Pumphead? Cognitive Decline After Heart Surgery?

Dan — I had mitral valve repair in March of this year. I too had read about “pumphead,” but never experienced it.
On the other hand, I did experience depression, and in retrospect, would go on an antidepressant BEFORE the surgery to help alleviate that whole experience. My cardiologist told me, AFTER the depression had lifted, that he was taught in school to start open heart patients w/ antidepressants before their surgery, but in his practice now, he’s not “allowed” to prescribe antidepressant med prior to surgery. Yipes.
Good luck w/ your procedure. You’ll do fine. If you’ve ever had a scratched cornea, I’m here to tell you that that hurts way more than this surgery.

Hi Dan.
If it happens to you, it’s temporary. I h d a mitral valvuloplasty a few years back also because of childhood rheumatic fever (and am now facing valve replacement), and, although I appeared and sounded normal, I knew that my brain was a bit foggy. It lasted for 3 months, during which time I was generally thinking okay, and occasionally felt almost like brain tired. It only lasted three months, like I said, so don’t worry. At least you know in advance that it might happen.
Good luck with your surgery.
Laura

Dan,
My wife had minimally invasive aortic valve replacement surgery on March 19th this year. It took about 6 hrs. She did suffer from “pumphead” and it was noticable to family and friends. Unfortunately the replacement valve did not solve her genetic abnormalities in the heart and the aortic artery and she had to undergo the full open chest operation on August 6th. This time the operation took 9.5 hrs and the heart and aortic artery were enlarged to allow easier blood flow. It has been just over 4 weeks since the surgery and she is doing great and doesn’t seem to suffer from the “pumphead” that she did after the first surgery.
Good luck!
John

I had an aortic valve replacement for my severe stenotic bicuspid valve and graft of my aortic root and ascending aorta due to a 5 cm fusiform aneurysm 8 weeks ago. I was on the table for 7-8 hours. A week and a half later (after having gone home) I was rushed to the local ER with a pericadial effusion and a pleural effusion with partial lung collapse, and was transfered back to the hospital where I’d had my AVR and graft for yet another surgery, much shorter this time. I have continuing cognitive fuzziness but my idea is that it might be a combination of “pumphead”, the anaphlactic (sp?) shock during my first heart surgery to an new antibiotic, and all the anesthesia and all the other meds they gave me, including the insulin I was given before each meal, even though I ate barely enough to compensate. (I’m not diabetic but I was given something during the AVR surgery that caused my pancreas to flip out a bit). I also think of the trauma – physical, mental and emotional of open heart surgery is a part of this. I’d known that the valve would have to be replaced since I was a small child, but at the age of 45 I was still not prepared for it.

Waiting for my brain to catch up and the pain in my sternum to subside, happy to be alive.

Best wishes to all,

Deb

I underwent aortic valve and cardiac by-pass surgery Sep 22, 2009, during which the heart lung machine was used; within 2 weeks I thought I had suffered a stroke, I experienced difficulty in hearing and speaking, my vision was extremely dark, I couldn’t relate to numbers and simple math colutions, my driving has suffered with depth perception issues – I just discovered yesterday that I experienced the pump head syndrome – some of my problems have been minimized but I’m not 100% yet -I am deeply disturbed that his situation may be permanent.

I had open heart surgury in dec of 09 at the age of 47. I was told by my doctor that I could experience depression afterwards. It has been 6 months and I have a terrible time working with numbers. I am unable to solve problems with speed and accuracy like i did before the surgury. I feel unstable driving my car and still have trouble leaving home alone. I know my wife and family are getting tired of the up/down mood swings but it is not a controllable feeling. I want my life back to normal, the way it was 7 months ago

i wanted to ask,if someone has a heart valve disease and has his valve replaced,will he face any problems when he does things like athletism ,or live intense conditions or even during sexual contact?