beneath your arm on your right side, and go in between the ribs. NO bone is cut; no straight-jacket or 'pins/clips' to hold together a cut rib cage. No bumps left either. Everything in tact!

So ask your local hospital for any alternative surgeons offering minimally invasive surgery, and you'll be surprised at their response. I then went o my nearest (they gave me 5 hospitals, all far away, except the one in London, at Hammersmith) so I took the one in London and asked for a referral/contacted them, and mentioned they they'd been recommended by my local surgeon, and they agreed to take me on.

This is still on the NHS, so nothing to worry about, cost wise.

I hope this helps? I only wish I'd been told this when I was ill, expecting surgery, as all that worry wasn't necessary; but at NO point did they offer this information without the PATIENT taking the initiative. I wasn't overly happy that they didn't automatically give me other options. But anyway I'm thankful that I did investigate myself.

Furthermore I'm now with another doctor, in Wales, some way from where I live, who's prescribing me alternative medication to address the CAUSE of my condition rather than addressing the symptoms. My condition is, in fact, reversible! The book to read/listen to, is Steven Sinatra's 'The Sinatra Solution'. His 'awesome foursome' cocktail of supplements has shown REMARKABLE improvement/reversal of many patient's conditions. He is one of the top cardiologists in the world, in case you doubt his pedigree.

[MichaelJH Heart Star in reply to Hidden]

It should be noted that keyhole surgery is only applicable for some procedures. Much depends on the arteries/valves involved. I cannot recall if you have given details of your expected OHS. At four months the top two inches of my incision is nearly invisible and I have not applied anything but washed with Simple to be free of chemicals and additives.

[Hidden in reply to MichaelJH]

Yes, keyhole (minimally invasive) surgery is only available for certain conditions. I'm only listing my own operation, which was a mitral valve replacement. But the poster of this original question did not state what condition they were dealing with, and hence my own personal reply of my own experience.

My own scar disappered very quickly indeed. I don't recall at what point it was invisible, but it certainly looked almost healed after 3 months or so. It's now 6 months. I've been playing badminton for a couple of months now too, without any difficulties, thankfully.

I walk for 30mins, briskly, almost daily, and this has helped much I'm sure.

I also left light weights (5kg) now too. However, there is a trade-off when it comes to putting weight back on. I'm having difficulty putting weight back on, though have increased back up to 80kg from 77kg after the op, which for a 6' 4" guy, was almost underweight post op. I'd like to be back to around 84-85kg, which I thought was my ideal weight.

I was orginally 95.5kg, and although still not overweight, didn't 'feel' as healthy, so I went on a ketogenic diet. I'm still on a ketogenic diet, which although promotes good health, doesn't make gaining weight 'easy'. But I value health the most, even though I'd like to increase my weight more. So much muscle mass has been lost since the op too, so I'm working on that.

A difficult dilemma, as exercising will raise my metabolism, so making it hard to gain weight; but if I don't exercise I will gain more, but not be as healthy!

[Plum53]

Hi just to say I have seen two men (at the exercise rehab classes I attended ) so not that many weeks since they had OHS and I was amazed by how great the scars looked . Just a red thin straight line down the middle of their chest. With time and using bio oil I should think it will change to a thin white line. My husband had surgery for pneumonia and his scar on his back is so much more noticeable . Hope that helps. Good luck

[Suzy1954]

Hi I’ve had three open heart ops and think you would struggle to see my scars now. The last op was nearly six years ago. I think having fairly big boobs helps as most of the scar gets hidden in your cleavage. After my second op I got a bad infection at the site of my scar but it still healed incredibly well. You may also have a bump at the top near your collarbone but that soon goes down. I expect men don’t worry too much about the scar but then again perhaps some do.

[Amyxlouiseex]

I know you posted this two months ago but I’ve been searching for peoples experiences and feelings on open heart surgery.

I had my OP when I was 7 months old with a shunt through my back leaving a scar round my shoulder blade and then a full correction at 2 years old which has left a scar down the middle of my chest. I had the scar for 18 years now and sometimes it does get me overthinking things, sometimes i look at it in disappointment and then I think it’s the most beautiful thing in the world, which saved my life and without it I wouldn’t be here today.

I now have a current leaking valve and I’m waiting for surgery, don’t get me wrong im worrying because I don’t remember what happened on my first OP but I worry and overthink a lot of things anyway!😄

I know deep down I’ll be in the best care and that there’s no need to panic. Recovery is different for everyone too, we’re only young so our bodies will heal better and quicker than the majority! The scar is a minor and you end up forgetting about it or just learning to deal with it. You can get many things which help the appearance of scars anyway, I use bio oil or cocoa butter oil... doesn’t exactly make the scar disappear but they do fade xxx