2nd OHS

[heartstream]

Hi people
I now have the date for my second OHS. I am having a mechanical tricuspid valve replacement after the repair I had 2 years ago failed. I had a terrible time last time after months of issues with fluid around the heart and a 3 month stay in hospital with potassium and sodium issues. I am hoping that having the mechanical valve this time I won't have as many issues as the heart will hopefully work properly with a new valve. Who knows what will happen. However, might help to hear some peoples experience of a second OHS. How was the second op compared to the first?

Can I expect any clear differences?

Thanks in advance this site has been a great help since I found it !!!

 

[ottagal]

I haven't had a second surgery, but just wanted to wish you all the best with your upcoming surgery. It looks like you have been waiting a few years to get this done. I am sure others who have been down this route a second time around will chime in soon.
What is your date so we can send you positive vibes?

 

[DebbyA]

What is your date? I'll probably get a 2d OHS date in the next few days. If I get there first, I'll let you know!

I hope your 2d goes well and prevents any more serious issues.

Best wishes!

 

[heartstream]

I am in on the 21st march

 

[AZ Don]

Good luck. Please let us know how it goes. I have a roughly 50% chance of needing a 2nd OHS someday.

 

[Phil]

Hi heartstream,

I had a third surgery in June last year. The first was when I was 7, the second was when I was 44 and the third was when aged 54 (mechanical valve) which I reckon was easier than when I had a human tissue valve at 44. I can't tell you why - I just seemed to have less pain, healed better and quicker and found it easier to deal with psychologically. So I hope this is the case with you and all the best.


Phil.

 

[pellicle]

Hi

Hi people
However, might help to hear some peoples experience of a second OHS. How was the second op compared to the first?

I didn't see how old you were ... so that will have an effect. Your bio suggests you're interested in sports, which implies you have some level of fitness. That's good and will help your recovery.

basically I've had 3 ... first as a kid, 2nd at 28 and third at 48. Recovery from 28 was faster than 38 but I was fitter then too.

Basically don't rush at it, keep at it in little bits every day, eat as you should and by the time your bone is knitted (sternum, about 8 weeks) you'll probably need to be held back.

Can I expect any clear differences?

fundamentally you'll feel shitloads better than before and probably wonder why you didn't do it earlier. Keep *VERY* strictly to what you're told to do in the first 8 weeks.

Depending on variables such as: aortic graft; scar tissue; luck of the draw ... you may notice your heart beat being more personally obvious to you and you may hear it when lying down and when doing nothing much. Personally I hear mine when lying on my left side, and now sleep on my right.

I don't year it when walking around or even when doing exersize (I was just out cross country skiing and with HR-Max being 168 for periods of a few minutes didn't hear it).

It will be something you simply stop noticing after the initial "hey, that's different" experience.

The next issue is you'll need to learn about anticoagulation. Its actually not that difficult and the poor diabetic community suffer more and have a more onerous task on measurement and dosing than we do.

Do not stress over it as its common you get a lot of assistance with it in the first few months. Gradually (depending on your personality) you'll probably want to take control over it yourself (which will be a good thing anyway).

Don't fret about INR being 'up and down' as that's normal (espeically when starting on warfarin) and after you've had enough vein draws you'll be chomping at the bit to cut over to finger prick and machine testing.


Best wishes

 

[Duffey]

Hi people
I now have the date for my second OHS. I am having a mechanical tricuspid valve replacement after the repair I had 2 years ago failed. I had a terrible time last time after months of issues with fluid around the heart and a 3 month stay in hospital with potassium and sodium issues. I am hoping that having the mechanical valve this time I won't have as many issues as the heart will hopefully work properly with a new valve. Who knows what will happen. However, might help to hear some peoples experience of a second OHS. How was the second op compared to the first?

Can I expect any clear differences?

Thanks in advance this site has been a great help since I found it !!!

Any idea of why your repair failed? Are you having surgery at the same place as where you had the repair? It's possible your recovery will depend more on the surgeon and facility doing the replacement than anything else.

 

[Jkm7]

I am sorry you have to undergo a second OHS.

I had two OHS four years apart and I promise you the second was so much easier on me than the first. I just about sailed through my mitral valve replacement with not a single bump in my healing and was driving in short of three weeks with my doctor's approval. I ate half a turkey sandwich about 12 hours post op, was transferred out of CICU in wheel chair and was walking with my nurse and DH in under 24 hours post op.

I healed easily from my first OHS also but surely knew the truck had mowed me down. My second OHS, from the moment I opened my eyes post op, I knew immediately this surgery had been much easier on me and that surgery was about 6-7 hours as I remember them telling me.

I sincerely wish you the same easy time of it.
Please let us know how you are doing.

 

[Lynlw]

Any idea of why your repair failed? Are you having surgery at the same place as where you had the repair? It's possible your recovery will depend more on the surgeon and facility doing the replacement than anything else.

