Having surgery soon!!! **HELP**

[tonysung]

My big day is coming soon, and I m really nervous abt it.
Hi everybody, this is my first post here. I am a 20 yr old male. I had Endocarditis last month, and have scheduled a aortic valve replacement later this month by minimally invasive surgery in bay area, california. I have some questions regarding the recovery.

1) Is it less painful of having minimally invasive surgery than the traditional method?
2) How soon can i walk on the street after surgery?
3) Do i need a recliner for sleeping at home after discharge from hospital?
4) Do I need to rent a place next to the hospital for a week after discharge? cos my home is an hour away from it.

btw, Im still deciding which surgeon I should choose to do my surgery.
How do you recommend Dr. Vincent Gaudiani @Sequoia VS Dr. Craig Miller @ stanford.

Thanks!!

 

[RunMartin]

Welcome, I am sure there will be others around soon who have had minimally invasive surgery. I had the "traditional surgery" just less than 4 weeks ago. I was walking soon after the operation and could walk most places once I was home. I did not have a recliner at home - just used lots of pillows. I live 1 hour from the hospital and my wife drove me home. So long as the roads are not bumpy you should be OK. I would prefer to go through a little discomfort and get home as it is a lot easier to relax.

Good luck
Martin

 

[Nicholas288]

I had my surgery a month ago as well. I was walking 4-5 miles a week later. I am a little more that an hour away from the hospital and the car ride was a non issue. I have a recliner that I used during the day but slept in bed with a wedge pillow.
Nick

 

[Jkm7]

Hi and Welcome. Happy you found us here at VR.org but sorry for the reason.

I can't speak to minimally invasive surgery as both of my OHS were open chest.
An hour's ride home from the hospital is a snap..... of course, you are being driven, right? It will vary how long until you can drive but we've heard everything here from two and a half weeks to eight or more weeks before doctor okays driving.

I slept in my bed fresh home from the hospital both times but used a pile of pillows. My personal suggestion for one of the best things you can do in advance to provide for your comfort is load up with a bunch of pillows you can place in ways that make you comfortable. I only needed them a short while but when I needed them, I really found them great.

I had my surgeries at Mass General and they (and every other heart center I've read about) encourage walking as much as you are able as soon as you can. I found enormous benefit from walking, walking, walking and Mass General gave me a discharge booklet with a set plan of how many minutes how many times a day to walk for the first three or so weeks. By then I was doing my usual exercise daily walk I always do. Perhaps I was going a little slower than I had but that was fine. Both my surgeries were during cold, Northeast winter and I was permitted to walk outside right from my first day home. Certainly I used common sense on bitter cold days by using scarves etc to avoid breathing frigid air but that won't be your problem.

All of us are different and experience OHS differently. I had the same surgeon, same hospital, some of the same nursing and support staff four years apart and I experienced both surgeries differently. My point is no one can tell you exactly how it will be for you. Everyone is truly different.

Hope this helps.
Ask loads of questions. Usually there is someone here who can answer most.
Sending you loads of Best wishes.

 

[Cris N]

Hi and welcome. Can't really help you with your questions as I had the traditional surgery, but I do want to wish you well with it and with your recovery.

 

[jax]

I had a minimally invasive surgery but they stil did a sternotomy. It just wasn't as big of an incision as a traditional one. I am 9 months out now. I live 2 hours away from where I had my surgery and my husband drove me home stopping half way for me to get out and walk and rest a bit. I didn't sleep in a recliner but rested in one during the day when I wasn't napping. By 3 weeks out I was off pain meds and on tylenol. My main problem was sleeping through the night for a while. Walking wasn't an issue. You will be surprised at how quickly you will feel better. I was back to full time work 8 weeks out of surgery and haven't missed a day yet except for doctors appointments which I don't consider a day off. Can't help you out about the surgeons as I am from ohio and went to cleveland clinic for mine. Best of luck.

 

[DebbyA]

1) Is it less painful of having minimally invasive surgery than the traditional method? -- Reports vary.
2) How soon can i walk on the street after surgery? -- In California weather, probably immediately, but don't plan to go too far the first few weeks.
3) Do i need a recliner for sleeping at home after discharge from hospital? -- No, though many have found them useful, many others managed to sleep without them.
4) Do I need to rent a place next to the hospital for a week after discharge? cos my home is an hour away from it. -- You should be able to ride an hour, but won't be driving for weeks.

Best wishes on the upcoming surgery!

 

[Philip B]

Questions

Questions

Good questions and responses so far.

1) Is it less painful of having minimally invasive surgery than the traditional method?

Sorry, I've not a clue about minimally invasive surgery stuff. I suspect there's some pain associated with all types of surgery. Have you had regular, invasive OHS surgery so you have something to compare the minimally invasive type with? How bad pain is tends to be an individual perspective anyway. Regardless of the pain, you'll deal with it.

2) How soon can i walk on the street after surgery?

As others have indicated, walking is pretty much the norm before you leave the hospital. I was walking on the street a lot immediately upon arriving home. My wife and I stopped and went grocery shopping on the way home from the hospital. I even pushed the cart.

3) Do i need a recliner for sleeping at home after discharge from hospital?

I couldn't sleep in my recliner or bed when I got home. Propping myself up on the sofa with several pillows allowed me to find a nice stable, comfortable position.

