Aortic Valve replacement - The Op & 7 days after

[road2ruin]

Hi All,

Further to my earlier post I am going to give you as much info as I can about the operation itself and my hospital stay.

I had my Op at the end of October 2019 in the Bristol Heart Institute (part of the BRI). I was booked in for the first Op of the day, which was a relief, as I didn't fancy waiting around all day with the chance of being cancelled later on. Start time was 07.00 and when I turned up I wasn't the only one waiting, a busy day ahead obviously. I was taken to a bed after about 20 minutes and asked a number of questions like; how I felt, had I had a shower that morning with the special body wash, have I had any D & V recently, plus many more.

I was then presented with the all too familiar gown, one size fits no one! They catalogued all my possessions and said the would be waiting for me in the ward when I got there. It then seemed all too short when I was wheeled down for surgery. After a tearful goodbye from my wife I was taken through for my pre op preparation, basically ecg stickers put on a needle put in my arm for drugs etc. The anaesthetist, who was quite chatty, then said he was going to apply a sedative. It worked. I instantly felt calm and relaxed. That is all I remember until after the op.

As with all heart patients I was taken after the Op to ICU and have very little memory of my time there. Apparently I was out of the theatre by 13.30, so a little over 5 hours in total.

From ICU I was then sent to HDU the following day, early in the morning. This is where the memories start to some back. I recall not really feeling much pain, but being given a morphine pump so that I could administer myself. They didn't let me keep that long. By the end of the first day in HDU I was move to another part of the same ward (no idea why). From this point onwards it was just trying manage the pain and get some sleep. There are a lot of pains medications and don't be ashamed to ask for some. Mostly I was given paracetamol, but also Tramadol and oramorph. Sometime on the third day I noticed I was connected to a pacing machine, this is for patients who struggle with their own sinus rhythm after the op, quite common apparently. I was on this for about another 3 days in total with them checking every so often that things were getting better. The fith day after the Op they turned it off and I was on my own. A very nervous phase I can assure you, but remember they know what they are doing and you are in the right place. The hardest part for me in hospital was the boredom and constantly being tired, yet struggling to sleep. Take ear plugs and if you can bear it an eye mask, they really help. Towards the end of my stay I had to ask for sleeping tablets, they also helped and still do. I am looking to stop them ASAP though.

After 7 days, early in the morning, I was given the 'go home' by my surgeon, I nearly cried. Not home yet though, a few more tests ecg, echo, bloods and finally tablets. I think I was picked up by my wife at about 5.30pm...ish.

One last thing before I sign off and think about my next 7 days at home....

CONSTIPATION. It's no laughing matter and you will probably suffer from it. Eat well, drink lots and don't be ashamed, take the tablets they help.!

[Bicyclist]

That was a really informative post, thanks for taking the time to write that and I hope your recovery keeps improving for you. I have been diagnosed with a leaky valve and murmer but told not to worry but I do.

[road2ruin in reply to Bicyclist]

Thank you. Keep an eye on it, you may be lucky and it never gets worse. Trust your doctors and good luck.

[Fredders in reply to Bicyclist]

I was diagnosed with a heart murmur at 16 and didn’t have to have any surgery until I was 52, so try not to worry about it.

Wendy

[MichaelJH Heart Star]

Thank you for the post that will be helpful to many. Mine (bypass) was delayed until the afternoon - boy was I thirsty! The sedative had no real effect but then I was not particularly nervous as the angina and breathlessness were really limiting! Post op I developed an electrolyte imbalance (gained 9kg of fluid) and anemia. The tablets you mention with the diuretics prescribed for fluid retention made me accelerate down the ward faster than "Red Victor 3"!

[road2ruin in reply to MichaelJH]

Thanks Michael, its always nice to hear from people who have been through this sort of thing. Good luck with your continued recovery.

[MichaelJH Heart Star in reply to road2ruin]

My bypass was in June last year. Initial progress was quite slow as I was discharged into the heatwave - but then many people struggled. I was 3 months post before I started rehab and was told I did well. Earlier this year I went onto Phase 4 (rehab in the community) but struggled with arthritis. Trying to establish a more appropriate exercise routine. Next week I am back at the hospital to have three of my joints X-rayed - it seems never ending at times...

[Glemham]

I’m booked in for same place, same time next Thursday for op on my Mitral valve, so very interested to read of your experience. I have to say so far I have been impressed with the staff and care. Any more hints ? Will be taking on board the ear and eye help. Hope your recovery now goes to plan. Best wishes

[road2ruin in reply to Glemham]

Hi Glemham, I do have some hints for Bristol. Dont try and park at the hospital, Trenchard street is better. Also, when you have visitors, which I hope will be many, just of cardiac hdu there is a lovely family room where you can go rather than sit in bed. There is also an M And S on site, get your visitors to bring you food. The food there is not awful, just bland. You need a variety of flavours, textures and food types to keep you interested in eating.

Good luck and keep us posted.

