Good morning all. My husband had his bypass op on Tuesday. It ended up being a triple. The surgeon said it went well (there were anticipated difficulties due to him having suffered a massive heart attack at some point and not realizing and the subsequent damage done.).
He was sedated and on the vent and woken up Wednesday morning. Wednesday he had issues with very very low bp. Wednesday evening and yesterday he has been having attacks of SVT CICU have struggled to control. To the point they have now had to place him on temporary epicardial pacing.
Naively I thought the op would help him but he just seems to be getting worse and worse. Can anyone share similar experience and outcome? I just feel like I need to expect the worst (my husband has even said this to me) and I’m so scared?
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SJX130
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How difficult for you, what a dreadful time you’ve both had. But the medics seem to have worked amazingly with each problem, as its arisen. Stay strong, and I’m sure everyone here just wants to hear good news that he is getting through the worst,
My husband is 10 weeks post op after having a triple bypass and I can identify with how you feel. My husband tested positive for covid the day before his op and it has been such a rollercoaster of emotions. Although he did not experience any complications I too thought he would just be better. It’s been a long recovery and they say 12 weeks until he will truly recover but there have been times I wondered how this could be. All I can say is stay positive and keep going. Hopefully you will be able to look back at the whole episode and see it as a positive an outcome. Feel free to reach out
What a dreadful time for you both. Hang on in there its early days and he is surrounded by professionals. Trust in their expertise. Thinking of you both and sending cyber hugs.
That must be incredibly scary and worrying for you to be around and witness. I’m sorry that it’s happening and although it’s hard to think like it, he is in the best place possible xx
Your husband is experiencing some the complications of having major open heart surgery, which as you said, was a more complex operation due to previous heart damage. Having those pacing wires although it’s super scary is a good thing because they will give his heart a chance to get back to a normal rhythm and do it’s job properly and go back to beating normally. With some heart surgeries they place those wires as a standard so that they can control the rhythm as and when needed. He just needs a bit of extra help in the first few days which are the scariest ones for you but he is unlikely to remember very much about them at all!
Your husband having very very low blood pressure will have been due to the surgery as fluid volumes change in the body during the operation and also he would of had a huge amount of anaesthetic as which also contributes to a change in pressure. They can treat/manage his blood pressure and it sounds like they have been doing so successfully.
The op is going to help in the long run, you are in the very very early days of it all. He is in the very best place and like I said before about him likely forgetting most of it, he’ll appreciate your support and the love that must be coming off you in waves. Good luck to both of you and please post again soon to let us know how you both are xx
I was 72 when I had open heart surgery. And there was a scare as I started to get over the anaesthetic. But I am here three years later. I remember just how massive the anaesthetic was. And the dreaming/ half wakening was very distressing. But it was all OK. The dreams were dreams and when I got home to my wife and my much loved cat then things rapidly improved. Three months on and life was wonderful again. Your husband also had pneumonia(?) and I had residual effects from that strong disease.
My thoughts and prayers are for you both
sooty
Hello
I am pleased your Husband has had his operation but sorry to read there are some complications since and yes I can only imagine how frightening this must be for you and wished I could take away your fear
Take each day as it comes and know that they are experts that are caring for hm so whatever happens they will be doing everything to get things stable again and so try not to think the worse but stay positive difficult I know that they will deal with each thing as it happens and that your Husband will get through this as well as you will to
Please keep us updated and let us know how you both are x
Sorry to hear your husband has had some complications (but glad to hear the surgery itself went well.)
My partner developed AFib (with some tachycardia, bradycardia and heart flutters thrown in too) just as he was being moved out of ICU - he then remained in ICU for an extra day and half. They struggled to control his heart rhythm and I remember how scary this was (although he was completely unbothered by the whole thing!) but they did get it under control in the end using various methods/medications.
One “funny” moment however was when the nurse gave him a drink of magnesium and asked me to “get him to drink it if possible, as it tastes terrible” and he downed it and asked for more!
He kept the pacing wires in until the day before discharge and was on amiodrone for several months to control the AFib.
Long term he’s had a few episodes of possible AFib since his bypass (over 3 years ago) but it hasn’t caused him any real problems.
It’s very early days for you both and there will be good days, great days and likely more not so good days to come. Taking each day (or even hour) as it comes is all you can do, please try to look after yourself during all this too.
This must be incredibly difficult for you both, SJX and I'm not going to say don't worry, you wouldn't be human if you didn't. Just try to keep remembering that he's in the best possible place he could be surrounded by incredibly skilled and dedicated people who are looking after him and monitoring his condition minute by minute and hour by hour and working incredibly hard successfully overcoming each problem as it arises. Try to stay strong and take each day as it comes - it's very early days. Please, if you have time, come back and let us know how you're both getting on, even if it's just to vent. Looking forward to hearing some positive news in the days to come. And remember to take care of yourself too. Carol
I had a quintuple bypass 4 years ago. Having your chest cut open and all that work done will really knock a person's body for 6. I felt rotten for a while and there were all sorts of issues. But the doctors and nurses in Southampton General were excellent and looked after me. 4 years down the line, I am still alive and kicking, working full time, paddle boarding in the good weather, cycling etc. So take heart (pardon the pun) and give it a little time. Giant68
Hi SJX130,I'm so sorry to hear your husband is having complications post surgery. I had a double bypass in January of this year and when they tell you of everything that is a risk or could go wrong, it's really frightening
All.I can say is that he is in the absolute right place. He will be well looked after and monitored. Anything that needs adjusted or done will be, then hopefully he will be ready to come home and begun his recovery. I hope that everything works out well for him and that he gets home soon. Take care of yourself.
I had a triple bypass 12 weeks ago and had pacing wires my heart soon settled and they were taken out by day 4 and was given amioderone to control abnormal rhythms which again I have now stopped taking. It is still very early days for him and it takes time but for most people things improve with time. The early days are challenging but for me are now a distant memory, they will soon be for him too
Hi SJX my by pass was 9 years ago. They put pacing wires in as standard as these little complications can happen in the first few days. This op is done daily now and so the clinicians will have come across your husbands problems many times. You can help by staying positive for your husband and this episode will soon be over and he will be home for to to take care of him. We are here for you and him whenever you need that little bit of a boost to your confidence though as many many of us have been through this op and are here to tell the tale. Take care take one day at a time x
Thank you all so much for your replies. What a week it has been!
My husband is now on HDU. Obs mostly stable tho still in AF but the doctors say that is to be expected given how bad his heart was.
He has been an absolute warrior and I am so proud of him. He’s worked for the ambulance service for 42 years and saved countless lives so if anyone deserves to be saved it’s him.
I cannot praise the staff at the BHI Bristol enough. They are all heroes.
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