“How Long Is Heart Surgery Recovery, Really?” Asks Jesser
As I remember all too well, once diagnosed with “needing heart valve surgery”, a series of foreign questions flood the patient’s brain. Those questions range from “What type of procedure should I chose?” to “Which surgeon should I go to?” to “Should I write or re-write my will?”
While these pre-surgery questions are acute, the post-operative questions can be incredibly vague as the patient proceeds through heart surgery recovery. As you will read below, Jesser just emailed me an insightful question about the recovery time for heart surgery.
Jesser writes, “Adam - Five months ago I had a pulmonary valve replacement surgery. My question is - How long did it really take you to completely feel like your old self again? Because, when I SNEEZE my chest throbs, my scar bugs me, and I can not move my arms that much because they still hurt. Thanks, Jesser.”
This question, “How long is the recovery from heart surgery?”, is very appropriate. In fact, when I first read Jesser’s email, I smirked a bit as I remembered the pain of my first sneeze after aortic valve replacement surgery. I also remembered the incision discomfort from my broken sternum. And, I remembered the annoying pain in my collarbone.
Above all things, I remembered two surgeons telling me that I would be fully recovered after eight weeks (two months). Well, that was not accurate. It was not even close.
In addition to pain management issues, I also experienced cardiac depression. Similar to Jesser, five months after heart surgery, I was not fully recovered. In fact, I did not feel “mostly recovered” until about eighteen months after surgery.
Would I say that I am 100% today? Probably not. I usually tell people I am 98%-99%.
Why? Well, every once in-a-while my incision stings or my heart skips a beat or a pain streak rushes through my side. I know I will never be the Old Adam. But, I know that my heart is doing a lot better today than it was before my Ross Procedure.
Hmmmmmm….
So, in that sense, maybe I’m not 98%-99%… Maybe I’m at 110%. 
Finally, I would tell Jesser to remember that all patients recover at different rates. While your surgeon may tell you that you will be recovered in eight-to-ten weeks, my own research suggests that there is a wide range of patient recovery times. Some patients recover faster than eight weeks. Some patients, like me, recover slower than eight weeks.
Whatever you do, don’t try to rush the recovery. This is a common mistake of recovering heart surgery patients. Take it step-by-step and let your body heal. And, if you haven’t thought about joining a cardiac rehab program, please do so now. Cardiac rehab is, in my opinion, critical to the recovery of a heart surgery patient.
I hope this helps shed some light on the recovery time after cardiac surgery. Click this link if you would like to Leave A Comment about heart surgery recovery.
Keep on tickin!
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 an actual heart valve surgery patient. To learn more about Adam and his heart valve surgery book, click here.
Email Friend
Leave Comment
Print
Subscribe
August 27th, 2008 at 4:30 pm
I’m so glad this topic came up now. My aortic valve replacement was June 23, and I still don’t feel 100%. Even though I read your book and did other research, nothing prepared me for the recovery.
One piece of advice I’d offer is to rest all you need to when you first get home from the hospital. One of the R N s told me that for every day I spent in bed, I would have an extra three day recovery period. Consequently, I spent way more time sitting in my chair than I did in bed. I was so weak that I couldn’t walk the 95 steps from my bed to my chair without stopping to rest. I’ve since found out that I had it reversed: I should have stayed in bed and taken short sitting periods during each day! Don’t try to be superman, just recover at your own pace. This is not like any other surgery you may have had. For example, I had back surgery last year on a Friday, was discharged from the hospital on Saturday, and went to church and out to eat for Mother’s Day on Sunday. Nothing close to that is going to occur after your valve replacement. Just hang in there–hopefully you’ll get stronger day by day. I know that’s starting to happen for me.
August 27th, 2008 at 5:30 pm
Jesser,
Sneezing and coughing generate very high intra-thoracic (inside the chest) and abdominal pressure which can cause significant pain for quite a while after chest surgery. Prior to these maneuvers try holding or compressing the painful area(s). Many times this does help ease the pain. The pain does get less as time passes.
I have a bicuspid aortic valve with stenosis and an aortic root aneurysm which is being monitored closely and will need a valve and ascending aorta replacement in 1 to 3 years.
