Yesterday was 5 weeks post surgery. I have been meaning to post an update sooner but haven’t had a chance. Every day I feel lucky to be progressing with ...Read more
Yesterday was 5 weeks post surgery. I have been meaning to post an update sooner but haven’t had a chance. Every day I feel lucky to be progressing with my recovery with no complications and very little pain. I know from reading many of the posts that that can change at anytime so I do not take it for granted. I also feel lucky to have been able to have my surgery done at Cleveland Clinic by Dr. Johnston. I had a very positive experience and am happy to share it with anyone interested.
I’ve tried my best to follow the hospital’s instructions every step of the way, some of which were more difficult than others, especially not lifting anything over 10 pounds and not submerging your wound in water (I’ve been wanting to go in the pool with my kids every day since I’ve been back home). But I was very concerned about infection of the wound and have taken care of it exactly how instructed.
I have had a few setbacks though. Once the scabs started falling off my incision, I noticed a few sutures sticking out of my chest. Cleveland Clinic was very helpful and explained this is not uncommon then instructed me to have the sutures cut off as close to the chest as possible and that they will eventually dissolve or fall out. Additionally, monitoring my INR has been a bit burdensome. Insurance makes it as difficult as possible to get a home testing kit so until I’m able to get one I am stuck going to the lab once or twice a week. I had one mouth bleeding incident but that resolved itself after a little bit of pressure and ice. My resting heart rate was very high when I first got home (in the 80s), but now it’s back in the low to mid 60s. I have been walking at least 15,000 steps per day in the sand without getting tired. I wanted to start more aggressive cardio but my doctor told me to pace myself and reminded me how much trauma the inside of my body has undergone and that it’s still healing. Good advice, and I’m happy that I finally have a cardiologist who I like. I’ve been through a couple now and I strongly suggest to make sure you like your cardiologist because if I hadn’t switched I likely still would not have had my surgery unless I passed out or had a significant issue.
Anyhow, I’m grateful to not have any real complaints so far. My valve is really loud though. My kids say they like listening to it. I’ve been using white noise or a loud fan to help me sleep. I guess that is my biggest complaint. It’s difficult to sleep through the night (as I’m writing this at 2:30am). I start cardiac rehab this Friday and go back to work after Labor Day so I’m hopeful that getting back to a normal routine will help my sleep cycle. That’s it for now, but feel free to reach out. I’m happy to answer any questions and to help you through your journey in any way.
Monica McCaa That’s awesome . I’m the same on the steps . Usually anywhere from 6.5 to 7.5 miles a day . My re ... Read more
Monica McCaa That’s awesome . I’m the same on the steps . Usually anywhere from 6.5 to 7.5 miles a day . My resting heart rate now ( 6 was Friday ) is 74 😐 I get to start cardiac rehab on the 30th but not happy I have to drive an hour and a half to Cleveland. How did you find out about work ? They won’t give me a date so far but I operate heavy equipment in the construction field .
Carlos Banuelos Hi Monica, I’m really glad to hear your recovery is going well and it sounds like you have a lot of ... Read more
Carlos Banuelos Hi Monica, I’m really glad to hear your recovery is going well and it sounds like you have a lot of support from your family. Regarding the work question, I sit at a desk so I think it’s a little different. Although I’m on leave, I’ve still been answering calls and emails since the day after my surgery.... My doctor and I selected the return date and he said I could extend it if I didn’t feel ready to go back. Im ready though.
Joy Vera Hi Carlos. Good to hear your recovery is going as well as it is. We used to live in Albuquerque &, ... Read more
Joy Vera Hi Carlos. Good to hear your recovery is going as well as it is. We used to live in Albuquerque &, if you don't mind sharing, who is your cardiologist? I've had a challenging time finding one I liked here in Texas too but also have one I really like now.
Rob Sparling Carlos, way to go, man. You are going to be even happier as time passes. The sleep patterns get more ... Read more
Rob Sparling Carlos, way to go, man. You are going to be even happier as time passes. The sleep patterns get more normal several months after surgery. The ticking I can’t comment on but certainly empathize. If the kids like listening, maybe they are on to something. 👍
Carlos Banuelos Hi Joy, the cardiologist who I’ve been seeing is Dr. Evan Muse at Scripps in San Diego. He’s bee ... Read more
Carlos Banuelos Hi Joy, the cardiologist who I’ve been seeing is Dr. Evan Muse at Scripps in San Diego. He’s been fantastic so far. Very responsive and takes a lot of time with his patients. Thanks for the note, Rob. I hope you’re right about the sleep patterns returning to normal. Also, just noticed you’re a Michigan fan as well. I went there for undergrad! Can’t wait for football season to start.
