Tyler's Journal

J Alexander Lassally  Is he really, really good at what he does? I mean, if fixable, it would save you the wear out at 10-15 year mark. But honestly, I have not heard of that many patients who have an aorta repair as I and many did for mitral
. Since, you are young it would be great solution. But has the surgeon given you copious amounts of data on his track record?  Is he asking you to be in a trial???? 

Adam Baumgartner  Hi Tyler, I had mine repaired 2.5 years ago. So, not a long time but so far so good. Feel great and valve is working well. No telling how long it will last but I think it's the way to go if it can be repaired. Studies I have seen show good longevity for successful repairs. 

Rita Savelis  I'm sorry that you have to go through this. Every patient is different and every problem is singular but if your surgeon thinks aortic repair is a possibility that's great. No one can guarantee a repair (be it mitral or aortic) but having that possibility is positive.

Robert Miller  I had a mitral valve repair so maybe it doesn't apply here. But it didn't quite work out because it appears my recovery was better than expected. That's despite a very experienced surgeon. So I ended up with another surgery/repair. Having said that, they don't close you up unless the valve holds up. And repair is usually always better than a replacement. So if they can fix it, I would have it fixed rather than replaced. 

Rose Madura  Hi Tyler, your expectations seem accurate. About 6 years after surgery my EF was 67.5! But I don't remember what it was before. Is have to look it up on MyChart but will do that if you really need me to.  God bless you on this journey. 

Klara Čičić  Hi Tyler, my EF also went slightly up, but after initially gowing down! Beware of that. It usually goes down immidiately after the surgery. The tiredness and weakness - also true. Pain was tolerable. The good thing is that each day it gets better and better. Small baby steps, but better. You just need to take it easy, cause it is great trauma for your body. That was hard for me as I ama hyperactive type. You can do this!!

Robert Miller  Recovery is a pain/inconvenient. But it's just for a few weeks. Check out the learning center for some good input. As for pain, you will get pain medicine if you need it. They don't give it to you by default but they tell you to ask for it if you need it. I have heard that with minimal invasive surgery you have more pain (especially for women) because you go through more tissue. But again, you will get pain medicine. For me, I got some pain medicine the first day because that's standard procedure. Afterwards I had no pain so I didn't ask for pain medicine.

But be prepared for the recovery. If you are going to have open heart surgery, you probably will be lying/sleeping on your back a lot. That same position puts strain on your neck, etc. So stiff muscles might be your biggest issue. 

https://www.heart-valve-surgery.com/learning-center.php

Rita Savelis  I had 2 valves replaced and a third valve reinforced. No pain. Cutting the sternum is not painful. I had much discomfort and exhaustion. No pain meds work for that, just time. Never had a discussion with my surgeon about ejection fraction before or after.

Susan Dunne  I had aortic valve replaced and root repaired in February.  I am doing fine.  I have had no pain at all except a dull discomfort in my left shoulder blade which abated in a month or so. Sternotomy did not cause me pain otherwise.  Just follow Drs. Recommendations,and you will be fine.  I recommend cardiac rehab if you can do it.

Lynne Anderson  Aortic valve replacement and aneurysm repair of the aorta 5 months ago.  No pain, except for a headache post-surgery and muscle aches from having to sleep elevated an on my back for 4 weeks. All taken care of by Tylenol. I'd call surgery/recovery uncomfortable at times but not painful.  Totally agree with Susan Dunne's recommendation of cardiac rehab.  I was cleared to resume my exercise regime at 6 weeks (which included running, biking and light weights). I had to wait 12 weeks to start swimming as they wanted the sternum healed as much as possible.

Brady Busch  The feeling after waking up from surgery,was more like an exhaustive ache,nothing really localized to a certain area.Whatever they give to a person,as a sedation,does work and also what is prescribed,after leaving the hospital.Mine was a full sternotomy.

Rose Madura  I had a full sternotomy and experienced very little pain. I was advised to stay ahead of the pain and I did just that.  I know it sounds painful, but take the meds offered. I was probably on Tylenol online within a week.  

Marie Myers  I also had a full sternotomy, and I was pleasantly surprised at how little sternal pain I had. I was more surprised by the overwhelming fatigue and general discomfort. My upper back and shoulders ached more than my sternum hurt. The first 2 weeks were the hardest, but I noticed small improvements daily. I was sent home with 10 Percocet, and only used 3 of them. Tylenol was enough after a couple days. Even though I was worried about the pain also, it wasn’t as bad as my worrying mind would have me believe.

Bernie Ofczarzak  Hey Tyler - I had two full sternotomies within a month or so.  The first one was surprisingly not bad at all - sort of just real achy - . The second one was a little more troublesome (I guess because all the "baby nerves" were healing and were cut again) but not at all unbearable.  Some Tramadol in Hospital for pain - only Tylenol at home (when needed).....not much.   Not really terrible at all.  I was more worried about keeping incision clean and free of infection.  Good luck - all will be well.

