I recently passed the four-year anniversary of my heart valve surgery. Since I also had exercise-induced AFIB in the weeks before the surgery, I also got the ...Read more
I recently passed the four-year anniversary of my heart valve surgery. Since I also had exercise-induced AFIB in the weeks before the surgery, I also got the Maze procedure, which meant this was not minimally invasive, instead, I got a median sternotomy. But my surgeon, Dr. Vincent Gaudiani, did an excellent job. The details of that are all described here.
The major side effect I had in the first few months post-op was pericarditis, or an inflamed pericardium (the lining surrounding the heart). At first, this caused water around the lungs (pleural effusion) which made breathing more difficult. That was cleared up after a few weeks by a stout dose of furosemide (also known by the brand name Lasix). But I had an ongoing issue of an abnormally high resting heart rate, which took almost a year to completely go away.
Now, four years on, I am completely asymptomatic. I just did a major round of tests with my cardiologist that confirmed I no longer have AFIB, and also do not have clogged coronary arteries.
I'd like to say I am good as new but in some ways, it's even better, as my new valve opening is probably bigger than my original one ever was since it was bicuspid. So I'm fours years older, 68 vs. 64, with perhaps some accompanying slowdown, but that is compensated for by the better-performing valve.
The anniversary really made me appreciate what I went through (with the help and support of many people), and how far I've come, and how lucky I am it all turned out this way. I decided to do something special to celebrate. First, about a week ago I did I brisk 50-mile ride in the hills, which felt great. But I was looking for something even more special so have signed up for a century (100-mile bike ride) in October. I haven't done one of those in forty years so this will hopefully show the old boy has still got it (in the stamina department at least). And it will be a fun tour of rural parts of the Sacramento Valley I've never seen. (See the photo I uploaded above).
Congratulations Richard! Great post. Continued good health. God bless you
Patsy Stewart Fantastic post! Happy 4th. Anniversary!
Sara Latina Wow Richard what a story. Happy anniversary and good luck with the century ride. I've done 70 miles ... Read more
Sara Latina Wow Richard what a story. Happy anniversary and good luck with the century ride. I've done 70 miles a few years back but have yet to hit 100. I'm hoping next September I will be able to do what you are doing!
Adam Pick Fantastic Richard! Happy Anniversary!!!!! Great to heart that Dr. Gaudiani and his team helped you a ... Read more
See patient reviews of Dr. Vincent Gaudiani, heart surgeon, in Mountain View, California.
Richard King Thanks Sara, if you've done 70 I'm sure you can stretch it to 100. Thank Adam, and thanks for the lin ... Read more
Richard King Thanks Sara, if you've done 70 I'm sure you can stretch it to 100. Thank Adam, and thanks for the link to Dr. Gaudiani, whom I would recommend to anyone.
Steve Salvador I too had Maze procedure done , now I am going through A-flutter, with a high hr. Recently had an abl ... Read more
Steve Salvador I too had Maze procedure done , now I am going through A-flutter, with a high hr. Recently had an ablation to correct the A-flutter, with numerous shocking back the heart into rhythm before that. It's getting better now, with high dose of flecainide to keep the heart in rhythm.
I am now at 18 months post-op and feeling great, healthier and fitter than ever! I had aortic valve replacement and cox-maze III procedure for afib on August ...Read more
I am now at 18 months post-op and feeling great, healthier and fitter than ever! I had aortic valve replacement and cox-maze III procedure for afib on August 11, 2017, by my great surgeon Dr. Vincent Gaudiani. I struggled with some side effects for several months. First there was fluid around the lungs (pleural effusion) which require high doses of Lasix before it cleared up after a few months, then I had abnormally high heart rate which took almost a year to go away. But now all is well.
I just recently published a kindle book on Amazon called "Old But Still Moving" about my efforts to stay healthy and fit despite both hips being replaced at age 60 and the heart valve replacement at age 64. I hope it provides some inspiration.
Last Wednesday I did a follow-up and we found that water had accumulated in my lungs since I left the hospital (I was 8 days out of hospital, 12 days post-op ...Read more
Last Wednesday I did a follow-up and we found that water had accumulated in my lungs since I left the hospital (I was 8 days out of hospital, 12 days post-op at that time). I had also gained several pounds in those 8 days despite not overeating, so I'd retained water elsewhere also.