Joy Vera Thank you, Carlos. For some reason I had it in my head that you lived in Albuquerque where we may re ... Read more
Joy Vera Thank you, Carlos. For some reason I had it in my head that you lived in Albuquerque where we may return someday. Go figure. Glad you found a good cardiologist in San Diego though. Good luck with cardiac rehab. It seems to help most if not all of us.
LA Heatley Thank-you for your kind words! I have just been referred to Dr Johnston at the Cleveland Clinic. I ... Read more
LA Heatley Thank-you for your kind words! I have just been referred to Dr Johnston at the Cleveland Clinic. I hope he has experience with coronary fistula repair as he has with mitral valve prolapse repair. I need both done. I also want the rigid plate technique as it seems so much more stable, is less painful, and lessens recovery time than the wiring technique. So glad to hear things are going well and hope that you're finally back in the pool with the children. So happy you've found a cardiologist you trust. It's so important. Good luck going back to work, take it slow.
So far, so good. Just waiting for my clothes to get here so that I can leave the hospital. They asked if I wanted to get discharged yesterday, but decided ...Read more
So far, so good. Just waiting for my clothes to get here so that I can leave the hospital. They asked if I wanted to get discharged yesterday, but decided another day of monitoring and room service couldn’t hurt. Yesterday, I did a lot of walking in the hallways as well as a few flights of stairs. The nursing staff at CCF has been amazing. Everyone I’ve encountered here has been so friendly and seem to genuinely prioritize taking care of patients. I still have a lot of trauma to my body that will just take time to heal, but otherwise, I’m relatively pain-free so long as I don’t cough. Coughing is the absolute worse! Also, my deep breathing still isn’t back to normal. I was told this will take several weeks. If anyone has any questions about my experience, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Erik Jensen Sounds like great progress, Carlos! Glad you're doing well!
Joy Vera Your recovery sounds like it's off to an excellent start, Carlos. The heart pillow was helpful for m ... Read more
Joy Vera Your recovery sounds like it's off to an excellent start, Carlos. The heart pillow was helpful for me when I coughed & also for sneezing so I kept it nearby as much as possible. On the breathing, you might try focusing more on just completing the exhalation & then relaxing & letting the inhale happen on its own. For me at least, my inhale tends to be deeper without as much effort to make it that way. Congrats on heading home soon!
Joey Hardee Wow! That's fantastic! Flights of stairs before leaving the hospital? I can't even imagine that. What ... Read more
Joey Hardee Wow! That's fantastic! Flights of stairs before leaving the hospital? I can't even imagine that. What an accomplishment! I was doing good to walk the flat hallways with a walker within the first few days of surgery. When I got home, the 4 stairs onto my front porch were a challenge. Keep it up. You seem to be ahead of schedule for sure!
Susan Lynn Great news! There's no place like home!
Please note: Everything is going to make you tired for awh ... Read more
Susan Lynn Great news! There's no place like home!
Please note: Everything is going to make you tired for awhile. Keep walking and resting - also, keep the showers short and the water temperature warm, but not hot. Excessively hot showers can drop your blood pressure. I found them to be particularly tiring for the first couple of weeks.
You'll be surprised at your progress each day! All the best, Carlos! ❤
Frank DeGrazia Yeah Carlos! Absolutely great news . Same incision as mine. Definitely know what you're talking about ... Read more
Frank DeGrazia Yeah Carlos! Absolutely great news . Same incision as mine. Definitely know what you're talking about with respect to coughing. First time I had to cough was 2:30 AM in the hospital . Couldn't grab anything in the dark. Felt like I gave birth to a baby elephant by C-section thru my chest!
Nicole DuPont Hope everyday of recovery is getting better for you!