Rita Savelis  Having one's sternum cut is not painful (my anasthesiologist told me this before surgery and it was true). This does not mean that there was not a lot of discomfort and exhaustion, just no pain. Some patients have pain in their shoulders and other parts of their bodies because of the awkward positions they lie in during surgery. This was not an issue for me. Whatever your pain is, it will be managed by hospital staff. Just let them know how you are feeling. They will ask. I took morphine, not for pain but in order to forget that I was in ICU with discomfort. Those who choose minimally invasive surgery (going in through the ribs) usually experience more pain as the ribs are a painful place to have an incision, and for women the breast tissue is sensitive. Everyone's experience is different and know that the hospital staff is there to attend to your pain. Pain is much easier to manage than discomfort.

Shawna D.  Hey Tyler.  I had a full sternotomy.  I had valve replacement and aortic repair.  It was explained by my nurse like this:  There are not very many nerve endings in the chest.  So the sternotomy itself is not that painful.  Now those chest tubes...that's a different story.  Those did cause some discomfort.  Mine were removed on day 3 and 4.  After that, it was a game changer.  I was off all pain meds by day 4.  Just make sure you're in as good of shape as you can be before surgery.  On my journal I posted some notes I made while in the hospital to hopefully help.  Best wishes to you!!!

J Alexander Lassally  The pain is very manageable. There are plenty of opioids post op in the hospital. Ironically, my least comfortable day was day 4 right before discharge. The main sensation of PROFOUND weakness occurs the first days. It is hard to explain until you live it.  Be communicative with nurses and stay ahead of pain. You will warrior through man !!!!! 

Ann T  I had a full sternotomy. I just noticed minimal pain with moving and some coughing was rough. I found that keeping up with the pain medicine really helped me get through my breathing exercises with my incentive spirometer which in turn helped the healing process.

Yumiko Ishida  Hi, Tyler! Make sure you know what type of procedure you need. There are pros and cons for each type. I had a sternotomy with a wire closure, and wasn’t allowed to drive for 8 weeks. I suggest taking as much time off as possible. Even if the doctor says you can, it doesn’t mean it’s a good idea. I essentially work from home but have my own business and was able to be offline completely for only a few days, and it was hard. Regardless of the type of procedure, anesthesia takes a toll on your brain. I want to say it took me 3 months to be fully back mentally. You are young, so it might be less for you.

Jan Findlay  Hello Tyler, I was 31 when I had my first open heart surgery. And same as you, no other risk factors, active & healthy. I was back to work after 6wks. That was just right for me. But also, I had no complications. I would definitely recommend 6wks to start off with.
Look after yourself.
Jan

Jeff Williams  I returned to work remotely after 6 weeks (39 years old).  Even then, I was doing half days for a couple of weeks.  I'd take the full 12 weeks if I could do it again.  I would recommend cardiac rehab personally.  It wasn't strenuous, but great to have nurses monitoring my exercise.  It helped with my mental rehab as well. 

With all that said, you'll know your body better than anyone else during recovery.  

Rita Savelis  No one can predict how fast your recovery will be. You're in great shape so they're giving you an estimate. But everyone is singular and everyone's recovery is individual. There is an exhaustion that can follow heart surgery. And those in great shape, like you, are sometimes more frustrated when their bodies need some recovery time. In a perfect world, your employer would be understanding. Take care.

Darrell Malone  Hello Tyler. I'm 55 and had ross procedure April 9, 2024. I work maintenance (hvac) and also would say I'm an active person.  I am off until July 29 so 15 weeks. My surgeon said this is standard for him so patients can focus on recovery.  I do go to cardiac rehab. I have another 6 or 7 weeks of rehab. I feel that rehab has been very beneficial for me, I feel very comfortablewith the guidance from the Kinesiologist and appointments with dietitian are also very beneficial and educational.  All that said I would get a couple of more opinions regardless especially if your gut is telling you to. Good Luck 👍🏻  

Pamela Gregory  Everyone's recovery is very different. I think at least 3 months to recover both physically and mentally. It definitely affected my brain as well as my body. I had a complication during recovery and wasn't even discharged from the hospital for 2 weeks. If you are ready sooner then that would be awesome.

Carmen P  Get that 2nd opinion.  Read about SAVR and TAVR to make an informed decision.  Cardiac rehab is a must do.  It will give you confidence after heart surgery.  It did me.

J Alexander Lassally  You'll have a good recovery. The first 6 weeks write off. You might want to start easing into work slow. They advise 4-6 weeks for driving, too.   Realistically, it takes about 3 ish to feel sort-of-good again. I am on month 7 and really just now feeling more like myself. Whatever that means ! 

Susan Lynn  I had a minimally-invasive mitral valve repair and my procedure went smoothly. My recovery wasn't typical because it was pretty easy and uneventful. I started working from home (part-time) four days after surgery. I have a sedentary job, most of my work involves replying to emails with occasional phone calls. To this day, I never told anyone at work I had heart surgery. Think positively and listen to your body.

Dan Fouratt  Like Susan I had minimally invasive surgery for aortic valve replacement. I literally could have gone back to work (desk job) in two weeks if I had to. I did not have to (retired). listen to your body.

Rose Madura  I'm so thankful that I was able to retire early and not have to worry about going back to work.  I'd definitely takes as much time as you need.