I think the problem was that they had me on a strong diuretic in the hospital, and sent me home with a weaker one which in retrospect was inadequate.
So for the last 5 days I've been back on a strong diuretic and hitting the spirometer religiously. Lost all the weight gain plus two extra pounds. I don't think the lungs are 100% clear yet because I still get out of breath under all but the slowest walking, but we're getting there.
I think I could have caught this a bit sooner when I noticed the weight gain and that my stamina was not improving. But I followed my discharge instructions to the letter, which said "call in if there is greater than 5 pounds weight gain in a week or 2 in a day", and I didn't quite hit those triggers. I think the lesson is: when in doubt call.
I didn't get discouraged by this, I figure the lung rehab got delayed a bit but the heart and sternum still kept healing on schedule
Kelly Stoll Sorry to hear you had a setback. Hope you get back on track and continue to improve.
Rita Savelis Sorry to hear about this Richard. Almost every OHS patient is on diuretics for awhile after surgery a ... Read more
Rita Savelis Sorry to hear about this Richard. Almost every OHS patient is on diuretics for awhile after surgery as the heart is still not working up to speed and water retention is common. I also had water in my lung lining and had it drained (via small needles in my lungs through the back) 4 times in the months following OHS. I felt incredibly tired because of the diminished lung capacity, and incredibly energised each time it was drained.
I'm always sorry that patients have to leave hospital so quickly in the USA before any of these side effects can be caught/looked at. Here in France I stayed in hospital long enough to not have to deal with most side effects of OHS on my own...
Take care.
Barbara Wood The exact same thing happened to me. Yes, don't be discouraged, it sets your recovery back just a lit ... Read more
Barbara Wood The exact same thing happened to me. Yes, don't be discouraged, it sets your recovery back just a little bit but in the end it all works out. Glad you caught it quickly! Best wishes for a smooth recovery:)
Rose Madura I recently had this same issue of fluid around my left lung and had to have it drained just a couple ... Read more
Rose Madura I recently had this same issue of fluid around my left lung and had to have it drained just a couple of weeks ago. Also less than 3 weeks after OHS i had a 2nd surgery to have a pericardial window put in due to fluid around my heart. Both are, unfortunately, complications from the surgery. I hope you have smooth sailing from now on.
Richard King Thank you all for the good wishes. It's been 8 days since this little "wrinkle" was diagnosed and I l ... Read more
Richard King Thank you all for the good wishes. It's been 8 days since this little "wrinkle" was diagnosed and I lost 10 lbs! That's a lot of fluid. Lungs are coming around slow but sure.
My surgery went extremely well. I was remarkably calm going in because I put my confidence in a great surgeon (Dr. Gaudiani) and his team. There were no complications ...Read more
My surgery went extremely well. I was remarkably calm going in because I put my confidence in a great surgeon (Dr. Gaudiani) and his team. There were no complications during surgery so he got the combined valve replacement and Cox-Maze III done in 3 hours with a full sternotomy.
Later in the afternoon we had a scare: Excess bleeding was happening from my chest tube (a fairly common complication). A team of about at least five highly competent Doctors and nurses was buzzing around me for what seemed like an hour.I was relaxed about putting myself in their hands (the drugs still in my system may also have helped). But my beloved wife Karen was sitting in the corner with eyes the size of silver dollars. I was pleased to see that from time to time one of the team would go over and give her an update and reassure her. The worst case would have been they’d have to wheel me back in to surgery and open me up to find the bleeding source. Fortunately they avoided that by pounding in some units of blood and clotting factors.
Later that evening, anesthesia wore off and I was in significant sternum pain. It was knocked out with a tramadol, an oxycodone, and another tramadol (spaced out over several hours). That was the last time I needed narcotics for the entire stay. Only tylenol from then on! The narcotics remained on my chart "as needed" but I didn't have to ask for them. I don't know if I was just lucky or Dr. Gaudiani did an extra good job wiring the sternum back together.
I got a good night’s sleep probably because of the narcotics. I had trouble with sleeping all other nights, more on that below. The rest of the 4 day hospital stay went smoothly, checking recovery boxes off on schedule. The first slap in the face occurred when my PT had me go up a flight of stairs. I got out of breath going up one flight incredibly slowly. I think it is because of fluid retained in the lungs due to having been on the heart lung machine. I've been assured this symptom clears up after a couple of weeks, especially if you do a good job with your breathing exercises.