I’ve finally made it to the Upcoming Patient Surgery Board. I’ve spent the last couple of days at Cleveland Clinic undergoing a battery of tests. I have ...Read more
I’ve finally made it to the Upcoming Patient Surgery Board. I’ve spent the last couple of days at Cleveland Clinic undergoing a battery of tests. I have been so impressed by Cleveland Clinic. It’s by far the most efficient, well-run hospital that I’ve experienced. The longest wait that I’ve had was to get my car from the valet car service! 😂 I now have all the results from my tests. No surprises which is a relief. My angiogram was clean and I found out that the mild calcification on my coronary artery that was shown on the chest CT is actually on the outside of the artery so nothing to worry about. The cardiologist who I met with spent almost an hour with me and my family answering questions and going through my images. My peak gradient from my echo was 111 and the opening of my valve only .5cm. He confirmed that it is definitely time to replace the valve and was surprised that I’m relatively asymptomatic. One thing the cardiologist said that resonated with me is not to think of yourself as unlucky or my condition as limiting, but to focus on how lucky we are with the medical advancements that have been achieved in AVR and the fact that this new valve will extend my life allowing me to get back to being myself pre-surgery.
All that is left now is to get anesthesia clearance and meet with Dr. Johnston on Monday. I’ve had a couple of phone consults with Dr. Johnston and have exhausted all of my questions but it will be nice to meet him in person as I have heard from other patients that he inspires confidence and is very reassuring. Anyhow, that’s it for now. I’m going to have a nice dinner in downtown Cleveland tonight, try to keep the stress level at a minimum and mentally prepare for next week. Best, Carlos
Carlos Banuelos And btw, for anyone coming to Cleveland Clinic from out of state, I highly recommend renting a place ... Read more
Carlos Banuelos And btw, for anyone coming to Cleveland Clinic from out of state, I highly recommend renting a place in Cleveland Heights, which is about 5 mins east of the clinic. The house and neighborhood are great and it’s been nice to be able to relax away from the hospital and cook my own meals.
Herb Greenberg Thanks for the update, Carlos. Will be following!
Catie B All of that sounds great! I trust you'll have excellent results and wish you a speedy recovery!
Joy Vera Glad you are having such a good experience with the Cleveland Clinic, Carlos. What your cardiologist ... Read more
Joy Vera Glad you are having such a good experience with the Cleveland Clinic, Carlos. What your cardiologist said resonates with me too. We are so lucky! I'll be following too.
Rose Madura OHS is definitely a journey. Glad yours is going smoothly! Best wishes for a great outcome.
Joshua Nowack Continued strength for a full and complete recovery.
Susan Lynn You're ready to put this procedure in the record books! Confidence in your surgeon and team make th ... Read more
Susan Lynn You're ready to put this procedure in the record books! Confidence in your surgeon and team make the process so much easier. All the best, Carlos! ❤
Rob Sparling Carlos, fully agree with your comments on the CC efficiency and level of care! You will be further i ... Read more
Rob Sparling Carlos, fully agree with your comments on the CC efficiency and level of care! You will be further impressed! Stay relaxed at least as much as one can be, and stay positive! You got this! Looking forward to the thumbs up post!
Joe Tarango Carlos, I will pray for your smooth surgery and strong recovery. I'm happy to hear your experience is ... Read more
Joe Tarango Carlos, I will pray for your smooth surgery and strong recovery. I'm happy to hear your experience is going well and stress free. I'll be headed to CC in August so your insight is appreciated. Keep us updated and stay confident my fellow HW
Rob Scilingo Thanks for the update Carlos. I will be following your journey.
With my surgery being only 10 days away, I’ve somehow come to peace with it and don’t have much anxiety. I had a great 4th of July at the beach with friends ...Read more
With my surgery being only 10 days away, I’ve somehow come to peace with it and don’t have much anxiety. I had a great 4th of July at the beach with friends and family, and even went for a quick surf, probably my last one since I definitely feel short of breath when doing so. At this point, I’m continuing to lightly exercise, eat right and just trying to spend as much time with my kids and family before I leave for Cleveland on Wednesday. My kids are 13, 10 and 6, and I decided it would be best for them not to see me in the hospital during that first week of recovery, not to mention they would have to leave all their friends and be stuck in an Airbnb for 17 days. I did talk to Dr. Johnston the other day and he said based on the results of my chest CT that he would like to do a minimally invasive min-thoracotomy to replace my AV with an On-X valve. I’m hoping that any patients on this site who have had such a procedure or who have knowledge about it can share their thoughts, advice, and what to expect post surgery? I feel pretty good about a mini-thoracotomy being Dr. Johnston’s preferred approach because I had an ASD repair when I was 5 so was worried that I would not be a candidate for a minimally invasive surgery. However, after talking to another surgeon I was told that it all depends on the heart’s size, location and surrounding scar tissue from prior op. Anyhow, that’s it for now, would love to hear from folks about this topic. Thank you.
