August 11th is my big day at the Cleveland Clinic, any advice?

[Michelle D]

Hello everyone, I'm new here. I'm going to the Cleveland Clinic in August for a mitral valve repair. I'm pretty nervous, I am not sure if I can get a robotic repair but I'm hoping for that. So what can I expect? I'm worried about waking up with tubes in me and the breathing tube. I have never had a surgery in which I've had to be cut open so it is all new to me. I've never had stiches or anything. Also any advice for lifestyle changes leading up to my surgery. I already know I will quit smoking July 11th, should I be doing anything else. Vitamins? Exercises? etc.

Oh and tell me the gruesome details of the coughing and breathing exercises I've heard so much about. Also what are common complications post-surgery.

 

[Mentu]

Michelle, you are among friends here and most of us will tell you that surgery is not going to be as bad as you imagine it to be. Andy just had surgery and is now recovering at home where he is writing a lot. (Sorry, Andy, but someone had to say it.) I suggest you read his posts; search for the his id: ARGreenMN. I know from my experience that it helps to hear that your surgery is unlikely to be disturbing and more likely to be surprisingly routine.

That business with the ventilator is not a problem for most people. Often it is removed when you are not completely conscious and if it does bother you a lot the staff will usu sally remove it. It is only needed until they are certain you can breath well on your own. As for discomfort, heart surgery has changed a lot. Many people now don't have a lot of discomfort and even if it is present it usually improves quickly. For the first two or three weeks after surgery, you will feel better every day.

For now, take a deep breath and start planning your recovery. Oh, I was advised by a surgical PA I know that in the weeks leading up to surgery it may be helpful if you increase your protein intake as it helps in healing later. I would also suggest that you take your own soft clothes and change into them when you feel like it. You will find lots of others here, Michelle, willing to share their experiences and some of them may have much better advise for you than me. Take care for now. It is going to be ok.

Larry

 

[Luckyguy17]

Michelle D,

Welcome to the forum and good on you (maybe), that you have a nice long lead time for set surgery date in August. Also thank you for mini profile, approximate age?

Mitral repair was one on two interventions done for me on surgical day, fixing Mitral was one, replacing aortic valve was the other.

Experiences vary slightly for all patients in recovery, breathing tube was not a big issue for me, cause I expected it waking up, but you will be so hammered on drugs for 1st 24 hours, that wakefullness will be short lived bouts and often breathing tube is removed in 1st 16-24 hours.

Day 2, step down from ICU was a little harder for me, about 18 hours post op to 40 hours, because by then you have been flat out on your back for more than a day, you will still have a number (various) of drainage tubes and IV, but the nurses in this ward were very attentive and will likely by this time 30-48 hours, try to get you out of bed, stand and sit...which is a wee bit scary, but turns out to be a very big relief
From day 3, removal of drainage tubes on for me, was really quite good, you will be coughing up some (lung restoration) and using a spyro to redimension your lungs and physio, will likely get you out of bed and walking with some assistance...follow physios recommendation as much as possible and get walking, this is the signal to the attending personnel, that release from hospital is coming and this should be your 1st objective to get home as soon as you are stabilized...recovery so much faster, once you get to familiar and quieter setting.

There are several threads on the many post ops, recovery and small ills vary, but generally most of us work through a recovery, that is for each one of us quite surprising considering we had OHS.

The forum and the membership you will find is very supportive and real and should be a real boon to you in support, read, share and ye shall be informed

all the best

 

[Michelle D]

Thanks for the response. I've been doing a lot of research and just having the facts can sometimes make things sound very unappealing. I'm glad to have found this site and I'm sure I'll be making it my home page soon. There are so few support groups out there for young people that need to have heart surgery. So far from what I've read on here I can expect less pain than I previously dealt with in the form of kidney stones so that is good news.

I've also heard about increasing my protein. That would make sense since protein promotes muscle repair and the heart is a muscle. I'll have to get the okay to change my diet from my doctor and I think I'll check what the ideal protein intake would be.

