exercising and travel after valve replacement

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geff

Active member
Joined
May 20, 2024
Messages
27
Location
australia
Hi everyone I'm due to have my valve replaced in 8 days now and wanted to know how important it is to exercise after the operation as I've never worried much about exercising before just live a normal life as far as I'm aware, and also can you fly interstate after the operation to fly home approx 1 hour domestic flight and is it true that the homograph valve doesn't last as long as the others as my surgeon wont use them thanks
 
wanted to know how important it is to exercise after the operation
Some cardio exercise is critical after heart surgery. This is to clear fluid out of the lungs and rebuild basic strength. You need to walk short distances multiple times daily. I expect your surgery team will emphasis this. Also, they will give you an incentive spirometer for breathing exercises. It is your friend, so use it. Frequently. Again, your surgery team will discuss this with you. My team had a scorecard on my wall where we tracked this stuff. After I went home, insurance paid for me to attend cardiac rehab exercise class three times/week for 12 weeks. This is a wonderful aid to getting back to normal health if your insurance covers this. I would even recommend spending your own money for this if your insurance does not cover it.

can you fly interstate after the operation to fly home
I don't know for sure, but I think there are people on this forum who flew home when they left the hospital. Again, ask your surgery team.

is it true that the homograph valve doesn't last as long as the others
I don't know anything about this, but I'll watch this thread to see what information others provide. Personally, I bought a mechanical On-X aortic valve because it gives a rock solid solution that will outlast the rest of my body.
 
s it true that the homograph valve doesn't last as long as the others as my surgeon wont use them thanks
no, its not true, but it depends.

The biggest hurdle to homograft (like The Ross) is the much higher skillset needed to do them well. I had a homograft done for my second OHS (when I was 28). At that time the hospital here in Brisbane was one of the world leading centers of homograft. As you can see here (post) my duration was 20 years. For your age group the typical duration as percentage of valves which at 15 years, the freedom from reoperation was:
⦁ 81% (41-60 years) and
⦁ 94% (>60 years).

So while that's not bad its not much better than a bog standard bio prosthesis ... AND the skillset to get that is higher.
 
Hi everyone I'm due to have my valve replaced in 8 days now and wanted to know how important it is to exercise after the operation as I've never worried much about exercising before just live a normal life as far as I'm aware, and also can you fly interstate after the operation to fly home approx 1 hour domestic flight and is it true that the homograph valve doesn't last as long as the others as my surgeon wont use them thanks
Walking is what they want you do, and on the flying, be sure to stretch the legs before you sit down on the flight. One hour is not hard on a OHS patient.
 
Cardiac rehab therapy is standard at the best hospitals. It helps and speeds recovery and you learn exercises that will serve you for the rest of your life.
 
I flew to India 3 months after my aortic valve was installed. That was in April this year and I'm still walking ..lol.
I went to my doctors for a check up and sign off before I flew just to be sure.
I wore the DVT socks and walked around a bit on the flight.
 
Hey ... hope you had a good time in India
I wore the DVT socks and walked around a bit on the flight.

actually I wish I'd discovered these much earlier, as I've found that on "long haul" (Australia to Finland) that if I took my boots off they were hard to get back on ... it never occured to me that these compression stockings would make such a difference.
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Quite frankly 13 hours of not moving much is bad for anyone (and the second leg of the 20 hour journey is no better.
 
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