Bradley Dunn I have the same valve and got it in Cleveland. I also made a similar decision about my kids. I didn't ... Read more
Bradley Dunn I have the same valve and got it in Cleveland. I also made a similar decision about my kids. I didn't even tell them I was going for surgery until it was over. Let me know if you have questions.
Frank DeGrazia Carlos,
Just got done with the same procedure for the same reason. Bicuspid Valve. I too, was starti ... Read more
Frank DeGrazia Carlos,
Just got done with the same procedure for the same reason. Bicuspid Valve. I too, was starting to notice shortness of breath , where just a month ago I was Asymptomatic. I had the MINI T, as my surgeon refered to it as . The cut is only 5-6" long leaving about 1" at the top of the sternum, and 1" at the bottom . Then going laterally off that. I can tell you that I honestly feel great. Doing 16,000+ steps per day on my FitBit, and recovering fine. I am very fit between Cycling, Running and Coaching, but at 64 I believe I'm older that you. I they go for a "J" incision or Mini 'T' you should sail through it. There is no mention in your profile regarding Aortic Aneurysm, which will also minimize trauma. You just maybe in the hopital a little bit longer due to, if I'm correct a mechanical valve. They will want to make sure your INR is regulated properly with the prescribed blood thinner prior to discharge. Speaking for myself , the wait was more anxiety ridden than the procedure itself. Go get 'em Carlos!
Susan Lynn Carlos - I had the minimally invasive, side-entry, mini-thoractomy for my mitral valve repair. It's ... Read more
Susan Lynn Carlos - I had the minimally invasive, side-entry, mini-thoractomy for my mitral valve repair. It's nearly painless and the incision is so small, I still can't figure out how my surgeon did it. This recent information may be helpful and reassuring for you:
https://cardiothoracicsurgery.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13019-019-0912-0
The small incisions of minimally invasive surgery have the proposed benefit of less surgical trauma, less pain, and faster recovery. This study was done to compare minimally invasive techniques for aortic valve replacement, including right anterior mini-thoracotomy and mini-sternotomy, to conventional sternotomy. We retrospectively reviewed 503 patients who underwent isolated aortic valve replacement at our institution from 2012 to 2015 using one of three techniques: 1) Mini-thoracotomy, 2) Mini-sternotomy, 3) Conventional sternotomy. Demographics, operative morbidity, mortality, and postoperative complications were compared. Of the 503 cases, 267 (53.1%) were mini-thoracotomy, 120 (23.8%) were mini-sternotomy, and 116 (23.1%) were conventional sternotomy. Mini-thoracotomy patients, compared to mini-sternotomy and conventional sternotomy, had significantly shorter bypass times [82 (IQ 67–113) minutes; vs. 117 (93.5–139.5); vs. 102.5 (85.5–132.5), respectively (p < 0.0001)], a lower incidence of prolonged ventilator support [3.75% vs. 9.17 and 12.9%, respectively (p = 0.0034)], and required significantly shorter ICU and postoperative stays, resulting in an overall shorter hospitalization [6 (IQ 5–9) days; vs. 7 (5–14.5); vs 9 (6–15.5), respectively (p < 0.05)]. Incidence of other postoperative complications were lower in the mini-thoracotomy group compared to mini-sternotomy and conventional sternotomy, without significance. Minimally invasive techniques trended towards better survival [mini-thoracotomy 1.5%, mini-sternotomy 1.67%, and conventional sternotomy 5.17% (p = 0.13)]. Minimally invasive aortic valve replacement approaches are safe, effective alternatives to conventional sternotomy. The mini-thoracotomy approach showed decreased operative times, decreased lengths of stay, decreased incidence of prolonged ventilator time, and a trend towards lower mortality when compared to mini-sternotomy and conventional sternotomy.
Carlos Banuelos Thanks for the responses, Brad, Frank and Susan. I leave tomorrow morning for CCF. Susan, thank you ... Read more
Carlos Banuelos Thanks for the responses, Brad, Frank and Susan. I leave tomorrow morning for CCF. Susan, thank you for the article. Reading it now and it has a lot of great info. Just want to get it over with at this point.
