Adam’s Heart Valve Surgery Blog

A greeeeaaaaaaaaaaat question just came in about waking up in the ICU. It reads, “Adam, when I come to (wake up) in the intensive care unit will I be on respirators after open heart surgery.”

There are two possibilities here. “Yes”, you will be on a respirator connected to a vent tube or breathing tube, after surgery. The other answer to this questions is again… “Yes”, you will be on a respirator after heart surgery.

The only difference between the two “Yes’s” is whether or not you remember it.

I know that’s a little tricky but you have to remember that your mind and body will be heavily sedated from the anesthesia administered during your cardiac procedure. That said, the body will need some help “waking up”. Specifically, your lungs need some help. For that reason, most patients are on respirators after open heart surgery. The respirator can also help clear any excess fluid out of the lungs.

My Picture Just After The Vent Tube Is Removed
(This picture was taken about four hours after open heart surgery.)

As the USC Cardiothoracic website writes, “To help you breathe, an endotracheal tube (breathing tube) is inserted during surgery. This tube is connected to a respirator that assists your breathing. Because you will not be able to talk or swallow while this tube is in place, your nurse will anticipate your needs and ask you questions that require only a yes or no answer. Nod your head to say yes, and shake your head to say no. When you are fully awake and breathing on your own, the breathing tube will be removed, and you will be able to talk.”

Personally, I remember the vent tube very, very, very, very, very well. (did ya catch the emphasis, there?) :)

It’s quite dislocating to have a plastic pipe stuck in your throat. Plus, no one told me about the vent tube prior to surgery. I had no ability to talk after surgery. Instead, I used a pen and notepad to write notes to my family. I was only awake with the breathing tube for about an hour or so. It was so liberating when they took it out.

FYI, there is one, other incremental purpose of the breathing tube, that is quite interesting to know about. To learn more, click here.

I hope this helps answer the question about respirators after open heart surgery.

Keep on tickin,

Adam

Adam Pick is the 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. This special book was designed to minimize stress and enhance the patient’s recovery. To learn more about Adam’s heart valve surgery book, click here.

Hi there everybody,

Earlier today, I received an email that reads, “I’m scheduled for heart valve surgery in two weeks, can you please tell me what is the usual prep for open heart surgery?“

That’s a really good question for one critical reason.

As I personally learned during my open heart surgery experience, knowing what to expect is incredibly helpful for both the patient and their caregivers. That said, knowing the answer to “What is the usual preparation for open heart surgery?” eliminates the fear of the unknown.

That’s key… Eliminating fear. There are all types of fear with regards to heart surgery - mortality rates, physical recovery, pain after surgery, operative success, reoperation, etc. To help you minimize your fear (if you have it), you may want to read an excerpt of my book, “Dispelling The Fear Of Heart Valve Surgery” by clicking here.

So…. Getting back to the original question, “What is the usual prep for open heart surgery?”

Continue reading this post »

Blog Topic: What are all the symptoms of mitral valve prolapse? What are the symptoms of other heart valve disorders including aortic stenosis, regurgitation, insufficiency?

The more I write about heart valve surgery, the more I have learned to be somewhat conservative when trying to respond to emails that say, “Adam: What are all the symptoms of mitral valve prolapse?”

My reasoning?  There are lots and lots and lots of symptoms given the body’s complex nature of reacting to heart valve disease and defects.

That said, I will change the question around a bit.  Instead of answering, “What are all the symptoms of mitral valve prolapse?” I will answer the question, “What are they key symptoms and problems of heart valve disorders?”

I hope that’s okay with you.

But first, let me tell you about my symptoms for my valve disorder - severe aortic stenoisis and severe regurgitation.  Are you ready?  Here it is… I only had one symptom that led me to seek out my cardiologist.  That’s it. One symptom. From that one symptom, I went to the heart doctor. Then, I had some tests done. Eight weeks later, I was having double heart valve replacement (known as the Ross Procedure).

Only One Symptom!

Interestingly enough, there are many patients that are completely asymptomatic.  That’s right.  No symptoms!!!