4) Do I need to rent a place next to the hospital for a week after discharge? cos my home is an hour away from it.

I live a couple of hours from the hospital where my surgery was done. You'd really rather be at home than in a rental.

A lot of how your post-op experience goes really depends upon you and the attitude with which you approach it.

-Philip

 

[Luana]

Gee, I could have sworn I responded to this last night. Did you post in another place, too?

Oh, I found it. You posted in both pre- and post-surgery.
Luana

 

[Superbob]

I had the open-heart surgery at age 63 and had little problem with pain. The best advice I got was to take the pain meds whenever offered BEFORE you feel the pain. I did and the pain wasn't bad. I can only assume minimally invasive aftermath would be similar.

I found a recliner very helpful for recovery but many on here have done just fine without -- using extra pillows etc.

You should be able to handle an hour's RIDE to your home (shouldn't start driving yourself until cleared by your doctor). When I was released after five days in the hospital, my daughter drove me home through Washington Beltway traffic in a driving rainstorm, with one stop to pick up my post-op meds. I did fine. I would think renting a place for a week after your discharge would be a waste of money.

 

[Dennis S]

I had my surgery when I was 55 years old. It sure can vary, but for me the recliner was essential for sleeping when I first got home.

 

[malibu82]

Hey there

I can't help answer, I am still waiting to have my surgery as well. But I was just curious if you were having a mechanical or tissue valve put in? Thanks!

 

[Marguerite53]

Hi. These are good questions and good answers. Choose the surgeon who has had the most experience doing minimally invasive surgery. And/or the surgeon who has replaced the most aortic valves post endocarditis. Experience is key!

I thought I remembered hearing that minimally invasive surgery is more painful right at the beginning, but then you recover so much faster that it is worth the initial discomfort. With the traditional cut, the entire sternum is sawed through and spread apart. Once wired, taped or fused back together, you cannot drive for at least 6 weeks; you really must allow the bone to heal.

The drugs are generally great!! Some of us experience a lot of pain. Others, like myself, really only just heavy flu-like feeling discomfort, and a deep low dull ache. The meds really kept it manageable for me. I hope you won't be too worried about the pain.

Choosing your valve type is very important. As young as you are it will almost certainly be a mechanical valve. Please question and get information about the valve they propose to implant in you. Again, it is good to get a surgeon who is very familiar with the particular valve they want to put in you.

So very very many of us have come through this just fine. It's no picnic, but it is manageable.

Good luck and keep posting.

Marguerite

 

[WFO]

TonySung, First welcome. While I did not have minimally invasive surgery, I was walking really well only days after surgery. As for staying near the hospital, that should not be necessary. I live 5 hours away and made the trip 5 days post surgery without issue. Some people do like/love their recliners I don't have one and can't say that I miss one. A comfortable chair with a foot rest is working well for me during the day. At night I'm sleeping in bed.

Keep asking questions. That will help relieve some of the anxiety prior to surgery.

 

[Nupur]

Hi Tony, welcome.. if you are still shopping for surgeons, you should see Dr. Miller at Stanford as well. Dr Gaudiani is very well known and I have heard all good things. But Dr. Miller is also renowned and several VR members in the bay area had great success with him. It's worth a consult. Good luck!

 

[njean]

Just wanted to welcome you to the forum Tony! Sorry I cannot offer advice concerning the type of surgery you will be having since all 3 of mine have been the knife & saw type, but I do want to wish you well with yours.

Godspeed!

 

[tonysung]

Hi Everybody,
You guys are so good, n thanks so much for the help.
I have met craig miller@stanford, and planned for having AVR with st jude valve this FRIDAY and having pre-op tomorrow.
I wanna know if it is possible to have a private room?
Do I really need a robe?, cos its written on the patient handbook.

 

[RunMartin]

Good luck, Try to relax and everything will be OK
Martin

 

[mainframe]

In the several days leading up to surgery, I was admitted through the ER to a CCU unit as I wasn't doing so well. That room was a private room. Post surgery, while CCU had 2 beds per room there were glass wall between two more beds that way the CCU nurse (usually 1 nurse per 2 patients) could see everything. The step down unit was 2 beds per room. Now my accute rehab room at a different hospital was a private room, but you probably don't want to do that. I didn't bring a robe but they still let me in anyhow.

Dr. Miller and his staff are great, I'm sure you will do fine. Look forward to hearing how it went.

 

[Jkm7]

First surgery, I was admited through ER and had almost nothing with me. I used two hospital provided johnnies when out of bed. One reversed so I was covered front and back. Many others on the floor did the same thing and we were modestly covered.

My second surgery, I brought a robe with me and never used it.

I'm female and all I needed with me was toothbrush/paste, hair brush, reading glasses, note pad and pencil to jot down questions, my cell phone and charger (we were permitted to use them in step down unit), chapstick was a must as the vent really dries your lips, slippers ( don't like those non-skid socks the hospital provides) and a touch of lipstick. (I'm a girl, afterall )

Of the things I brought but never used were a few light novels but I couldn't concentrate to read, bathrobe, throw pillow in case they did not provide me with a style cough pillow I liked, shampoo and body cream (I used what hospital provided)...... maybe one or two other things that I never used.