Many years ago, as a recently graduated respiratory therapist, I treated many open heart patients at a major university teaching hospital. I recently read Adam’s book and do recommend it to all valve replacement patients and their caregivers. What to expect port-op was quite insightful.
There is a big difference treating open heart patients and BEING an open heart patient.
August 27th, 2008 at 9:50 pm
I endorse Adam’s enthusiasm for a planned physical (cardiac rehab) recovery program. I am a keen cyclist (mid-40s), and was riding up to 150 miles/week before discovering in a routine medical exam I needed urgent surgery on my aortic valve.
My Ross Procedure on April 8 turned into a Bentalls Procedure (mechanical valve) during surgery (oops!). I got the same over-optimism from the doctors about recovery initially - “a couple of months”. I think they say this to avoid people spiraling into depression - I reckon it’s more like a year at my rate of progress.
Pre-operation, I approached a specialist sports-rehab group here in Melbourne to build me a program above and beyond the hospital-led one - which frankly was too short, very conservative and moved at the speed of the lowest common denominator.
At nearly 5 months I am back to a 40 mile ride on Sundays, a weekly 1 hour Gym session (rehab), and commuting by bike (5 miles) to work 2 days a week. I have to be careful to balance this with rest accordingly, extra sleep being the best medicine. I am weak in the chest and neck, but it’s muscle wastage from inactivity not structural issues. A sneeze still occasionally hurts.
If I had not worked with a trained rehab/ sports specialist I doubt I would have been as measured, daring or pro-active in my recovery work. Their support and interest has been key to my avoiding going emotionally downhill as well - an easy outcome having gone from ‘athlete’ to ‘patient’ mentality in a matter of weeks. I have days when I feel more vulnerable than I did (I carry a medical kit when riding); I have to check my expectation that one day I will wake up as ‘Steve Austin’ and be back to my old self (or more!) - but it’s easy to do when I balance my joy at having this second chance.
Be patient, be active.
August 28th, 2008 at 7:15 am
I am also glad that this issue has been raised i also did a lot of research but was prepared for the time it takes to recover i am 15 weeks postop but still have pain and i am not yet 100% so good luck and do take time to recover and listen to your body.
Fazilat
August 28th, 2008 at 8:15 am
I had a St. Jude’s valve put in on March 6, 2008. I have been walking, going to Cardiac Rehab and trying to ease into recovery.
Don’t rush it. Listen to what your body is telling you. I also have pain in my incision site as well as discomfort in my right shoulder and arm.
We all have to remember that our bodies have been put through a tremendous operation and it will take time to heal properly. Take your recovery day by day.
Just a note to say that on August 14th of this year I climbed a Mayan Ruin in Cozumel Mexico in 112 degree weather and when I stood on top of this beautiful place I cried not for the beauty but for the accomplishment I just did, something that before valve surgery I would have never been able to do. I thank god everyday for giving me a second chance to live life.
My recovery was long, and I too suffered from Cardiac Depression eventhough I did not know that what it was called at the time. But the minute I went back to work and realized that I was not going to die it disappeared.
Have faith in yourself, listen to yourself and by all means take recovery seriously and listen to your body.
Andi
August 31st, 2008 at 9:01 am
Thank you for this information. As my mitral valve worsens, it looks like I’ll be needing a valve replacement soon, and this is one of the questions on my list.
September 2nd, 2008 at 10:42 pm
Adam, first, you are great and thank you for all your work for us and I am honestly trying to not freak-out here. From all I’ve read, it’ll take at least 3 weeks before I can do stairs and 6 weeks before I can drive. And I’ll definetly need lots of help in the first 2 to 3 weeks post op at home. Well, I live alone in a second floor condo and need my mitral valve fixed before this winter according to my cardiologist. I am trying to be OK with the scar down my sternum even though, truthfully, I am not as I’ve seen my Dad’s from his valve replacement about 10 years ago. Should I be looking into local nursing homes or what for the first 3 weeks post-op? Mybe I need pre-op counseling? Is there such a thing?