Michael's Guestbook

Praying all goes well with your surgery today! I had mitral valve repair on Feb 24th.  Please ask me any questions.  I didn't find this site until almost two months post op and really wish I had found this before my surgery.  

Welcome, my fishing friend :) I did not mitral valve surgery, but I did have open heart surgery to fix my aortic stenosis.. and can help with support if you have any questions. I am 11 months post op. 



-Andy 

Hi, Michael. I had minimally invasive mitral valve repair surgery with Dr. Sarin on April 25, 2023. He's the best. I can assure you that you are in excellent hands. Dr. Sarin's surgery team is awesome.

It's been 3 1/2 weeks since my surgery and I'm recovering well. The first eight days were a roller coaster and I had a lot of back pain -- probably because of the awkward position I was in during surgery.

On the ninth day, it was as if a switch was flipped. I have felt progressively better ever since. I'm walking 2  - 4 miles a day and I'm driving short distances. I haven't had any pain since Day Nine after surgery. 

I will be honest about recovery and tell you that I get tired and need to nap, especially after a long walk. I have never napped, but I'm trying to listen to my body and rest as needed.

I was starting to push myself harder than I should on walks and had to tone it down. It's frustrating sometimes. I was very active and fit before surgery and want to return to where I was. But, it takes time and patience. 

I had a post-op follow-up with my cardiologist who recommended cardiac rehab. I will be able to start soon and look forward to having professionals monitoring my exercise and advising me about what is safe. I will be happy when they let me start using weights -- upper body strength has diminished because of the 5 - 10 pound limit in place now. 

The heart needs to heal and returning to normal can't be rushed -- that's what I'm telling myself! 

It's great to get the surgery while you're fit -- recovery is so much easier. It's also tough after surgery to admit that it will take some time to get back to the pre-op fitness level.

Best of luck with your surgery!