OHS -mitral valve repair -practical questions

[KitCD]

Hi, I am due to have mitral valve repair next week and am concentrating mostly on practical things I will need - so my questions are: how easy is it to get dressed once you're home? I've got a good supply of button up tops so arms don't need to go overhead but will I be able to bend to pull up trousers or trackies?Also, I've got an over bath shower only - will it be hard to get into it? I gather I shouldn't be using my arms to hold onto anything. Thank you

[Lopas]

I'm 6 [and a bit] weeks beyond my mitral valve repair. A random series of thoughts about adjustments I made... I had a thick towel to put under my seat belt to be driven home. I was able to dress myself because you can do that with limited need to put your arms high above your head, but for the first few days my wife put my socks on for me as I found tugging in that position to be worrying. Note I say “worrying” rather than painful, generally I was very cautious in everything I did. The reality is that little fazed me If you just stopped to plan what you intended to do before beginning, but the definite adjustments I made were not lifting anything heavy, not driving, only showering - thankfully we have a walk-in shower.

So, to the biggie. Sleeping. First of all, you will be surprised how washed out you will be when you get home and napping during the day was frequent for at least a week. I took the advice to sleep only on my back very seriously, and as a side sleeper I found this really difficult. Despite building a wall of pillows in bed I actually spent most of the 1st 4 weeks propped On a sofa, I have only been sleeping back in the bed, and deliberately accepting rolling around on my side over the last week (and it’s fine).

you may find that you sense a clicking sensation from your sternum (assuming you have the full OHS experience) but that will reduce as the days go by. Now at six weeks I have started relaxing my vigilance a little bit, I'm still cautious about what and how I try to lift things. I did some short distance driving from 4 weeks onwards and ditched the towel underneath the seat belt earlier this week. I will not pretend that life is normal yet, but it is now moving towards normality.

Do pose specific questions!

[KitCD in reply to Lopas]

Thank you, that's really useful. It is OHS but just got told yesterday it has been rescheduled for 3 weeks time. I had a momentary wobble but know from this forum that postponement is not unusual so now putting it all to the back of my mind as far as possible for a couple of weeks.

[Daffodilia]

I helped my husband dress after open heart surgery and he had a stool for our walk in shower. Recovery is harder and slower than hospital tell you but 6 months on he is well and back to normal (almost)

[KitCD in reply to Daffodilia]

Thank you. That's really good to hear

[bikebabe]

I bought a large pillow wedge to help sleep on my back (with lots of pillows around it) and small handrail with pockets that fitted under the mattress to help lever myself out of bed more easily without straining and allowed me easier access to things I wanted in bed.

[NikPark]

hi Kit, I had my mitral valve replaced via OHS in January. I am in my late 40s and was fairly fit before surgery to give you context. Agree with everything said above. In addition, I would add following:

- you need help with compression socks. I had to wear for 6 weeks day and night and it became my husband’s daily challenge to put clean ones on. There are tricks using plastic bags but very hard to do yourself. In the first few weeks I would say same for normal socks. I also needed help with trainer laces.

- button up tops are good. It can be hard pulling down polo necks without help. You should be fine with trousers. You will be doing that in hospital too.

- shower in bath. Please make sure someone there to help you get in. You shouldn’t put weight through your arms. I also needed my husband to blow dry my hair for first few weeks. Or have a friend on standby

- sleep was hard as you can’t roll onto your sides. I used one of the long pregnancy pillows you can mould around you, plus I had another pillow under calves to try to replicate the bends the hospital beds provide.

- say yes to people offering help, esp if your partner works. It’s really important to eat well /healthily so if someone can make a meal or get your shopping that’s ideal

- don’t expect too much of your self in first month. I had big plans to crack through long standing admin jobs but only now getting to them in week 9.

The hospital will give you a useful recovery discharge pack with lots of examples of what you can and can’t do. You could see if they will give you during pre op.

Wishing you all the best - your surgery might already have happened looking at timeline

[KitCD in reply to NikPark]

Thank you, I actually had the surgery a week ago tomorrow and came home last night! I'm mid fifties and fairly fit too so your perspective is really helpful. All the advice given above has been helpful to prepare too and having a wedge and a v pillow has been particularly useful. And I managed the shower over bath this morning through a combination of my partner supporting my weight under my bottom as I stepped in and out and a long non-slip mat in the bath😁.

[NikPark in reply to KitCD]

Am so pleased you are home! You will find you are more resilient than you knew, there will some ups and downs but a few giggles on the way, if only over compression socks! I still can’t believe how much the body can sort itself out.