[Glemham]

I live near Bristol ,so very aware of the parking issues and the food quality 😂 but definitely not about the room. Be much nicer. What you’ve said will of course also be helpful for others at the Heart Institute. Thank you.

[Fredders in reply to Glemham]

You’ll probably find your taste buds are affected by the anaesthetic and being on heart bypass. Toast tastes like cardboard etc, it’s normal and will improve, although I still don’t like the shortbread biscuits I loved before my surgery! Your concentration levels and memory may also be affected, but again this is short term and improves over the following weeks.

[road2ruin]

It's my pleasure. I wish I had known about the family room, but didn't become aware until my last two days. They have a tea/coffee/hot chocolate machine in there too.

[Glemham]

The anaesthetist warned me about the food issues. He also mentioned the fact that recovery isn’t linear and depression is quite common so perhaps it would be as well If I won’t remember things😃

[Dickyticker26]

Yes very interesting and brings back memories of my triple bypass at St Thomas' at the end of August

It is now 12 weeks later and I am pretty well recovered though the clinical nurse specialist I keep in touch with says that the sternum soreness can go on for 6 months

Otherwise I can now undertake the same activities as I enjoyed before the operation and next week I have an assignment to teach English to Polish students in Sutton-all that is really left is the heavy gardening and that will have to wait till the Spring

I can remember the events up to the visit to the operating theatre very clearly including the rush of cold air as the trolley was pushed along the corridors and meeting the surgeon and anaesthetist in the anteroom-no pre med though

The next thing I knew after the prick in the back of my hand was coming to in a weird parallel world I could not recognise

There seemed to be television or cinema screens and people moving around but my perception of time and space was fragmented and confused

There were nurses standing silent and still by the bed like statues-I asked one if she were real and she assured me she was but when I touched her arm to make sure I found that she was made of marble

At night all the furniture started to move round like a film set and became Legoland

Later I was told that I was experiencing Delirium and it went on day after day as I was moved from Intensive Care to High Dependency and then to an open ward

I thought it was caused by Morphine but I have been told that I was given Fentanyl which according to the internet can be 100 times more powerful that Heroin or Morphine

I was telling my visitors that I was in USA or Canada or France quite convinced that I was and there were scenarios of entrapment -being kidnapped by African terrorists in reprisal for the wrongs they had suffered or being shown newsreels that would go on for eternity

I remember asking to be let out of the fantasy world and being told that it was controlled by machines but there was a time lock and if I went back to sleep for 30 minutes they would switch off automatically

Eventually the delusions got less and less though the taste of the anaesthetic dominated the food till the end One of the passing doctors said that my body had received a "major insult" in the operation

The memory of the Delirium experience remains very strong and the perception of the by pass operation was secondary and the nurses had to stop me from trying to pull out the wires and leads going into my neck and chest and stomach

Every 2 hours a band on my right upper arm would tighten as my blood pressure was taken automatically and nurses would come round check my temperature and take bloods

There was a lot of noise and a constant "boing boing" in the background-I could hear but not always see-a lot shouting and crying and children's voices, doctors quietly discussing me

I couldn't distinguish night from day and the nurses were telling me to go to sleep as it was 2 am when I thought it was the middle of the day

The nurses kept asking me questions and to the day of my discharge I could not give them the name of the hospital which didn't seem to bother them -but I could remember my own name and date of birth and I knew that I was in a hospital and had had an operation

I have got the hospital brochure on dementia and delirium but it is mostly for relatives and carers and is dependent on knowing the patient well enough to be able to spot the changes-apparently up to 1 in 3 patients experience it

My wife, daughter, sister in law and 2 sons and brother realised that I wasn't "quite right" and the staff probably thought I was a bit odd

In the end the hospital were keen to discharge me and my wife preferred me to stay!

I wasn't really up to communicating with the other patients but kept thinking that I recognised them from outside No one had television but the nurses were talking about Boris Johnson

The ward itself had a fantastic view looking down on the Thames with the Houses of Parliament directly opposite and the sunshine came in directly onto the bed

At this point in time my strongest impression is of the power of the human body to recover

Hope all goes well with your own recovery!

[kefalonia1]

Hi, lucky you the BRl saved my life back in 2017. l had two aortic valve replacements 5 weeks apart because the first one failed due to sepsis and infective endocarditis which destroyed my healthy heart before l got to hospital close to death. l spent 3 months in various wards and private rooms. l also was insanely bored in HDU even though l felt very weak especially after the second 11 hour op. There is no tv there and the constant bleeping of the machines is like Chinese water torture. However no one expected me to live but the amazing work of my Hero Consultant Mr B###N, his team and all the Doctors and nurses performed a miracle and saved a family. You will be fine and engulfed in a blanket of love and care as l was. The British heart lnstitute at Bristol Royal lnfirmary has a certificate of excellence!!! So plan your future, live long and prosper. Take care, Sue. PS, buy some prune juice it worked amazingly for me, better than any tablets, it turns your stools black though so don't panic its not blood.