Michael Brosnan
Bicuspid Aortic Valve
June 29, 2022
Jane Walker
Aortic Stenosis
June 30, 2022
Kenneth Southard
Mitral Regurgitation
June 30, 2022
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It was not nearly as painful or difficult to recover from as I expected and I am a world-class wimp. I can honestly say that, other than the restrictions against driving and picking up heavy items, I felt pretty normal in a week or two. I did not take anything stronger than Tylenol by the third day after surgery. I was hoping for minimally invasive surgery but I had calcifications in my aorta that could have been a problem had they attempted robotic surgery. Also, the surgeon had to do a repair on a second valve that he did not anticipate. If he had done the robotic approach, it would not have been possible to do both. Something to consider - it would seem that the sternotomy approach does not require much, if any, severing of nerves and muscles, unlike the other methods. Everyone’s experience is different, but I found my surgery to be surprisingly easy to tolerate. Others will likely chime in here, but from reading many accounts, it seems like the sternal pain after surgery is often the least problematic issue for those who have had a sternotomy. Fatigue is usually a much bigger problem - and I don’t think the fatigue is related to the method of entry. The restrictions on your activity of course are longer with a sternotomy. I found the most annoying part of the restrictions was not being able to drive for 6 weeks. I felt well enough that I would often forget about the surgery and I would inadvertently yank on a stuck door. That would cause more discomfort than I felt the days immediately after the surgery - so it is advisable to be careful. Ask anything at all here - everyone here is very generous with their time and support.
Anyway, we got through that and honestly he has finally been feeling more like himself. Only to run into this new, unfortunate bump in the road.
He is very concerned about the full split. I thank you for the encouraging story and I will share it with him. It’s such a blessing we live in the times we do, because at least there are options for correcting these health issues.