Hi,
First time on any forum but am really worried about my upcoming surgery.
i am really stressing out about the procedure for removal of any tubes /wires bladder catheter that i may be attached to when i come round from the operation ie will i still be slightly sedated or not when they are getting removed or will i have to grin and bear it ?
Rab
Welcome. You will be given plenty pain relief following your operation. The removal of the drain tubes is an experience but the nurses are really helpful to make it as painless and stress free as possible the gas and air helps. The wires painless. The catheter painless. Remember all this will be done while you are in the HDU and you will be looked after by the most professional nurses in the world. So relax stay calm and follow all the advice given you will be in very safe hands
Good luck
Beautifully explained ! 😘
Hi Rab
I can only comment on your request based on my first husbands quadruple heart by pass which happened 38 years ago and I'm presuming the medical procedures have now changed in so many ways! However I would like to stipulate that your going to be cared for by a large team of professional medical Angel's 😇
If I can remember rightly my husband came out of recovery an and into the ITC ward and was monitored for 24 to 48 hours. He had an intravenously pain killer in one hand and was linked upto a heart monitor and at the same time he had been sitting up within a few hours of his operation. Within a day or so he was walking around the ward and home 5 days to recover.
I'm not sure if my reply was of any help but I would like to wish you all the best
Love Trish x
Hi..I had my bypass on Christmas eve and like you I was worried about tubes etc being removed..but I can honestly say that my fears were unfounded as I found it painless with only very mild discomfort if anything..good luck for your operation it will be fine..
Hi Rab58,
Welcome to the forum, the drains pacing wires and catheter aren’t taken out in one go, the last ones I had removed was the pacing wires, no pain just a funny feeling. Never felt the catheter being removed, the drains came out in HDU all there’s to it take a deep breath breath out as they remove each one again no pain. The nurses are amazing talk you through what they are doing. You won’t have to put a brave face on it as it really doesn’t hurt.
I wish you well with your surgery, everything will be fine, and you will soon be on your way to a mended heart.
Best wishes Pauline
Thank you all for your replies and kind words, it makes me feel a little better hearing from you guys who have already had this treatment.
best wishes to you all for a happy healthy future .
Hi Pauline
You've just brought back a few very old memories when I sat with my husband in the HDU 38 years ago! Your so correct as I now can remember my hubby saying it was only minor discomfort having the tubes and wires removed whilst I stood by his bedside as the procedure was being done which I'd for gotten about!
Take care
Trish
Hi Trish,
38 years ago, wow, I am nearly 4 years on, the time as gone so quickly. I have said before I have been grateful everyone of those days to the medical team that gave me my life back and a second chance.
Stay safe best wishes Pauline
You stay safe too! I'm.just waiting Covid result! Lol !'However I'm feeling much better today after lung infection then throat and temp issues.
Hoping to get back to full fitness laterz !'
Great news on your 4 yours 👍💓
Love Trishy
Oh my goodness, glad to read your feeling better today, still it’s worrying for you. Make sure you get plenty of rest.
My husband had a stroke 5 weeks after my op! So now I am his Carer my worry is for him, trying to keep him shielded. But hi ho can only do what you
can to stay safe. Talking to one of our sons on FaceTime this morning ( he is in Australia) and he told him if he stays still too long a spray him with disinfectant!
Take good care, let us know how your results go.
Pauline
Hi Pauline
My goodness how stressful that must have been at the time when you were still recovering yourselves.
May I ask how bad his stroke was as you mentioned your still his carer!
I've been married twice and 1st hubby as you know had quadruple heart by pass all those years ago! Hubby number 2 has had 5 bad angina attacks so in away I'm on tender hooks with his condition! However it's not the same as being a carer to a stroke patient!
Note I'm here if you ever want to chat by PM!
I'm a member of the British Liver Trust Forum and have been for 2 years! I'm fairly well respected and quiet well known as I've recently completed a 15000 foot sky dive to raise funds for the BLT which was a total success and I made lots of new friends who are close friends now!
I'm here as a shoulder and friend if you need one!
