maisiejane
Well-known member
Hi All,
Prior to my surgery I found it very comforting and informative to read other peoples experience of surgery so here is mine.
AVR - 17th February 2014 - 19 mm Bovine Tissue valve
Surgery time 4hrs 30 mins
Never once saw my named surgeon just a member of his team.
All went very well until waking up in CTCCU, no lasting effect of the breathing tube hardly remember them removing it.
wasn't in much discomfort at all as I was receiving Morphine, supported to get out of bed about 10 hours later, feeling very nauseated due to the pain relief and given anti sickness medication, unfortunately this didn't work and they gave me something stronger through my line, this had quite a bizarre effect and I started to experience buzzing in my head and I felt very drunk no loss of movement or sensation but frightened the hell out of me, all of a sudden I was getting shocks in my heart apparently what ever was happening was causing me to experience a very weird heart rhythm, I kept asking what was happening but all staff around said all was fine and not to worry. I thought this is it, this bloody operation is going to be the end of me, I was monitored closely all through the night, but then again everyone in CTCCU is monitored closely. The following morning the surgeon came to see me, I asked if there had been a problem and he just said that it was nothing to worry about as about 30% of AVR's experience rhythm problems, anyway they were very happy with my condition and they were moving me onto the ward.
My first day on the ward I experienced a migraine, I used to get them all the time but since starting HRT 5 years ago they had greatly reduced. as I was sensitive to opiates I was only taking paracetomol for the pain, I was up and about very quickly providing self care and walking around the ward. I was discharged on day 4 post surgery, my current list of meds are -
Aspirin 75mg 1 x daily
Bisoprolol 1.25mg 1 x daily
Lansoprazole 30mg 1 x daily
Simvastatin - 40mg 1 x daily
Paracetomol - 500mg 2 x every 4 - 6 hours
Senna 7.5mg - when required
I am now on day 9, I have experienced visual issues which include the ocular migraine and also things like shooting stars but they are now improving, the migraines are still troublesome but I am hoping these too will subside. My blood pressure is fairly low 114/61 and I have a pulse rate of 60 bpm, I am being seen by the District nurse and I told her that I wasn't sleeping too good and that I was being bothered by my pulse thumping in my head and upper back, she offered to speak to my GP and get back to me, she came back later that afternoon, the GP refused to prescribe me anything to help me to sleep, but wanted me to increase my Beta Blocker!!!!! I haven't done this as I have read in the book that they provide you with that sleep problems and strong pulse problems are normal following AVR,
Deb xxx
Prior to my surgery I found it very comforting and informative to read other peoples experience of surgery so here is mine.
AVR - 17th February 2014 - 19 mm Bovine Tissue valve
Surgery time 4hrs 30 mins
Never once saw my named surgeon just a member of his team.
All went very well until waking up in CTCCU, no lasting effect of the breathing tube hardly remember them removing it.
wasn't in much discomfort at all as I was receiving Morphine, supported to get out of bed about 10 hours later, feeling very nauseated due to the pain relief and given anti sickness medication, unfortunately this didn't work and they gave me something stronger through my line, this had quite a bizarre effect and I started to experience buzzing in my head and I felt very drunk no loss of movement or sensation but frightened the hell out of me, all of a sudden I was getting shocks in my heart apparently what ever was happening was causing me to experience a very weird heart rhythm, I kept asking what was happening but all staff around said all was fine and not to worry. I thought this is it, this bloody operation is going to be the end of me, I was monitored closely all through the night, but then again everyone in CTCCU is monitored closely. The following morning the surgeon came to see me, I asked if there had been a problem and he just said that it was nothing to worry about as about 30% of AVR's experience rhythm problems, anyway they were very happy with my condition and they were moving me onto the ward.
My first day on the ward I experienced a migraine, I used to get them all the time but since starting HRT 5 years ago they had greatly reduced. as I was sensitive to opiates I was only taking paracetomol for the pain, I was up and about very quickly providing self care and walking around the ward. I was discharged on day 4 post surgery, my current list of meds are -
Aspirin 75mg 1 x daily
Bisoprolol 1.25mg 1 x daily
Lansoprazole 30mg 1 x daily
Simvastatin - 40mg 1 x daily
Paracetomol - 500mg 2 x every 4 - 6 hours
Senna 7.5mg - when required
I am now on day 9, I have experienced visual issues which include the ocular migraine and also things like shooting stars but they are now improving, the migraines are still troublesome but I am hoping these too will subside. My blood pressure is fairly low 114/61 and I have a pulse rate of 60 bpm, I am being seen by the District nurse and I told her that I wasn't sleeping too good and that I was being bothered by my pulse thumping in my head and upper back, she offered to speak to my GP and get back to me, she came back later that afternoon, the GP refused to prescribe me anything to help me to sleep, but wanted me to increase my Beta Blocker!!!!! I haven't done this as I have read in the book that they provide you with that sleep problems and strong pulse problems are normal following AVR,
Deb xxx
Are you going to get a card to keep on you with the name of your valve ? On discahrge I got given a little slip of paper which says it's a "temporary identification card" and lists the name of my valve and its serial and lot number, and tells me I'll get a permanent card at some point !
