Can you feel "good" with a low ejection fraction?

[Janea]

Before surgery my E.F. was 55-ish - 60% Post-operatively my E.F. was 35% I am going in for a follow up echo a week from today. I am anxious to learn what my E.F. fraction is as I was told it does go up as the heart gets stronger. My question is can you feel good with a lower E.F. (anything below 50 is considered low)? If they tell me my E.F. is 40% does this mean I am doomed to a life of feeling tired all the time? Or, can you have a low, E.F. and still feel as good as you did before the surgery because even though your E.F. is low, your heart is still doing the job because it was mended in the surgery? Thanks to all!

 

[catwoman]

Janea:

When was your post-op echo? (I assume it was while still in the hospital?)
I fell through the cracks for a post-op echo. I had a cardio appt., but the scheduler did not book me for an echo. So it was 1 year before I had an echo after leaving the hospital. My EF was 60-70% then.

In looking at my echos since then, I can see improvement in my heart -- reduced left atrium size, for one.
It took quite a while for my energy levels to return to normal. It was probably 8-9 months before my energy was consistently pretty much back to normal.
I still have times when I overdo it -- staying up late to watch TV several nights in a row -- and am quite fatigued. But going to bed extra early two nights resolves that. Otherwise, I run rings around my husband and most of my family & friends.

Good luck with your recovery. This is not a walk in the park, but you do eventually get back to "normal" -- whatever that is/was.

 

[mmarshall]

janea,
my ef was at 20% before surgery and i felt just fine with no symptoms what so ever. at my 6 month check up after surgery i was at 35% and still felt the same...no symptoms. i go for my yearly check up at the beginning of june and will let you know the improvements then. i still exercise daily but i do not lift weights anymore and i do not run. i walk 3 miles a day and do crunches...want to take up swimming and stay in shape that way. since i can not lift weights anymore and go for the big bad buff look...i will just go for the lean and mean look...lol but no...i didn't feel any symptoms before or after surgery due to the low ef.

 

[Janea]

To catwoman: My post op echo was just hours after surgery. My blood pressure was dropping rapidly and they thought I was bleeding out into my chest so they did a TEE and found all was normal, but that is when my E.F. was found to be at 35%. I can't believe your E.F. is so high after having surgery. I thought they always dropped by 10% at least after surgery...that is so great.

Marshall- it is encouraging to know that you felt fine with a E.F. at 35% It sounds like you are really active too. That's good. I will stop worrying about it then and hope that I will feel great in the future no matter what my E.F. is!
--Janea

 

[BillCobit]

Hi Janea

My EF was also in the 30-35% range after surgery. I understand low EF after heart surgery is pretty typical, and that pumping improves after a period of reconditioning. I've improved now to an estimated 45-50% . I feel really great at almost 50 YO - but my cardio performance is not great - slow runnning and biking. Still, I can do anything I want (except go fast). There are others at this forum who have very good post-op performance, though.

Many of us did not feel really good while exercising for several months after surgery. Hang in there, you will undoubtedly feel much better after another 6 months or so. Your marathon goal for fall '07 is probably about right. Don't be discouraged if running is difficult over the next few-several months. It takes time.

Regards,

 

[Janea]

Thanks Bill!

 

[joanne6]

Low EF

Low EF

After my surgery in August, I had "stunned heart syndrome" Apparently very common after OHS. The EF drops very low but as the heart "wakes up" the Ef rises. I was also told that it is normal for the EF to drop 10-15%after surgery because the heart was over worked before the surgery trying to compensate.
I am 8 months post op and do have more energy each month that goes by. I see the doc in July for another echol.

 

[Marge]

This EF business has always confused me. After I had my cardiac cath prior to my valve surgery I was told my EF was in the 30-35 range. I felt perfectly OK, btw.

After the valve repair, when I left the hospital, I was told the EF was now 45. That sounded good -- like it was on the upswing.

Much to my disappointment, the first echo I had after I got out of the hospital (three months or so later, I think) was now back to 35. I still felt fine, but I was horribly disappointed by the numerical result.

I thought the surgery, plus my regimen of exercise, carvedilol, etc., was supposed to improve my EF & it seemed like I was back to square 1. My cardio said, especially given the subjective nature of echos, that he was more concerned with "symptoms" than with "figures" and that as long as the EF wasn't actually going down he wasn't worried. But I badgered him into scheduling another test for me, a MUGA, which is supposed to be more accurate for the EF. On the MUGA, I had a 53 -- "low normal," but "normal" nevertheless.

I've had one further echo since the MUGA, and it still shows 35. But I still feel fine, so what all this proves I do not know.

 

[ClickerTicker]

My LV was somewhat compromised by endocarditis. LVEF after my MVR (2002) has been measured several times and comes in at between 10 and 20%. I consider myself symtom-free.
Swim continuous crawl for half an hour about 3 times a week. Can walk 20 to 30 miles across country without obvious ill effect. Play golf a couple of times a week. Drink far too much. Don't feel tired unless I've been at the computer too long or had well over a bottle of the vino collapso
Yea - I guess I feel "good" albeit with a certain sense of "there but for the grace of God..."
I guess the ejection fraction is not just a simple measurement and it's different strokes for different folks - at least that's what my cardiologist tells me

 

[Janea]

Clicker-ticker...You are an inspiration! So happy to know that how you feel may not be connected with the E.F.!
--Janea