My surgery is coming up in July and I am traveling from San Diego to Cleveland Clinic for my operation. One concern that I have is the flight home afterwards. ...Read more
My surgery is coming up in July and I am traveling from San Diego to Cleveland Clinic for my operation. One concern that I have is the flight home afterwards. My operation is on the 16th and I'm scheduled to fly back home 11 days later on the 27th. The scheduling nurse said that many people routinely fly after valve replacement surgery and that it's safe, but I wanted to see if anyone can share their own personal experience? Just trying to get my mind around what to expect. Thanks.
Catie B Hi Carlos! I flew home from CC to Tx alone. I did not experience any problems at all. Cleveland Clini ... Read more
Catie B Hi Carlos! I flew home from CC to Tx alone. I did not experience any problems at all. Cleveland Clinic paid for the ride to the airport, both coming and going, through a service they use. At both airports a staff person wheeled me across the concourse. Should you need to rearrange your flight (I did, due to complications), the travel assistant at CC can take care of that also. Best wishes for your surgery and journey!
Mike Roskowinski Hey Carlos I heard it is not a problem to fly. The one thing I would ask is if they want you to get u ... Read more
Mike Roskowinski Hey Carlos I heard it is not a problem to fly. The one thing I would ask is if they want you to get up and move during your flight. That was the one thing I understood was they did not want you sitting the entire flight back. Good luck and hope everything goes well.
Herb Greenberg Hi Carlos, San Diego here, as well - a few miles east of you. I'll be following your adventure closel ... Read more
Herb Greenberg Hi Carlos, San Diego here, as well - a few miles east of you. I'll be following your adventure closely - I've been consulting with CC and it is my choice, when the time comes. Best of luck.
Shannon Gray Hi Carlos. I was a patient at CC... you are in great care. The one thing I would ask and be proactive ... Read more
Shannon Gray Hi Carlos. I was a patient at CC... you are in great care. The one thing I would ask and be proactive about learning is if you have air pockets in your lungs, you will be unable to fly. So just to ask your drs and nurses as you get closer to discharge to make sure. Wishes for an uneventful recovery.
Carlos Banuelos Thank you all. I appreciate the insight and will definitely follow all of the advice. It has been a ... Read more
Carlos Banuelos Thank you all. I appreciate the insight and will definitely follow all of the advice. It has been a few months of trying to mentally prepare for this - getting second and third opinions, interviewing surgeons, researching hospitals, etc., but I think I’m slowly getting there.
Lea Parker Hi Carlos, -- yep, there is quite a bit of mental preparation for such a big procedure. I was also b ... Read more
Lea Parker Hi Carlos, -- yep, there is quite a bit of mental preparation for such a big procedure. I was also born with bicuspid aortic valve and had mine replaced with a bio prosthetic valve made by Edwards (Edwards.com) and at the same time my surgeon repaired an aortic aneurysm. Your doctor will clear you when it is ok to fly and the one thing I would recommend is having someone travel with you. You won't be able to lift anything (certainly not put anything in an overhead) and you are going to be pretty sore....walking in the hospital will be the best way to gain your strength and stamina. You will be tired for a few weeks and it does take time to heal....you will wonder, "when will I be normal again?" and if you are like me, you will be impatient and overdo it one day -- but your body will tell you, "wait, that's too much, slow down" -- just be gentle with your healing and TRY to be patient. I was fortunate I had my surgery on a Wednesday and I was home the following Sunday (Superbowl Sunday) in time for my husband to watch the game......but be prepared for setbacks and delays -- healing is not always a straight line. Wishing you the best in your upcoming procedure -- your family is beautiful and that is what it's all about ….Lea
Rob Sparling Carlos, good luck with your research. I believe you are on a good path. Remove constraints that can ... Read more
Rob Sparling Carlos, good luck with your research. I believe you are on a good path. Remove constraints that can be removed and find the best fit for your situation. Doing so tilts the numbers in your favor, probably gets you a piece of mind and sets up for longer term relationship for valve monitoring/maintenance. If that all falls into place for you at CC then so be it! It did for me. I am very happy with my experience there and the entire team! I did not fly home, we drove, but I did fly 3 weeks post-surgery and felt perfectly comfortable.