Take care in the meantime! I'm also on FB under Trish Harris-McNee ! I'm a little nuts but loveable , fun and extremely caring and a private person when required
Trish x
Thank you for such a lovely reply, John lost his left side arm hand and leg, luckily not his speech, though part of his sight. When they told me in the hospital I thought ok we can cope with that and was more concerned with getting the use of his arm and leg, it’s turned out the vision as been the worse part for him! He is walking and as some use back in the arm, the brain can make new pathways but not where sight is concerned.
We have been married 50 years this year and for 46 of them neither of us had any medical issues so we really can’t complain. He was an officer in the merchant navy until he retired so he as been used to fending for himself So now having to rely on me can really get him down. But luckily we both have a silly sense of humour and we have had some of the best laughs!
When I read about your sky dive my (mended) heart was in my mouth don’t like heights ! You are very brave good on you.
As you will know when life serves you a cure ball you just have to dust yourself down and find ways of coping.
Thanks for such a lovely post.
Best wishes Pauline
Hi Pauline
I accidentally lost my reply after pressing wrong button earlier today.
Its now heading towards 2am and I’m wide awake hence writing now.
Good news negative on Covid 👍
So sorry to read about hubby’s stroke and eye site etc which I guess took a lot of your/Johns strength to adjust and you must have been roughly about my age now when it happened? I’m a young active 67 year old, well I was until this infection, however I’m still on the move in a round about way which means I cycle for 20 mins and not 120 currently in doors.
Re Sky Dive ... I was two months ago scared to death of heights, but when I put my mind to something and commit myself to a challenging I never back away . I’m now looking to do water rafting challenge to raise further funds for the BLT in 2021. Two other BLT members are looking to join me this time 😀
Well its now almost 2.30 and you won’t believe this but I’ve been answering BLT messages on my mobile whilst typing to you too.
Please both take care plus its lovely to read that your still laughing
together after so many wonderful years .
Loads of love and byeeze for now
Trish xxx
Honestly do not worry, I had open heart surgery last year and the first thing I remember was hearing a voice somewhere in the background saying we are going to remove the tube, trust me it didn’t hurt at all. You will still be very drowsy and floating on a cloud of peacefulness. The ICU nurses are like angels, so gentle and understanding. The only thing I felt when they removed the catheter was relief not pain. Stop worrying . X
Lovely said! X
I had a triple byepass following a heart attack 16 months ago. Everything was removed painlessly, just slight sensation.
I hope everything goes well, Rob, I had a triple bypass 2 years ago & like you I was worried & fearful of everything. It is fear of the unknown, I think, & it’s totally normal. Like everyone else has said your pain is well controlled & when all the tubes & drains etc it is nothing to worry about just take deep breaths. Mine were taken out at different times & weren’t a problem.
Do your breathing exercises before you go in they are very important after the op to get your lungs working properly. I’m sure you have been told about that.
Hope all goes well.
Jean
Quad bypass over 20 years ago when techniques were less sophisticated than they are now. The whole thing from start to finish was painless and because I was under different levels of sedation more like a dream than reality. Now just concentrate on getting well again
My hubby had quadruple too but 38 years ago! All went well back then!
Great to read your note 👍
I’m n icu now It’s been tough the lack of movement and moving around is hard, just amandine how different I feeled until now after the op I was maiming now in sore but trying to learn how to move and avoid pain day by day some are good some are imotional
Hi. As others have said you may feel some mild discomfort but the removal of catheter and other tubes will be over before you know it. The nurses who looked after me following my triple bypass were fantastic and I'm sure you will be in very good hands. Wishing you all the very best for your operation and recovery.
Rab58 - I had a triple last July and came out of theatre at 6pm. I woke up the next morning and was assisted to get out of bed for a shuffle round later in the day! All the medical staff were fantastic. A PCA -patient controlled analgesia - pump was given to me but I didn't use it at all; I was already on paracetamol tablets throughout the day. I was keen not to take any more pain relief than necessary (having listened to a patient in the next bed throwing up because of the nausea induced by it). When it came to having the three drains removed from my abdomen, the nurses said I should use it but I didn't and there was no pain at all. There's a huge focus on pain relief but it's up to you. Perhaps I was lucky and I'm sure some people have more trouble with pain but if you can resist it, your recovery is faster.