Shawna D.  I had open heart surgery.  I was in great shape before the surgery.  I'm at week 4 and not really ready to go back to my business (work at home).  My doc said I can drive at 4 weeks post op.  I'd take more time if I were you.  You'll appreciate the rest.

Rose Madura  Tyler, it's normal to be scared but our minds (are least mine) made it seem worse than it was.  Yes, being in good shape will definitely help.  As a swimmer, your lungs should be strong so that's a plus. God bless you on this journey And please keep us updated. 

Rita Savelis  Being in good physical condition is great and it sounds like you are. The only problem with those in great shape is that they can get worried if they can't immediately bike 15 miles after surgery. They expect more from their bodies! After surgery one needs time to heal and get strong again. But being in good physical condition is great for any surgery and great for life! Take care Tyler.

Richard Munson  Better in shape before, better in shape after. We were all scared before. Its normal. I was 79 and in good shape but not to your level. 

Marie Myers  Great advice from the previous comments. Stretching your chest and arms preop might help with the aching shoulders and upper back that I experienced. Like Rita said, for those in very good shape, they may experience frustration that they don’t recovery as quickly as they would like. I found that the Whole open heart surgery experience was not as bad as my Worrying mind would have me believe. 

Suelynn Hanegraaf  It is normal to worry because we’re not in control. Sounds like you’re in great shape. Keep up your exercising (as approved by your cardiologist), eat and sleep well, and read and get informed (knowledge is power). If I may suggest:  incorporate meditation and breathing exercises. Those two really helped my anxiety for both of my SAVRs. 

Anna Ma  Someone made a list a few weeks ago on preop prep. Strength in legs is good, doing more squats will help after surgery to standup etc. like Marie suggested, some neck and shoulder and upper back exercises should be good, I wish I knew that before my surgery. Back shoulder pain was what I struggled most post op. And lastly, body flexibility can be very beneficial in many situations.

Shawna D.  Honestly, at this point, these doc teams have this thing down to a science (literally). I was not worried at all, was in great shape going in and it made ALL the difference in recovery. Keep calm and trust your team of docs.

Susan Dunne  Tyler, We were all scared before our surgery.  Being in good shape helps tremendously.  I was in pretty good shape before my surgery in February but not to your extent.  I am 83.  Doing great and it's almost as if I didn't have surgery.

Cardiac rehab helps.

Brady Busch  Nine days,after a full sternotomy.My attitude was never like,I've got to get out of this place.During the last day,while talking with a nurse practitioner,she asked me what I wanted to do.The decision was made then,it was time to go.
A few things happened-atrial fibrillation and sinus block,which required a pacemaker install,that most likely prolonged the stay.

Susan Dunne  6 days for me.  Full sternotomy.  Then I chose to go to acute rehab for 10 days to gain strength.  Home for 2 days.  So far so good.

J Alexander Lassally  Like 3-5 ish for thoracotomy and 5-7 ish for sternotomy. No hard and fast rule, though. They offered me a day early, but I stayed an extra.  No rush. 

Allen Carkner  This is just because they wanted my blood pressure really low, ideally less than 110/60, after surgery and they were adjusting meds a couple days so I’d be able to take them at home without much trouble.

Susan Dunne  Traditional sternotomy.  5 days in hospital.  12 days acute cardiac care.  Which I didn't want but was convinced to do.  Glad I did.  No complications. I am doing great.

Teressa Phillips  I had a mechanical aortic valve replacement in January. The two biggest reasons they were able to do the less invasive surgery was I did not require any bypasses or other work and the size of my valve opening was large enough for the size valve my doctor thought was appropriate. They were able to determine these things through my heart cath and a CT scan with contrast dye. Of course they warned me that if something happened during surgery they might still have to do the invasive incision.  

I had an incision above my right breast (and the dislocated rib right under it), the drain tube opening that was just in the crease under my right breast, a small hole right through my right breast for the camera (during my hospital stay, this was incredibly painful, but the first to stop hurting), a 3-4" incision in my right groin from the bypass machine entry point, and a hole in my neck for the central line.

Dan Fouratt  Tyler,  I am 14 days out from MI-AVR.  Like above they are only doing the valve work nothing else so I qualify.  However a friend (much younger) was scheduled for MI-AVR but ending up getting the sternotomy. Ask your doctor is you qualify for MI-AVR .

Susan Lynn  Tyler -Teressa pretty much covered all of the preop requirements and the bypass line that is required above the right thigh. My incision was for a mitral valve repair and was hidden in the crease on the side of my right breast. I had two additional holes for instruments and camera access on my side. My surgeon also froze the nerves in the area to reduce post-operative pain.

One of the main things you'll need to do is find a surgeon who does a high-volume of your procedure and who does the minimally-invasive entry. Some surgeons are excellent, but choose mini- or full-sternotomies as their preferred method of accessing the heart. The most important part of OHS is a good repair. Everything else is way down on the list. Good luck with your research. I'm sure there are excellent surgeons at Johns Hopkins who can offer you amazing care. There are also many others if you choose to travel.