Heart Lung Machines

[TheGymGuy]

For AVR these are a must. Why do people seem to dislike them so much? Just wanted to throw it out there.

 

[Julian]

Because the pump is bad for your brain. I've experienced all kinds of weirdness after the surgery, mental disturbances, visual disturbances, concentration issues, the list goes on. Seems to be getting better since I've hit the 6 month post op mark or I'm just getting used to it. If you have any of these issues pre op the surgery may amplify them post op. For the most part people recover back to their old selves after about a year but a small percentage don't.

 

[Lionheart]

What was the question? No wait..... now I got it. Now what was the answer? Ahhhh..... what's that word that slips my mind now.... Pumphead.
John

 

[Jkm7]

I don't think anyone would subject themselves to having their heart stopped and a machine pumping oxygenated blood through their body and brain if their life did not depend on it.

There is no choice for most of us (yet) if we want to live.

I believe there is a real pumphead condition and that for some it never totally resolves and I also believe it leaves us more susceptible for alzheimers. Combined with other risk factors, it is my feeling a study would show an increased number of OHS patients eventually develop varying degrees of dementia.

I know this is hardly what anyone wants to read and I sincerely hope all of you can find reasons to prove me wrong.

It is only my personal, non-professional opinion.

 

[bbuck]

I don't think anyone would subject themselves to having their heart stopped and a machine pumping oxygenated blood through their body and brain if their life did not depend on it.

There is no choice for most of us (yet) if we want to live.

I believe there is a real pumphead condition and that for some it never totally resolves and I also believe it leaves us more susceptible for alzheimers. Combined with other risk factors, it is my feeling a study would show an increased number of OHS patients eventually develop varying degrees of dementia.

I know this is hardly what anyone wants to read and I sincerely hope all of you can find reasons to prove me wrong.

It is only my personal, non-professional opinion.

I for one am hoping that after my surgery I can get on here and compare my pumphead experiences with others!! It will mean I survived!

 

[dick0236]

Pumphead???.....Dementia????....Alzheimers???
Thank God I never knew about any of that stuff before I had surgery....even tho none of it has materialized for me and I am a survivor of the first generation "heart/lung machine". My Cardios tell me I am one of the sharpest "senior citizen" patients they have. My PCP has told me there are two types of old peoper....young old people and old old people and I am definately a young old person. There may?? be disruption to memory or mental stability after the "pump" for a short period of time.....although I do not remember any such disruptions after mine........and if there was, it disappeared within a short time......now, excuse me, I have to go get a mouse trap to catch my computer mouse.
.....and for you golfters, remember, ball distance off a golf club is equal to MV2....I think, maybe, I suppose so?? Have a good day today....and a better day tomorrow.

 

[Luana]

I had no ill-effects at all. Once I woke up thoroughly after surgery (around 5 or 6 pm), I felt alert and aware most all the time and knew what was going on around me in ICU. I've had no memory or concentration problems. Some people do experience problems, though I don't know why.

I was not real thrilled about the idea of it either, but the process can't be avoided. I would think the equipment and monitoring has probably improved since Dick's surgery over 40 years ago, and he is just fine.

 

[Bill B]

No pumphead here and I had deep hypothermic complete circulatory arrest as well as the heart lung machine. The only long-term consequence of all of this is my nose drips all the time. Figure that out.

Here's an interesting article on pumphead in Scientific American.:
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=pumphead-heart-lung-machine

 

[2003miata]

I'm only 13 weeks post AVR surgery, but I can't say I've had any indication of "pumphead". For another point of view on the subject, here's another interesting article from Scientific American:

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=disease-may-cause-pumphead

 

[Boston Tiger]

I haven't had any pumphead symptoms, but will save that in reserve in case I should forget my wife's birthday or our anniversary!

My surgeon told me that most of the severe risk from my surgery would be due to the heart lung machine, and I assume that's why so many in the medical community are thrilled that there are now off pump options for some surgeries such as bypasses.

 

[Debbrn]

I have had 4 heart surgeries and have been on the heart lung machine 3 times. The first time I was only 6 (1972). I am a little ADHD, and can't remember peoples names for nothing. Otherwise I seem to be fine. For the first 3-5 months I did have trouble doing calculations in my head which is unusual for me. The other option for me is to be dead, so I am fine with being on the heart lung machine.

Debbie

 

[jdlouth]

I have been on one of thes machines twice in my life. Once when I was 3 mths old and that was 46 years ago. I had a way difficult surgery and was luck to survive it. But I did. And I may not be a genius but i was never one ti have issue with complex equations or problem solving and have prided myself on having an outstanding memory. My second surgery was this past december and yes the first two weeks I was convinced I was losing my memory and my ability to complete complex equations. Then I stopped taking any pain killers except at night when I needed them. Needless to say my memory is fine as is my ability to do anything I could do before. I do belive my husband is somewhat disappointed that my memory is great as I can tell him what he said or did at just about any point during our fifteen years together. Lol

 

[Jkm7]

I think it is great that no one here has/had any pump head.
I did.