Removal of the catheter is painless as is the removal of the pacing wire and the various cannulas. If I tell you there's nothing to worry about, you probably won't believe me! ... but it's true. Best wishes
Hello,
I had my triple bypass a year ago last week after awaiting for emergency surgery for 2 and a half weeks in hospital. I was incredibly nervous of the operation and what was to follow but I must admit Drs, surgeons and nurses were wonderful. In recovery for the first couple of days I was looked after and monitored by one specific nurse and was give plenty of pain relief and amazing care. When I went down to the cardiac wards the nurses and doctors are amazing, professional and incredibly caring taking time to explain everything. I was very concerned about removing the wires, I needn’t have been as it wasn’t painful just a little uncomfortable but the nurses talked me through things and my own anxiety was the worst thing about it. The time will go so quickly. Wishing you all the best for a speedy recovery.
I had heart surgery 2 years ago at papworth ha md the best care the tubes that are in your chest are removed before you go to the normal ward mine were removed next day had to have oxygen while they were taken out. Then catheter removed after few days. My INR was too high so tube in neck had to stay for a few days which was a pain. But the nurses were brilliant and I was never in pain. Good luck with yours.
Please don’t worry about this sort of thing too much, the ward staff are very experienced in removal of this sort and personally I didn’t feel a thing after my open heart surgery. Funnily enough though I had exactly the same reservations as you before my op - seems a bit daft now considering it was open heart 😄. Don’t stress over this you will be very comfortable.
Rab, I was the biggest titty baby when it came to needles/ hospitals and dentists. I once passed out in the dentist WAITING room 😂 like the others have said, it's not that bad. My drain tubes were taken out in the ICU. (Deep breath-hold it, then the next). The catheter is put in while you are asleep, when the nurse whipped it out, only my dignity hurt. And I didn't even feel trace wire being pulled out. The doctors and nurses are brilliant, the food is the most painful part.
Good luck
Phil
This is a unique situation for you, but for your caring cardiac team this is an operation they are doing every day and whilst it is routine to them they are focussed on your care and well being.
As for all the stuff stuck into you, well I almost miss the catheter, no more trips to the loo during the night (I had been like you about catheters) I cant remember it being taken out probably due to the morphine, same with the tube, a slight tug and they were gone.
It's easy for me to say relax, and I had many of the concerns you had, but honestly you are in good hands.
Oh and that morphine .... oh yum!
Goodness, this is so familiar to my fears when I had my quadruple bypass. I didn’t seem to be so concerned about the op more about all the tubes, especially down my throat and the catheter. As many others have said I thought the drains would be a huge hurdle but again handled with such care. Please do not worry, as I was told constantly, this is a serious op but routine and of course they do it daily and are used to making it as comfortable as possible.
Patricia
It’s so natural to worry, no matter us survivors say otherwise, and I did too. I won’t lie, I could certainly feel the chest drains being removed, but it was over very quick. I was very sedated for breathing tube removal, don’t remember it. I was awake for catheter removal but it was no issue, neither were heart wires a few days later. I had a little discomfort on removal of the neck canula (central line needle), again it’s over quite quick.
During the breathing tube, chest drains & catheter stuff, you’ll probably have a dedicated nurse for 24hrs-ish, in High Dependency Ward. This helps, as they get to know you enough to help you manage your worries - mine squeezed my shoulders beforehand to help me relax, as I was so tense & that would’ve made it worse - bless her.
In the end, I found recovery at home a tougher road, tbh. I was scared to leave hospital, as even though I obviously wanted to get home, I was nervous to not have medics to call on. Sleeping & pain relief can be a tough balance. I didn’t want to get dependent on opioid pain meds (oramorph or cocodamol) but you need enough to keep the pain enough at bay that your body &mind can rest & heal. Sleeping at home took some logistical planning - many pillows etc!
Probably you’ll be scared a lot - I’d say, don’t try to fight it off too much, that just drives it underground. You’ll slowly find your way & recover, and look back with pride & better health on what you’ve been through. Good luck!
Hi,
I had mine 15 years ago. As everyone has said tube and wire removal is not painful, as you will have plenty of morphine inside you and an excellent team of nurses in the ICU, where its done. The catheter too is suprisingly easy, I didn't even notice the removal of mine. I was a bundle of nerves as I'd never met anyone who'd had a by-pass and didn't have the support of forums, but it was all okay. Good Luck, keep looking forward to your new life.
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