Duffey, brought up some good points, especially in the surgeries that are much less common, like Tricuspid valves and right side issues in general, you really want the team w/ alot of experience in that. For the most part, they would be the surgeons that specialise in Congenital Heart Defects (CHD) and Adults w/CHD. IF you want to talk to other people who had surgery in the triscuspid valve or right side in general, I would check the forums at the various CHD groups, here is a link to the adults w/ CHD org in the US has members from all over, ACHA Discussion Forum http://forum.achaheart.org/viewforum.php?f=4 altho the vast majority of people I know of w/ right side problems get tissue valves as we mentioned before, so you might not find people who had the same experiences you will.
Here is the link to the UK Adults w/ CHD org http://www.thesf.org.uk/

As for peoples experiences w/ surgery, everyone is different, many people had an easier time their 2nd or 3rd, maybe because of the time in between, improvements made, but some people have tougher times.
Alot of it has to do with what kind of shape you are in going into surgery. Before your repair what was the problem with your valve, was it stenotic or regurgitating? what was the repair you had done?

Also preop were you having problems, were you having symptoms, how enlarged was your right side. etc ? How soon after surgery did they know your repair failed? Is that part of why you had so many problems post op?
Hopefully w/ your replacement valve and your heart function improving you'll have a better recovery this time, Just try to do as much as you can the days after it, breathing exercises, walk as often as you can even if it is just a lap or 2 around the floor etc can only help.

 

[JUST-WAITING]

I had my second OHS 7 months after the first in 2011. That last surgery was 2 years 5 months ago. I have been off the site awhile. Doing good except frequent muscle / rib pain when I work too hard.

 

[Gail in Ca]

I have also been thru 3 surgeries, at age 34,46,54. I'd say the first was pretty good, I did cough a lot, only had 2 chest tubes. The 2nd was a more difficult recovery because I was in congestive heart failure going into it as an emergency. However, I went home sooner than the 1st, only 4 days vs a week for the 1st. I had swelling and was so very tired when I got home, but after 6 weeks, I was back to normal. My 3rd was my longest surgery, but I awoke feeling very alert. I recovered so well from my last surgery, going home 6 days after surgery, and doing well at home, too. I also was so motivated this last time and was able to work out, do sit ups, weights, etc after I was recovered and I felt great. I did go through treatment for bacterial endocarditis before my 3rd surgery, but I did fine. So, I guess I was sicker going into my 2nd surgery and so it took more out of me. Amazing to think I've had my heart touched by so many experts and I've been given 25 yrs so far...

 

[heartstream]

I do have a good surgeon, we don't get a choice really in the uk. However, I have research my sergeons name and spoke to. Other cardiologists and they all speak highly of him.

 

[DavesMom]

Hi there,

Sorry to hear about your surgery and am sending best wishes for a successful op and speedy recovery.

I've had two OHS on my aortic valve - at ages 20 and 42. Second surgery was to put in a mechanical valve and it was more complicated than the surgeon expected due to scar tissue from the first, when my right ventricle got stuck to my sternum. I was in the hospital about about eight days - longer than I probably had to be due to afib and difficulty getting my initial coumadin level adjusted.

However, it all turned out fine and there were no problems with the recovery. I remember throwing out one-liners like Jay Leno the day I was discharged from the hospital. My brain seemed to be working much better and I was glad to be feeling better. Went to several weeks of cardiac rehab that really helped.

My valve and I will celebrate our 15th anniversary together this Sunday with dinner and a movie. : )

So it really was a much easier experience than I'd expected and I hope yours is the same.

 

[neil]

good positive vibes about 2nd op, nice to hear from a fellow brit heartstream ,

 

[heartstream]

Hi Duffy
Sorry in reply to your question.

I am not sure why it failed they never explained. We found out 5 days after the op. The surgeon was a bit unclear when I came out of ICU. My wife thought he seemed unclear and was confused by his comments. Who knows, we did not have a good experience of the whole NHS last time. We are very behind the USA with our health service so have different ways of working. I have not seen my surgeon since the last OP which by what I read on this site is strange.

I hope this coming experience is better than last time. At least I am better informed this time around!

Thanks

 

[heartstream]

Hi Neil
Where are you from fella!!

 

[JUST-WAITING]

I had second surgery 7 month after the first- and I recovered quicker from the full open heart than the "minimally invasive surgery/ some term?) Except nearly dying during the second surgery. I think knowing what is coming is the worst point- ignorance is bliss sometimes-but somewhere along the way I was more careful. I remember I was told to give 6 months for the tissue to truly heal round the valve. Not being invincible and running equipment at three months. Stupid/ Stupid- Take time to properly heal. God Bless

 

[neil]

heartsteam,i am from hull yorkshire,

 

[heartstream]

Good down to earth people from Hull.