Resting heart rate after surgery

Hi all, I am four weeks out from mechanical MVR (plus tricuspid repair, Maze procedure, left atrial appendage clip, and a pacemaker).

I’m curious about people’s experiences about heart rate after surgery. Although I am on metoprolol tartrate 50 mg twice a day, resting heart rate is still about 85 bpm edging to 95 or occasionally over 100 at the “end” of doses.

Do you remember if / when this gets better? Is this concerning?

Prior to surgery on metoprolol tartrate at half the dose my resting heart rate was 58 - 60.

Blood pressure in both cases ranges from 90/58 to 100/60 at rest.

Thanks!

Hi

dornole said:

Hi all, I am four weeks out from mechanical MVR (plus tricuspid repair, Maze procedure, left atrial appendage clip, and a pacemaker).

I’m curious about people’s experiences about heart rate after surgery. Although I am on metoprolol tartrate 50 mg twice a day, resting heart rate is still about 85 bpm edging to 95 or occasionally over 100 at the “end” of doses.

Do you remember if / when this gets better? Is this concerning?

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for whatever reason I did not gather and document my HR data, but I can say that even a few months after my #3OHS (but equally, the "when I got a mech" valve) I had elevated HR above where I felt was my prior level. I would have bouts of 'over 100' which I would try to control with breathing exersizes, and in the main this was successfu.

I can't say when it went to more like 70 or 60, but I think it was somewhere about when I was cycling more, lengthy beach walks (soft sand is a killer) and some jogging (I hate jogging).

By about a year or so IIRC I would be around 60 (58~62) on wake up and 70 something when doing things. For reference its 64 right now (9pm and dinner was 7pm, had a beer in the afternoon after mowing and other lawn related obligations).

I've recently (last few months) decided to do a different cardio vascular operation of 15min of higher intensity (not high by me at 25) cycling about every other day. I'm pretty sure that exersize (and when you can do it, don't push too hard too early) slowly allows the muscle and nerve system to "find" that it doesn't need to push as hard as it did. That may be something that falls into "remodelling"

Also, just getting over a flu.

So yes, it gets better (or I got better).

As to concerning .. keep an eye on it, make some notes (better than I did) and discuss with your cardiologist.

Try the breathing exersize too.

dornole said:

Blood pressure in both cases ranges from 90/58 to 100/60 at rest.

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I'm no specialist there, but that seems a little low to me ... 127/76 : 65 right now.

You didn't mention this, but I wanted to just add that the feeling of the 'beat' or 'pulse' was much more pronounced ... in hospital I felt it rocking me. I notice that it still does, but I'm just no longer usually aware of that (unless trying to take a picture of something with my 600mm lens.

I hope it starts to return to priors soon

Best Wishes

dornole said:

Do you remember if / when this gets better? Is this concerning?

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My resting heartrate was around 50 bpm before my heart issues (endocarditis) started. A month after open heart surgery (mitral valve repair and installation of an On-X mechanical aortic valve) my resting heart rate was in the 60s. 6 months after surgery it started dropping. Now, 14 months after surgery, my resting heartrate is back to the low 50s.

Hopefully I just need to be patient and keep building fitness slowly. I am definitely frustrated by only being able to go maybe 2.8 mph on flat ground for 30 mins. Not even close to pre surgery fitness. Cardiac rehab seems to think I am doing ok.

My blood pressure has been on the low side my whole life (100/60 without any medication, I am only 5’4” and this runs in my family) so I am used to that and don’t get lightheaded or anything. But with it being quite low they’re not keen to further increase dosage to control rate because the BP will further decrease.

I am also wondering about the low sodium diet they put me on because my BP is so low. I have a meeting with the dietician at cardiac rehab on Monday and will ask about that as well. Follow up with cardiology is in 3 weeks.

dornole said:

Hopefully I just need to be patient and keep building fitness slowly. I am definitely frustrated by only being able to go maybe 2.8 mph on flat ground for 30 mins. Not even close to pre surgery fitness. Cardiac rehab seems to think I am doing ok.

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I believe yes, and I recall those days of my doing slow shuffles around the block.

Keep at it ... also, you're older now too ... small steps forward no slides back from over stepping

Best Wishes

My heart rate was in the 90s and 100s for months after my surgery, but eventually came down to the 60s. My surgeon said the heart is "irritable" after surgery. The process definitely takes patience.

Zoltania said:

My heart rate was in the 90s and 100s for months after my surgery, but eventually came down to the 60s. My surgeon said the heart is "irritable" after surgery. The process definitely takes patience.

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And the body is in the stress mode for a few weeks as it adjusts to being healthier.

My resting heart rate was higher than before the surgery for many months before it settled down. It went up to high 90s with any move I made despite the metoprolol I was taking.
Some hearts need more time to readjust/heal from the trauma of what they went through!