Adam’s Heart Valve Surgery Blog

Patients and caregivers often ask me about the immediate, post-op experience in the intensive care unit. Common questions include:

• How long were you in the intensive care unit?
• Did you experience pain immediately?
• Was your family allowed in the ICU area?
• How many tubes were sticking out of you when you woke up?

However, one of more common questions I get is, “How did you feel as you came out of general anesthesia?” Honestly, I don’t remember much - just bits and pieces of the first few hours after surgery. But, lucky for me, my family has clued me in on the strange experience of waking up after heart surgery with a ventilator tube, Foley catheter and several other tubes still inserted in my body.

On this topic, I just read that the video below was one of YouTube’s Top 10 Videos of 2009. The video titled “David After Dentist” has been watched over 37 million times this year. It’s not an exact match to the experience of waking up after heart surgery but I think you might find some silly and honest humor as little David talks candidly with his father after dental surgery.

Please remember, each patient case is unique. Just because David was a tad loopy after his surgery, that does not mean you will have the same experience.

Keep on tickin!

P.S. To leave a comment, please click here.

About The Author: Adam Pick is a double, heart valve surgery patient and author of The Patient’s Guide To Heart Valve Surgery. This unique book integrates the clinical facts of heart valve surgery with the personal experiences of more than 135 former valve surgery patients to help patients and caregivers better understand the problems, the opportunities and the realities of heart valve surgery. To learn more about Adam and his heart valve surgery book, click here.

Alice just sent me a great question about incision and scar care after heart valve surgery.

She writes, “Adam, I am 55 and had open heart surgery to replace my valve about three weeks ago. Most of my scar looks OK, flat and thin.  My concern is the top of the scar — around and above the top of the incision is a big protruding lump.  It is soft, not hard, and is not sore. Did this happen to you? Thanks, Alice”

Patient Incision After Heart Valve Surgery

Alice’s question just brought back a distinct memory from my early recovery. Like Alice, I also had a bump at the top of my incision. It wasn’t very noticeable but I questioned Dr. Starnes, my surgeon, about the bump during my surgical follow-up.

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Considering the recent Swine Flu outbreak, I’ve received several emails about flu shots and heart valve surgery.

I just opened a note from Jackie that reads, “Hi Adam - I recently had mitral valve replacement with a pig valve due to severe regurgitation. I’m curious to know if there is any reason I should not get a flu shot or an H1N1 vaccine? Thanks! Jackie”

As I really do not like being sick, I’ve always been a flu shot fan. However, after my heart valve replacement surgery, I found myself wondering, “Could a flu shot cause some form of complication after open heart surgery?”

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I just received a set of emails from Robin about a metallic taste in her mouth after heart valve surgery. So you know, Robin is not the only patient to send me questions about this strange, surgical after taste.

In his first email, Robin writes, “Ever since my aortic valve replacement surgery I have had a nasty metallic taste in my mouth.  It gets especially bad if I eat anything sweet. The cardiologist theorizes that it is a by product of the heart-lung machine. Anybody else experience it? Anybody have any ideas of how to get rid of it? Thanks, Robin”

Then, I received a follow-up note from Robin with a short-term remedy to this issue.

Here is what Robin writes, “Since I last wrote to you I found a website that suggested gargling with water and a 1/4 tsp of baking soda.  It worked!!!  It brought relief at least for a few hours.  Ultimately, the bad taste did go away on its own, but the baking soda gets a great assist. Robin”

Thanks Robin for sharing your remedy!

Keep on tickin!

P.S. To leave a comment, please click here.

About The Author: Adam Pick is a double, heart valve surgery patient and author of The Patient’s Guide To Heart Valve Surgery. This unique book integrates the clinical facts of heart valve surgery with the personal experiences of 78 former valve surgery patients to help patients and caregivers better understand the problems, the opportunities and the realities of heart valve surgery. To learn more about Adam and his heart valve surgery book, click here.