After having a mechanical aortic valve and ascending aorta surgery (splitting the breast bone etc) in May after an out of hospital cardiac arrest I am recovering fairly well. This was all totally unexpected but I was lucky enough to reach hospital where the NHS did their bit brilliantly, diagnosing the problem and sorting it.
That was May'19 and although I am now slowly increasing my level of exercise and able to do the majority of things that I could before my surgery there are some issues and I was wondering how these compare with others who have undergone similar surgery.
Having spent a number of weeks after surgery only being able to sleep on my back this now can cause my stomach muscles to ache after a period requiring me to move on to my right side, I still can't lie on my left side for more than 10 minutes without it getting uncomfortable.
Following surgery a had a sore neck for a few weeks and it was painful to try and drain a can of juice. This had gone but has recently come back, not to the same extent but is still a nuisance I guess because I thought it had sorted itself. Mentioning it to the GP last week and he said it would be due to the scarring which I suspect is the reason for my tight stomach muscles too! Anyone had similar issues and if so how long might they last?
I was warned after the surgery that I might get emotional at times for no apparent reason. From what I recall this would be the first few months and back then I was generally okay with only a few off days. However, 10 months later and I'm not feeling great emotionally but don't why. Everything is going well, I am tired but not excessively, and I am doing quite a lot so the tiredness is expected. I have had various bloods taken in the past couple of months and everything is okay so health wise I am fine. Again, anyone had something similar?
I was a fairly fit 49 and had just completed a Parkrun when I had my cardiac arrest and hope to run my first Parkrun since in a couple of weeks. They deserve a massive thank you for the CPR given and the use of their defib.
Written by
andy110519
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
I too had open heart surgery in May 2019 and my neck sometimes aches where they had the tube in. I think sometimes we underestimate the seriousness of open heart surgery especially when we read other people’s posts when they say that they are up to speed in no time.
A cardiac registrar told me that the younger a person is can make recovery more uncomfortable due to your muscles being tighter which causes pain and discomfort when everything is knitting back together inside
I was also told that it can take 12 to 18 months to repair and get back to speed. I get emotional too at times which is usually when I’ve done too much. Be kind to yourself Andy and don’t over do things.
Thanks, nice to be referred to as 'younger'. I am quite busy just now so maybe I am overdoing it. It's difficult to fit everything in and find some me time which is what I think I need more of just now!
Hi, I had open heart surgery August 2016, so further along than you and I am a good deal older! I was told by my surgeon that the sternum would take up to 18 months to heal, and even now I can get tingling in my neck from where the tubes were. Especially if I have sweat ( try and power walk) it’s like salt gets in and makes me jump!
Emotions can sometimes be a little raw, I sometimes see my scare though and think that really did happen to me! I think we have to remember that we have had a huge operation and be kind to ourselves, as I said nearly 4 years on and life is good and I am grateful for all the people who got me here , you really will get stronger and and things will improve.
Maybe speak to your GP and see if you can get some counselling just to work out your emotions.
I really wish you well with getting back to your Parkrun,
Nice to hear from someone who is further on than me. I don't mind if there are permanent twinges or similar but I guess it's knowing that they are common rather than wondering if there is something wrong!
I have had a number of visits to the GP's and seen quite a few different ones with only one asking about my emotional state and that was months after the surgery! I will see how I go over the next few weeks.
Hi, can I ask did you do cardio rehab? I found it invaluable, as much for my mental health as for getting my stamina back. Being around people who have had similar experiences as yourself really helped me, hearing their stories was such a help and I feel this is why I find the forum so good.
You are young and have a long life in front of you with your mended heart.
I had a couple of sessions with a cardio rehab nurse but only on a one to one basis, that was all I was offered, one to one that is. As we were both happy enough with my progress at the time I only did the two sessions. I think it would have been helpful if there had been group sessions so I could compare notes with others going through similar experiences.
Why not have a word with your GP, see if there is any cardio rehab classes, you might be one of the youngest there but if it’s anything like the one I attended you would certainly have a laugh!
Hi Andy, I had my new valve in May 1982. I still remember it vividly. I remember feeling very emotionally drained. Physically I was fine. I was worried about the future for my family (a 2 year old, a 7 month year old and an amazing wife). When I spoke to my GP he told me that everything was as it should be. I must have still looked worried because he then said, “The trouble is you don’t believe me, do you?” And he was a right, to a degree. When I went for my first run I went with my neighbour because part of me thought that I wouldn’t be coming back!
Thirty eight years on I am still ticking away ( do new valves do that or have they now got silencers?😀). My cardiac arrest in 2011 was far less traumatic, for me, but not my family! I won’t go into that but, once again, due to a passing stranger and our fantastic NHS I am well and active.