Everything looked good by postop day 4 so I was released. I went home grateful for the amazingly competent and compassionate care I had received from the nurses and other staff at El Camino Hospital in Mountain View, Ca.
The first few days home have gone well. The trouble sleeping persisted through the first couple of nights home. During a followup call from a nurse in my Drs office, she made the analogy of jet lag due to the stress your body has been through and the disturbance to your rythm in the hospital. She suggested no naps during the day and going to bed at my usual time. This worked and last night was my first good night's sleep.
Endurance is still ridiculously low, but I am able to stroll slowly more and more each day. I've noticed progress with the breathing exercises with the incentive spirometer, the level I can get to is creeping up. I think you really have to be careful about your mindset at this point if you've previously been fit, and not compare yourself to your former glory: "I used to be able to climb hard up hills for 2 hours and now I get winded going slowly up a flight of stairs? Are you kidding me?". Instead, focus on the "baby step" improvements and be assured you'll get it back in a few months.
One last point. I highly recommend the heart hugger. When coughing, sneezing, or anything else that might tug on the sternum, there's no comparison to squeezing the handles on this for support versus the "old school" way of hugging a pillow.
Paul Jenkins You'll be on your way up!
You'll be seeing great sights!
You'll join the high fliers
Who soar to high ... Read more
Paul Jenkins You'll be on your way up!
You'll be seeing great sights!
You'll join the high fliers
Who soar to high heights.
Gerald Poulton Now 11 days in, I had the sleeping problems as well, I think it took me till about day 8 to realze th ... Read more
Gerald Poulton Now 11 days in, I had the sleeping problems as well, I think it took me till about day 8 to realze that I just no longer need the sleep I used to, so started going to bed about 11 or so instead of the 9 ish I used to, much better to get up at 5 than 3,
All the best
Rita Savelis Wow, Richard, sounds like you're doing great with all the usual first week after effects of OHS. Than ... Read more
Rita Savelis Wow, Richard, sounds like you're doing great with all the usual first week after effects of OHS. Thanks for your interesting post. Take care.
Catie B Good to hear how things went and are progressing! Wishing you the best, as your recovery continues!
Richard King Thanks Paul. Nobody says it better than Dr. Seuss. Yes that video is the same heart hugger.
Thanks Ge ... Read more
Richard King Thanks Paul. Nobody says it better than Dr. Seuss. Yes that video is the same heart hugger.
Thanks Gerald, that's interesting. Maybe we don't need as much sleep if our hearts don't have to work as hard?
Thanks Rita, your right about first week after effects. I had both hips replaced, 4 months apart, in 2012. First week after both of those there were wierd effects like night sweats and poor sleep also. So hopefully things are looking up for next week!
Thanks Catie, all well wishes gladly accepted!
Craig Wise I just received my Heart Hugger today. Photo posted on my news feed.
Paul Jenkins Richard & Craig thanks for the heads up about the hugger I'll be getting one.
I have severe aortic stenosis (probably bicuspid, I'm 64) as well as afib. I met with Dr. Vincent Gaudiani in whom I have complete confidence. He will perform ...Read more
I have severe aortic stenosis (probably bicuspid, I'm 64) as well as afib. I met with Dr. Vincent Gaudiani in whom I have complete confidence. He will perform AVR (with bio valve) and do Cox-Maze III for Afib on 08/11/17. He feels this will give the best outcome. I know I have a bit of an ordeal in front of me but am trying to "reframe it" as an adventure. After rehab I'm looking forward to getting back to full athletic activity with no restrictions. I'm a pretty serious biker, hiker, and canoe and kayak paddler and the heart issues have been cramping my style!
I love the adventure approach, I will use that! Great attitude, I have my surgery a week later, and ... Read more
I love the adventure approach, I will use that! Great attitude, I have my surgery a week later, and also can't wait to get back to my normal athletic life of tennis! I guess being athletic is a good motivator! Wishing you all the best on 8/11 😊💖
Richard King Hi Cindy, thanks! I wish you all the best also a week later, and a little while after that back on th ... Read more
Richard King Hi Cindy, thanks! I wish you all the best also a week later, and a little while after that back on the courts! ❤️😊
Craig Wise physical conditioning pre-op is helpful. a hopeful attitude post-op might be even more helpful. bes ... Read more
Craig Wise physical conditioning pre-op is helpful. a hopeful attitude post-op might be even more helpful. best to you, Richard.