4 weeks since my AVR

[markp66]

Hi all. Finally managed to pick my laptop up from London! I replied to my previous post on my ipad but for some reason it didn't make it through.. So here is just another update.

It's been 4 weeks since my AVR and I feel great. I'm off all painkillers and pretty much feel completely normal again although I've not done any major exercise as of yet. Everything went well, no complications apart from a bit of fluid on the lungs which is now gone. My heart rate is pretty high but doctors don't seem concerned about this (its around 90-100). They say it should go down with time and don't want to put me on Beta blockers yet. The warfarin has been ok, the levels are still a bit up and down. I'm on 5mg daily which seems to be working so far coming in at around 2.3. The NHS have provided me with a home monitor which I will get in a few weeks so that should make things much easier. I've been signed off by the surgical team and my next checkup is in feb. So all in all I'm pretty pleased with how it all went.

As for the valve, it doesn't appear to be too noisy which is a relief. It sounds like my heart is beating pretty hard but I've been told this will settle down with time. It's much more obvious at night for some reason.

I managed to cut myself the other week when my INR was above 3. It really wasn't a problem at all. It stopped bleeding after applying pressure on it for a few seconds. I also managed to bang my leg on my bed and again, the bruising was minor which has made me much more confident about doing everyday stuff.

So, although surgery and the week in hospital wasn't the best time in my life the recovery and post op care has been brilliant. I had 3 checkups in 2 weeks after I came out of hospital, each time having an echo, ECG, X ray and chat with the doctor. It was nice to see progress each time.

I'm going on my surgeons comments that this should be my last surgery. He thinks the valve should last 30-50 years and if it does need replacing in the future the risks should be minimum. Three doctors I spoke to in hospital all mentioned that warfarin will be replaced within 10 years. So far I have no problem with it but anything that would take out the need for monitoring and keeping an eye on diet, alcohol can only be a good thing.

Thanks for al everyones comments and messages over the last month or so. Such a great help.

 

[Bill B]

Same here with post-op high heart rate and noticing it more when reclined. I couldn't stand it, so I was happy when they started metoprolol and my heart rate dropped quite a bit over a few days - I have HTN anyway, so I needed it. My mech valve is not noisy either - just a mild thump-thump.

People fear bleeding from cuts while on warfarin, but they don't realize that warfarin has essentially no effect on external bleeding time. That's mostly affected by platelet function. So, as long as you aren't on aspirin or other anti-plateletet meds, bleeding from usual nicks or shaving should not be an issue at all. I'm a car mechanic by hobby and use blade razors and have had no problem with either for the 2 years I've been on warfarin. Other than the minor nuisance of monthly testing, warfarin has been a non-issue, but I do hope it is replaced with something even simpler. So far, the alternatives, including the new drugs approved for AF-related anticoagulation, don't look ideal to me. As a pharmacist (now retired), I take a very long, critical look at new drugs. At release, despite maybe a decade of development and testing, we know almost nothing about how they will really pan out in more widespread use. And the collection of post-release information about unforeseen problems is still very poorly done. So, get used to warfarin and don't hold out that much hope for a replacement, and I generally wouldn't be the first person in line for the replacement when it arrives.

Carry on!

 

[ottagal]

Sounds like good progress in the last 4 weeks. You have reached another milestone.
FWIW, my heart rate was very high for quite some time and eventually settled down. All in good time...

 

[Bina]

Ditto here with the high HR and I totally wimped out and took the Beta blocker, Metoprolol right away.
You are doing GREAT !!!