shir's Journal

Debbie Moriarty  I do think you will need some help when you get home from the hospital. I think two weeks is recommended (depending on what procedure you have).

Rita Savelis  You should be able to walk to the bathroom by yourself. You may be a bit tired and weak to take a shower by yourself. It's okay if you wait a few days or a week to take one. It's helpful if you can have someone around to help you out, but people manage on their own if they have to by preparing things in advance. Take care.

Thomas Brusstar  You should be able to walk by yourself by the time you are discharged. You probably will not be discharged until you can walk, is my guess. For a shower, you might be weak, so maybe you could put a stool or a chair in the shower. The incision should not be immersed / covered in water, but it can get wet as in a shower. I think you will want some help at home, but you will not necessarily need 24 hour care, and can be left alone for a while. Your hospital will teach you how to get dressed and care for yourself in the immediate post-surgery period.

Dan Baltazor  You should be able to do those tasks by yourself. It is good to have someone around though after discharge as you will need some help.

Susan Lynn  Shir - It really depends, but I was able to be independent even in the hospital and didn't require assistance at home.
I would suggest a shower chair - and keep those showers as short as possible in the beginning. Hot, long showers can affect your blood pressure. You might want to time them when you have a visitor in the house.
In addition, make sure that you sit upright for a moment after lying down. You may get a little lightheaded if you get up too quickly.
You'll know your limitations before you leave the hospital and the physical and occupational therapists will provide great advice to getting back to your normal activity! Take care!

Marie Myers  No experience myself, but there is plenty of info on this site. David procedure is an aortic valve sparing procedure with an aneurysm resection. It is named after Dr Tirone David, who practices in Canada.

Marie Myers  I think all cardiac surgeons can do aneurysm repair without valve replacement. It is probably an easier procedure, since there is less to do.

Catie B  Hi Shir and welcome. I had surgery for my aortic aneurysm last year, including part of the arch, but my bicuspid valve had also become severely stenotic and my aortic root was already dilated. So, the surgery addressed each damaged part.
A bicuspid valve, as you may know, is a risk factor for aortic aneurysms. I'm no expert, but I don't think you can know ahead of time, whether the root may become affected by the time your valve might need surgery. Some people need the root to be replaced and others don't. On the other hand, I understand that once the aneurysm is replaced with a dacron graft, that it's not likely for other portions of the aorta to expand. If your arch is currently involved (and they can't always see everything clearly till they get in there), they would go ahead and address that with your upcoming surgery.

Marie Myers  Welcome to the site. I also had an aortic root replacement, ascending aneurysm resection, and AVR 8 weeks ago. My bicuspid valve was still functioning pretty well with minimal regurgitation, but my surgeon advised me to replace it at the same time as the aneurysm resection. The imaging studies that you had /or will have will show the surgeon what needs to be done. At some point, you will need a CT scan of your chest, a cardiac cath, and a transesophageal echocardiogram. These tests will help the surgeon decide what you need.

Jennifer McInerney  Welcome. I'm new to the site as well. I have longstanding aortic stenosis. Just became severe. All the patient stories really help!