Heart Surgery And Depression - Cardiac Depression
I just received an interesting email from Carol that directly relates to heart surgery recovery. Carol writes, “Hi Adam - My husband had mitral valve replacement three weeks ago. I’m curious… Did you experience depression after heart valve surgery? Is it common for patients to experience cardiac depression following heart valve repair or heart valve replacement?”
Let me start by answering Carol’s first question. Yes, I did experience both heart surgery and depression. I had my pulmonary and aortic valves replaced in 2005. As for cardiac depression, I did not have any immediate form of depression during my 5 days in the hospital or during the first three weeks following my heart valve replacement surgery recovery. However, as I entered into my fourth week of recovery, I did begin to experience many symptoms of cardiac depression.
Needless to say, this was not a very fun time in my life. Pre-surgery, I was a very upbeat person. For me, the glass was always “half-full”. I’m an optimist that believes anything is possible. Post-surgery, however, I was exactly the opposite. I was lethargic, anxious, confused, pessimistic and isolated. I was also having issues sleeping.
What a miserable experience for me and all of my caregivers, especially my fiance (Robyn). I was a mess. And, my family… I don’t know how they put up with me!!! Thank goodness those dark days are lonnnnnnnnnnng gone.
To better understand cardiac depression, I researched the topic of heart surgery and depression for my book. I created a survey that was completed by 78 former heart valve surgery patients. As you would imagine, several, survey questions directly related to cardiac depression.
The survey results are very, very, very interesting. In one of the questions about heart surgery and depression, I asked the former patients, “Did you experience any form of cardiac depression during your recovery?”
Before I give you the results, my research suggests that between 30% - 75% of heart surgery patients experience cardiac depression. My research also suggested that more men than women are impacted by depression after heart valve surgery.
With that said, here are the results from my survey. According to the 78 patients surveyed, 32% of patients experienced heart surgery and depression. That’s a pretty significant number.
Now, the questions become… How do you avoid cardiac depression? And, if you experience cardiac depression, how do you get your recovery back on track? To learn more about the answers to those questions, click here.
Keep on tickin!
About The Author: Adam Pick is a double, heart valve surgery patient and author of The Patient’s Guide To Heart Valve Surgery, a unique book which integrates the clinical facts of heart valve surgery with the personal experiences of 135 former valve surgery patients. To learn more about Adam and his heart valve surgery book, click here.
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December 17th, 2008 at 8:56 pm
This is not a comment just looking for some advice. I met a girl about three months ago and everything was going perfect. She had heart surgery about a month ago and she is very depressed and I know I had something to do with it. I had no idea what the surgery would do to her and I was not patient with her at all. I think I have lost her and I guess what I am asking is this. I want to understand what she is going through and what I can do to be helpful. Right now she will not talk to me, but I am praying that will change. If anyone could help me out, that would be great. thanks.
December 20th, 2009 at 6:38 am
I too have lost a partner after his heart surgery-I had not expected his depression and anger -he too wont talk to me and has no contact with me at all -which has devastated me -he is 71 and I am 61 ,I was told to find someone younger ! I thought Id spend the rest of our lives together…….and support him through this process.But I am so scared that he wont change his mind.Ever ! I too am at a loss………help
February 12th, 2010 at 12:40 am
Thus subject does not apply just to older patients as we are experiencing this with our 16 year old daughter as well. She is also depressed and angry, after a PFO closure procedure done to correct a hole in her heart about a month ago. As the author of the book stated, it seems the 4th week is the worst yet. But prior to learning that she had a hole in her heart, we were first told she had a brain tumor, but it turned out she was having small strokes due to clots that were making it through the hole to her brain. But what we do know is that she has had a lot of built up stress and it has been very difficult for her to deal with, and she also had troubles with her boyfriend who didn’t know how to deal with his own fears, so he just avoided her and broke her heart without meaning to. So I think it is a universal experience, and one that doctors should better prepare their patients for going into it, as well as their families.