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Multiple Choice Question: Waking Up With The Vent Tube Still In Is...

Written By: Adam Pick, Patient Advocate, Author & Website Founder
Page Last Updated: June 6, 2025

Heart Valve Surgery Pop Quiz Time!!!

Complete the following statement:

"Waking up in the intensive care unit after cardiac surgery with a ventilator tube still in your throat is...

A. "So much fun! I can't wait to do it again!"
B. "Uncomfortable. Not being able to talk is somewhat dislocating."
C. "The worst thing ever!"
D. "I don't know! It was removed before I woke up."

And... The answer is.. "E"... It depends!

Not to trick you (that was not one of the multiple choice answers above), but patients tend to have different responses to that question - although very few select answer "A".

Most patients dread waking up with a vent tube in after their heart valve repair or heart valve replacement surgery. Personally, I had NO CLUE that I would wake up with the ventilation tube stuck down my throat after my aortic valve replacement operation. To learn more about an aortic valve replacement operation, click here.

Needless to say, that was a very dislocating experience. I could not talk. And, swallowing was a major challenge due to the vent tube and my dry, dry, dry, dry, dry, dry, dry mouth.

Instead of focusing on the discomfort of the situation, I did my best to enjoy the silence of being with my family. One-by-one, they entered my ICU room. First came my dad (Jerry), then my wife (Robyn), then Doug (my brother), Donna (my mom) and Monica (my sister).

Pick Family Picture Taken
Last Week At My Birthday Party

As you can read here, waking up in the intensive care unit after heart surgery was a special time for me.

Written by Adam Pick - Patient & Website Founder

Adam Pick is a heart valve patient and author of The Patient's Guide To Heart Valve Surgery. In 2006, Adam founded HeartValveSurgery.com to educate and empower patients. This award-winning website has helped over 10 million people fight heart valve disease. Adam has been featured by the American Heart Association and Medical News Today.

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