I’ll never forget my first day in cardiac rehab. I met Ted.  Ted was a 42 year old man, father of three, who loved to play golf.  One year, during a regular physical, his doctor heard a murmur.  Then came the diagnosis.  A few weeks later, like me, Ted was having open heart valve repair surgery.

Pretty interesting, right?

So, with the stories behind us, let me share with you some of the key symptoms for valve disorders including mitral valve prolapse, aortic stenosis and regurgitation. As I had only symptom, I learned about these symptoms as I did research for my book, The Patient’s Guide To Heart Valve Surgery. Here they are:

• Shortness of breath, especially with exertion or when you lie down
• Fatigue, especially during times of increased activity
• Cough, especially at night or when lying down
• Heart palpitations — sensations of a rapid, fluttering heartbeat
• Swollen feet or ankles
• Heart murmur
• Excessive urination
• Chest pain (angina) or tightness
• Feeling faint or fainting with exertion
• Dizziness

I could go on and try and answer the question, “What are all the symptoms of mitral valve prolapse?” But, I think the information above gives you a pretty good idea of the symptoms of heart valve disorders.

Keep on tickin,

Adam

Question Topic: PISA Mitral Regurgitation

Let’s all remember that I am heart valve surgery patient. I am not a cardiologist or a cardiac surgeon. That said, every once and a while I get emails about topics that are very technical, very scientific and very tough for me to answer.

Guess what? That’s great!!!! I love it. I like learning about all the different elements of heart surgery.

One of the more technical questions that arrived in my inbox was about PISA mitral regurgitation. “What the heck is that?” you may be wondering. Well, let me explain as best I can.

There are many diagnostic processes to determine the severity of mitral valve regurgitation. A doctor can review the patient’s symptoms or the doctor can utilize a series of tests to diagnose mitral regurgitation. Electrocardiograms, x-rays, and echocardiograms are popular tests used to determine the problems of bloodflow through the heart valves.

FYI, I had two echocardiograms to confirm my need for aortic valve replacement. (Pssst! Please. Please. Don’t forget to get a second opinion - click here to find out why!!!)

Now for the scientific stuff about PISA mitral regurgitation:

The degree of severity of mitral regurgitation can be quantified by the percentage of the left ventricular stroke volume that regurgitates into the left atrium (also known as the regurgitant fraction).

Continue reading this post »

Topic: Symptoms of Heart Valve Problems

Hey everybody,

I just received an email about asking me about the symptoms and problems associated with the congenital defects and diseased heart valves. Specifically, the question was, “What are the symptoms of heart valve problems?”

This is a great question. Unfortunately, there is no specific symptom which indicates a potential heart valve issue. The fact is that there are multiple problems or symptoms that occur for the patient depending upon the nature of the heart valve defect - bicuspid aortic valve, mitral valve prolapse, regurgitation, etc.

Some of the more common symptom of heart valve problem are:

• Shortness of breath, especially with exertion or when you lie down
• Fatigue, especially during times of increased activity
• Cough, especially at night or when lying down
• Heart palpitations — sensations of a rapid, fluttering heartbeat
• Swollen feet or ankles
• Heart murmur
• Excessive urination
• Chest pain (angina) or tightness
• Feeling faint or fainting with exertion
• Dizziness

To add some confusion into this discussion about symptoms of heart valve problems is the possibility that a patient may be asymptomatic. Meaning that none of the above symptoms are apparent to the patient.

So you know… I was almost entirely symptomatic. Even though I knew I had a congenital bicuspid aort valve, I had never experienced any symptoms for the first 33 years of life.

Then, one night, I was eating Mexican food with Robyn (my wife). As we made it through the first bowl of chips and salsa the left side of my body tingled and went numb. I thought it was nothing but Robyn was not convinced. “YOU’RE GOING TO THE CARDIOLOGIST!” she pleaded with me. The next day I saw my cardiologist, then I had echo, and then came…. the diagnosis.

“The rest,” as they say, “is history!”

FYI, my history included a double heart valve replacement of the aortic and pulmonary valves known as the Ross Procedure.

I hope this helps you understand symptoms of heart valve problems.

Keep on tickin,

Adam

P.S. Feel free to email me at additional questions at adam@heart-valve-surgery.com.