 

[Ovie]

My memory is already shot. I'm already forgetful. Really hope this doesn't get worse after.

The H/L machine to me is remarkable. I know that it can cause issues (so I've read) but the miracle behind the machine almost takes my breath away. I mean to stop the heart, to have a machine do the work of your heart and lungs (YOUR LIFE LINE FOR GOODNESS SAKES!) for multiple hours is astonishing. I feel like it breaks all laws of nature. I'll be introducing myself to it in 11 days, and I'm sure it'll be a love/hate relationship.

I can't even imagine what will be thought of next.

 

[Sarah_Louise]

They can both help & hinder your chance at life,
They help by heeping you alive during OHS, but hinder too:
When i was a baby i was put on the heart lung machine, they worked on my heart, fitted my new parts, replumbed closed holes ect ect, then they came to take me off bypass, here in the UK after 3 failed attempts at coming off bypass, they knock it off and leave it off, I used up all my attempts, they tried one last time, and they just and so got me off it, then during my last op i had several strokes, they didn't no whether this was caused by my faulty valve or the bypass machine...therefore it can hinder too!
Sarah xxx

 

[DanielB]

I'm about (16) weeks out and no sign of pumphead here either. I thought I might have had some early on, but those cleared up after gertting off the stronger pain meds.

Dan

 

[TheGymGuy]

Thanks for the http://www.scientificamerican.com/ articles, I stumbled upon many others with contradicting points. I will post some of my findings here, but it seems that "pumphead" symptoms vary from person to person with some serious luck. Some claim to have it, others say they do not. I wonder if post surgery trauma and pain killers have some effect.

edited for some links here for anyone else who reads this:
http://www.valvereplacement.org/for...-had-side-effects-from-the-Heart-Lung-machine
http://www.valvereplacement.org/forums/showthread.php?28955-Effects-of-Heart-Lung-Machine-Post-OP
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardiopulmonary_bypass#Complications

 

[epstns]

From what I've read here, pumphead does exist but it does not affect all patients. Some doctors have opined that the hospitals having the newest filters for their machines have the lowest incidence of issues, but I don't think that has been proven.

I don't think I was affected, as I was on my cell phone answering work emails the day after my surgery. I just didn't have a long attention span for a while.

 

[Jkm7]

From what I've read here, pumphead does exist but it does not affect all patients. Some doctors have opined that the hospitals having the newest filters for their machines have the lowest incidence of issues, but I don't think that has been proven.

I don't think I was affected, as I was on my cell phone answering work emails the day after my surgery. I just didn't have a long attention span for a while.

You might have a point about the newest filters, Steve, but my surgeries were at Mass General. Seeing Mass General is always rated in the top ten U.S. heart centers and has its place in top five on some lists. Safe to say they have the newest, best whatever.

Pumphead varies and comes in many levels of severity and longevity.
i suspect many VR'ers had some and don't even know it but what does it matter as long as it resolved.

I know I had pumphead....... worse from my first surgery than my second. Some resolved totally but I am sure I have lasting residue. My memory is more than adequate for normal living, I don't work outside my house so no work issues, but I know I had a better memory prior to my surgeries than after. I will note that, of course, I am older and that has to be factored though only by eight years from date of my first surgery.

 

[Ruth]

"They died for a good cause"

"They died for a good cause"

I went into surgery very worried about cognitive decline. I work with computers and often have to keep inane details in the forefront of my memory while troubleshooting problems. My job depended on being sharp as a tack. So, I devised lots of games to check my post-op memory. First, starting in the CICU, I would memorize every nurses name from her badge and try to then address her by her name when she came back the next time. In addition to getting a reputation as the "nicest lady in the CICU" (lol) I also convinced myself that I could remember those names easily and that at least post-op my memory wasn't totally shot. For the first month back at work I parked in a different spot every day to test to see if I could remember where my car was by lunchtime or day's end. Silly, I know, but those tests all passed fine too. There was no major cognitive loss.

Overall I'm fine, day to day I can do what I need to do, but cognitively I am NOT what I was. As much as I hate to admit it, for me pumphead IS a reality that I deal with day to day. Regarding my brain cells, I like to say they "died for a good cause" . I'm 5 years post op and given that I probably wouldn't even BE here any longer without my OHS I'm happy, in fact I'm delighted, to be here and alive and kicking.

For me the effects of "Pumphead" are as subtle as they are undeniable. I've read the scientific studies on both sides. Yet I viscerally KNOW that Pumphead is real and affects me every day. It's manageable but there are many times that it frustrates me. I just KNOW that I'm going to forget things, lots of things, things that used to be safe in short-term memory. Now, I write a lot of notes and use a myriad of tricks to compensate. But, I'm here and it's all good.

...at least they died for a good cause....

I wish you all the best in your journey with OHS.