As far as the ventilator I just have a "thing". Going for a filling at the dentist usually fills me with dread of the sucky thing and I'm not to worried about the needles and drilling. I just have a phobia of sucky tubes I guess

 

[Michelle D]

Thanks,
As of my surgery date I'll be 28. I was just diagnosed with CHF and a severe mitral valve regurgitation in February. My mitral valve is a bit of a medical enigma according to my doctors. They have done every conceivable test on me and don't have a clue why one of my leaflets is stiff and not moving. My point in devulging all of that is that in the beginning the cardiologists being baffled weren't sure if it could be repaired and weren't sure if the CHF would reverse. But now I'm in good spirits because I got a 99% chance of repair rather than replacement and I have no underlying conditions that may cause this again, AND I am no longer having heart failure thanks to coreg and lasix. So here hoping that everything besides my valve being normal helps me recover quickly and without complications

 

[Jkm7]

Hi Michelle,
Happy you found us but sorry for the reason.
As you read everyone's comments and reports here, you will learn so much. Some very knowledgeable and well informed people on this site. One thing in particular you will learn is that everyone's experience with OHS is different and for those of us who have had more than one, some of us found it was different on us one surgery to the other. I had the same surgeon in the same hospital with some of the same nurses, techs and support staff and my experience was very much easier on me the second time.

I was transferred out of CICU about 18 hours after my surgery and walked that afternoon with four drainage tubes still in me. I had half a sandwich and beverage that noontime.

The best thing you can do for yourself now, I am sure you know is to stop smoking at once. This surgery has heavy effect on our lungs and you want yours in the best condition possible. The more weeks you are smoke free, the better it will be for you. Some surgeons these days are refusing to operate on people who continue to smoke.

Wonderful news how well you have responded to medications and that your condition has improved.
Wishing you the very best and hoping you get all your questions answered here.

 

[Marcia58]

Hi! I had mitral valve repair on 3/26/09, and the U of Chicago hospital. I was hoping for the robotic as well, but my surgeon vetoed due to other medical issues. Instead, he used a mini-thoracotomy incision (no sternum split--yay!) If your doc says "no robot," ask him about the mini-thor. Post-op resctrictions are fewer, and recovery time is faster, as a rule. I was ready (and allowed) to drive, 2 weeks post-op, and carried my granddaughter half a mile on my shoulders at 6 weeks!

The best pieces of advice I got:
1. DON'T FIGHT THE VENTILATOR! Post-op breathing is hard work, and the vent is there to give your heart and lungs a break. BTW, the vent isn't "sucky", it's "puffy".
2. Have a clipboard or letterboard, in case you feel like communicating but are still vented.
3. Have a friend or family member there 24/7, or as close as possible.
4. Cough and do your breathing, the best you can, every time they ask you to.
5. Have lots of pillows for the bed when you get home.

Hope this helps! Feel free to PM me, if you have any "girly" questions.

Marcia

 

[ARGreenMN]

Lol, thanks a lot Larry, but you're right someone had to say it Ok, so I'll be brief (this time). Michelle, see my other posts so I don't have to repeat it here, lol. Main point is, you're gonna be fine and it's nowhere near as bad as you might be fearing. I had a huge fear of the breathing tube too. While I was one of the few that was aware of it when I woke up (most don't even remember it) it wasn't THAT bad. And lastly, there are several other females in here in their late 20's, Malibu82, etc, etc., so find some of their posts and become buddies with them (and with all of us). It really helps to go through this with people similar to you. Alright, so I wasn't so brief afterall. I'll try to get better -promise!

 

[ARGreenMN]

PS - there aren't any gruesome details about coughing or breathing exercises. They both hurt a little (because of the incision) but neither are gruesome at all. They give you a pillow to hold if you need to cough, and hopefully there won't be much coughing (I don't remember it being a big problem). And the breathing exercises are a little painful at first, but you feel SO much better after the first couple days that breathing exercise thing becomes one of your best friends, not an enemy. Oh, and try not to sneeze for a while, that hurts even worse than coughing! Alright, I'll shut up now...

 

[Luckyguy17]

Thanks,
As of my surgery date I'll be 28. I was just diagnosed with CHF and a severe mitral valve regurgitation in February. My mitral valve is a bit of a medical enigma according to my doctors. They have done every conceivable test on me and don't have a clue why one of my leaflets is stiff and not moving.