I hope my story is of some help and wish you all the best for a full recovery and an active life. Do it while you can!!!
That must have been a difficult time after your surgery, my girls are 15 so the main issue was one taxi driver down! I've got a mechanical valve and they do still tick, especially noticeable at night, you'd think they could have improved on that in 38 years.
Nice to know the valves last so long although no guarantees. Compared with what some people have to endure on an ongoing basis I am lucky that I'm relatively okay and can do most of what I did before, it was a close thing though, sounds like you were even luckier in 2011!
You’re not at all alone Andy, & I’m in same boat, thinking / hoping it’s niggles rather than big issues. My OHS was early Apr 19.
I also get stomach muscle pains, but only on left side of stomach - the cardio doc assured me it’s posture & abs related & suggested I get physio. I haven’t yet. I’m also more comfy on right side than left. The pain is more lying on back, esp if my left arm is above my head. If I press on it & breath deeply “into it”, the pain eases as I relax. At my last echo, they suggested I bend my knees up to ease abs pain during the test, so I’m considering putting a towel under my knees when lying on back at night, which has often helped my back anyway.
And I’m still emotional, probably worse than at start. The sense of threat hasn’t fully left me, I get anxious at small health things & get flashbacks at times from the weirdest triggers. But some counselling helped me with better accepting reality, not wishing it away or feeling it’s unfair/why me. I’m still tempted to feel that way but have come to see it makes things worse, so try to stop. I now feel more of a sense of a constrained life ahead (eg had to cancel a charity trek due to pericarditis) & worry there’ll be occasional setbacks or heart problems for ever now. But I guess that’s life & I'm slowly adapting to that.
I also get various other pains. Mostly shoulders & into neck. But I’ve now experienced the difference between ongoing ‘aches’ (as muscles re-knit), and really bad neck / shoulder pain - the latter can be referred pain from the heart, esp if worse lying down (got this last month with a first instance of pericarditis & have better idea when to get checked out).
And if you think you might be doing too much, then I’d suggest that’s your body telling you that you ARE doing too much! I find I’m pooped & get poorly if I do too much. Been hard to stop focusing on what I’d LIKE to think/ hope is an ok amount of activity, & instead notice the reality of what my body can handle!
I got the impression from the surgeon that things w/ be tough for 6-12 months, but I’ve read of many patients where 1-2 years isn’t unusual, & think that’s proving the case for me. I’m trying to learn patience & get my confidence back in my body..... it’ll come someday! ☺️
It's not knowing what is reasonable discomfort and levels of activity I guess I find difficult but at least I do notice even the small improvements in what I can do. When they checking everything prior to my op the only issue was the valve and thickening of the ascending aorta so at least I know everything else was in good working order and these two issues have been sorted.
I remember almost nothing from just prior to my cardiac arrest to waking up in hospital a relatively short time later. It still all feels a bit surreal and although there has been a bit of why me there's also the thoughts about how lucky I was with having qualified people around me and a defib despite not being near a hospital.
It's good to hear that what I am experiencing is perfectly normal although I do maybe need to listen to what my body is telling me, I think I've been a bit lax with that over the past couple of months.
Thanks for sharing some of your story.
I know what you mean - what is reasonable ?! Be interested to hear yours, this is what I find (although different heart problem, mend of hole-in-heard & misdirected veins).
- Pain: the 'serious' pericarditis pain felt like someone stabbing me in the neck & shoulders, or squeezing the flesh in a vice. I could not sleep, and even with ibuprofen, I could only doze for a bit at a time. The 'more normal' pain is either a dull, constant ache, or a 'twinge'.
-Exercise: I was slowly able to build up to about a 5 hr day-hike, including a little ascending. It took me 4-5 months to progress from being able to do a 1 hr flat walk, to being able to do 5hrs. But each time I added distance, I got really tired or a bit under the weather.
What's tricky, is that my body only tells me I've done too much AFTER the fact, ie the next day! There's no signal at the time, so I don't tend to stop at the time. Instead it took weeks of noticing & experimenting to guess what I could manage. The only pattern I've found, is to reduce, then add back tiny increments. Eg if going out for dinner seemed to give me 'tired-next-day', I cut it down to going for coffee, and built up again slowly.
The cardiologist was surprised & told me the heart is not a muscle that shows its tiredness the next day, say like our legs the day after a hard gym session (the heart isn't "retarded", in her words, lol). But many people have told me they feel the same as me. So I wonder if it's a different effect, eg I got more irregular beats when tired, perhaps my pacing went a bit off.
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
Have you seen this video 'My CA was caught on camera'?
Werk werk werk werk - celebrating a post cardiac arrest work milestone 
I'm new on here
Sorry to be leaving.
just saying hi 
