Length Of Stay In Hospital After Aortic Valve Replacement

[ITSINTHEBAG9]

Can anyone give me a rough idea of what's what please. Do I turn up on the morning or the night before. How soon am I allowed to start walking about and rough length of hospital stay. Many thanks as always you lovely people. Jane X

[Nic25]

Hi Jane. It's going to vary for everyone, especially how smoothly things go and if there are any complications etc, and my experience was pre-Covid. But if it helps for me it went like this:

Weds pm - checked into hospital (you'll be notified when they want you). Lots of pre-tests, X-rays, echo, shaving of chest and legs, nil by mouth overnight

Thurs - was first on the list so early down to operating theatre, and then (obviously) all a bit of a blank

Thurs late pm - came round in ICU

Overnight Thurs - in ICU

Fri - in ICU, but by evening discharged to the high dependency unit on the ward

Fri overnight - in HDU, encouraged by the morning to get up and sit in a chair by the bed and start moving/walking around small distances

Fri early pm - discharged from HDU and actually walked myself (though felt like a car had hit me) down the corridor to the ward

Fri-Tues - recovery on ward. Again you're encouraged (depending on how you're doing obviously) to get out of bed, sit up in the chair, walk around the ward area, eventually try a few stairs, that sort of thing. They're keen to get you up and moving a) to get your lungs working and everything going again and b) to get the bed back! Talk of being discharged that Tues but then had a small fever so kept in and given antibiotics (it's quite common as the lungs reflate)

Weds pm - discharged, almost to the second a week after I had arrived

But, as I say, everyone is different. I was lucky in that I had no complications whatsoever apart from the minor fever. Others were in there for longer.

Hope that helps!

Cheers

Nic x

[ITSINTHEBAG9 in reply to Nic25]

Thanks so much Nic x

[HenryHerbert24]

Hi,

Well, I am during covid so this is what I've been told/have done.

Week before went on fir pre op, so bloods etc.

4 days before surgery had to start washing with antibacterial wash (provided by hospital) and insert nasal gel twice a day.

Went in day before and met with surgeon and anaesthetist, had bloods, weight, breathing exercise test and blood pressure.

I then got sent home, but apparently you have operation, go to icu where you are for about 24 hours and then onto ward. You will be in for up to 7 days. For Liverpool heart and chest it was no visitors, so was given a liason team number for my family to call, but they also called my sister with an update. You can phone or use face time in hospital

Ive been told, no driving for 6 weeks after and off work up to 12 weeks.

Hope thar helps

Tammy x

[080311]

Hi Jane,

As you know I am in Scotland and had mine at the Golden Jubilee. I was transferred from my local hospital on the Friday for my op on the Monday. I had the normal pre op checks yet more X-rays and bloods.

After the op next day the physio was at the side of my bed first thing had me out of bed in ICU and walking on the spot with all my tubes still in place. Next day moved to high dependancy had physio twice a day breathing exercises and coughing hourly! After 2 days there moved back to the ward, expected to walk every hour used to get a text from my son saying” Mum get on feet and walk “ I left the hospital exactly a week after my surgery. Having your different tubes and drain removed, first one to go was the neck ones that’s in ICU, drains out as well as catheter in HDU, and the last to go were my pacing wires the day before discharge.

Do the exercises your given, they really make a huge difference. I made a conscious decision to do everything possible to help myself, sometimes not wanting to do my coughing, is a bit uncomfortable! But it soon passes. When you get home continue with your breathing exercises they really help, remember your lungs have taken a hit as well as your heart, the lungs collapse when we are on bypass so they need nursing back.

You will be fine, Pauline

[ITSINTHEBAG9 in reply to 080311]

Thank so much Pauline x

[Nic25]

Hi Jane, sorry me again, I realise I made a slight error in the chronology of my earlier reply. It should have read:

Fri overnight - in HDU, encouraged by the morning to get up and sit in a chair by the bed and start moving/walking around small distances

Sat early pm - discharged from HDU and actually walked myself (though felt like a car had hit me) down the corridor to the ward

Sat-Tues - recovery on ward

So it was Friday overnight to Saturday on the HDU, not Friday overnight to Friday which, obviously, makes no sense. Sorry for any confusion. Both Tammy and Pauline are also making great points, and good advice I'd say. But good luck again....

Nic x