Michelle, before surgery, my AVR was withought question, but surgeon was not sure about Mitral and thought possily repair and would not fully know until OHS. It seems that the Mitral valve because of positioning is not as easy to fully diagnose with non invasive echo and or angiogram. Darn you are young, but then again recovery should be so much quicker

all the best
Gil

 

[pat45750]

Hi Michelle

Welcome to VR. I am pretty new here too. As you read, I will have my AVR replaced on Aug 9 at Cleveland Clinic. Maybe I will be roaming the halls by the time you are done and out of ICU. We might get a chance to meet. We will get a photo of us looking a bit fuzzy! We can post it here for folks to see how well we survived! LOL Hopefully, we will both be running the halls quickly after our surgeries. THe people here will fill you in. I have been reading here for a week or so and have learned a whole lot. Know most of what could happen and am hoping for the best and the least that can happen. I too am hoping for minimally invasive surgery. I won't know until after my heart cath on Aug 6 if I have no other problems. I will be watching your posts. We can worry away the next 2 months together! LOL

Pat in Marietta, OH

 

[ARGreenMN]

Everybody's getting all buddied up, lol. This is awsome! Maybe we need to start a new forum for anyone without an OHS buddy yet, lol.

 

[Penny]

Hi Michelle
Welcome, glad you have found us here for it is a great place to be when you are facing OHS. I am due to have mine July 13th and feel so blessed to have found this site with such wonderful, supportive people. It is great Andy that we are finding buddies to give that little extra support. It is so cool Michelle that you and Pat will be in the hospital at the same time. Hopefully you will find some answers to questions that may be lingering in the back of your mind and build some great friendships!

 

[Lynlw]

Hi Michelle,
Happy you found us but sorry for the reason.
As you read everyone's comments and reports here, you will learn so much. Some very knowledgeable and well informed people on this site. One thing in particular you will learn is that everyone's experience with OHS is different and for those of us who have had more than one, some of us found it was different on us one surgery to the other. I had the same surgeon in the same hospital with some of the same nurses, techs and support staff and my experience was very much easier on me the second time.

I was transferred out of CICU about 18 hours after my surgery and walked that afternoon with four drainage tubes still in me. I had half a sandwich and beverage that noontime.

The best thing you can do for yourself now, I am sure you know is to stop smoking at once. This surgery has heavy effect on our lungs and you want yours in the best condition possible. The more weeks you are smoke free, the better it will be for you. Some surgeons these days are refusing to operate on people who continue to smoke.

Wonderful news how well you have responded to medications and that your condition has improved.
Wishing you the very best and hoping you get all your questions answered here.

I agree with you that how not only is each person different, but the same person can have different experiences each surgery. Also different hospitals seem to do things much differently as far as when they get you out of bed sitting in a chair, walking ect. I know alot has to do with each person and how groggy or awake they are too.
Justin's experience was closer to yours with being pretty awake and moving fairly soon after surgery, His last 2 OHS, he got out of the OR early evening and woke on the vent and we were communicating (he would write or hand signals -he remebers it) it came out a little while later. The next morning (about 12 hours post op) the had him sitting in his chair and having a small breakfast /juice, He started walking that first morning while still in CICU. First just across his room or to his bathroom, then moved to the hall. I think the fact they had him sitting up out of bed and he started short walks so soon,(he did laps around the floor in CICU) probably helped get home in about 4 days. That and doing his breathing every hour. He might be wrong, but has had a few surgeries since he was old enough to remember, but he thinks it helps get home sooner, if he tries to sit in his chair (when he isn't walking) as much as possible during the day and just gets in his bed for naps or to sleep at night. I just double checked his care page (link in sig), to make sure I was remeberring right since believe it or not its been 5 years since his 4th surgery and 3 since his 5th.
If it helps to see when he was able to do different things, in the history, he had 1 surgery tues May 3rd 2005 and came home that Friday around lunch time. and the next one was June 19,07 (tues) and home friday the 22nd He was Readmitted 10 days post op for his infection that was another 5 hour surgery, and that recovery, as far as the hospital stay, was longer, mainly because it took a while for all the chest tubes to be able to be pulled.


PS I agree the sooner you can quit smoking prior to surgery the better. I see you plan on quitting July 11th, is there a reason you are waiting until a month before your surgery? My Mom smoked before her abdominal aortic annuerism (it was ER surgery) and had a VERY hard time getting off the vent because of it (she had COPD). She quit smoking then (never smoked again), but still had great problems when she had her CABG surgery a few years later because of her COPD. So if at all possible I would try to quit as soon as possible. it is also even MORE important to work on your breathing excercises ect post op, to get your lungs cleared as much as possible.