ICU/recovery room/time in

[jendyk]

I am curious how long people have been in the Intensive Care Unit or Recovery room immediately after surgery. I have been told, since I have no memory of it, that I was in ICU for 48 hours after surgery. I don't even remember being moved to the ordinary ward.

George

 

[ejc61]

I was in ICU for 24 hours. During the first 12 hours, I would be waking up and dosing off constantly. By about the 18th hour, I was sitting up on a chair observing the ICU around me.

 

[Ross]

Most people, 24 to 48 hours. I'm not most people. I was in 40 some days the first time and 50 the second.

 

[Robb Wilder]

I was in icu for 24 hours. Went in about 2 or 3pm and was sitting in the chair by 2am. Ate breakfast and lunch in icu.

 

[Bean Counter]

I had my surgery first thing on a Monday morning and was ready to move out of ICU Tuesday evening. The problem was they did not have any open beds at hospital, so I stayed in the ICU an extra 24 hours. I actually like the ICU much better as the nurse/ patient ratio is 2:1 instead of 4:1 on a step down floor. The advantage was that they were a lot more attentive and I had my own room. I was fortunate to have my own room again when I moved down to the step down unit, but that is not always the case.

 

[AgilityDog]

I was in ICU 11 days. I had arrhythmia and heart block issues after surgery. I only got out of ICU after they installed a pacemaker on day 11. Then I spent another 4-5 days in the hospital in a regular room because I was pretty frail. I think I was in for 19 days. In on a Tuesday, finally out on a Monday.

 

[hook]

I was in about a day and a half. I almost got a longer stay; when they were un-hooking me from the spaghetti tubes the nurse left a valve open. Dexter would have been excited with the art resulting from that. I was not sad to get away from her

 

[Luckyguy17]

5 day total hospital stay, surgery Monday early AM released Saturday AM (Friday AM release was offered, but caregiver was not ready and final day of IV helped with removal of fluid retention/swelling)
About 18 hours in ICU for me, followed by about 24 hours in step down, then released to general ward

 

[Debbrn]

I stayed in the ICU for about 40 hours. My surgery lasted 9-10 hours because this was my fourth surgery. I don't remember much about that evening or night. I slept on and off most of the next day. They did get me out of bed to the recliner the morning after surgery. I was able to sleep in the recliner as well as I could in the bed. I was pretty alert that evening. I was transferred to the floor the day after that.

Debbie

 

[Country]

they sent me out of icu within about 14 hours of being there. i had surgery on a thurs am and i think that i was in the icu room by about 8pm? maybe earlier. and then i was moved to my normal room at 10am on friday morning. and then i stayed there for another 7 days or so.... i was released on thursday the following week!!

 

[mainframe]

I was in the ICU 5 days before surgery until my surgery and in the ICU about 4 weeks after sugery. I was in the step down unit for 10 days and then transfered to a rehab hospital for 3 weeks.

YMMV (I hope)

 

[prdraper1]

I was in ICU for 5 days after my AVR, I was in a really bad way before the op. I was home 2 days after. My surgeon wanted me to be monitored for 5 days and the extra time in ICU certainly helped my recovery.

 

[Old clicker]

I went into surgery was on Tues Morning, I was out of ICU on Thurs morning

 

[Jkm7]

My first surgery, I was in CICU three days before being wheeled in bed to step down unit.
Second surgery, four years later, I was in ICU about 16 or so hours..... I'm not exactly sure but know I had half a sandwich for lunch and then was rolled in wheel chair to step down unit where I walked in the hallway, less than 24 hours after leaving OR.

It varies widely from person to person and even for the same person from one surgery to another. My second was much easier on my than my first.

 

[Angel]

My surgery was on a Friday, early morning, I was moved out of ICU sometime Saturday late afternoon. Would have been a little sooner, but they had to work on getting my bp to go down, and also an empty room for me.

 

[Mentu]

George, I was in the ICU for about a day and a half but that was because I had begun having problems before surgery with kidney function due to poor blood flow. 24 - 48 hours is not unusual and it doesn't mean that anything is wrong but rather that the team is just watching the patient more closely to insure the best outcome. If there are no additional issues, it can be as little as 4-12 hours. I would suggest that you don't anticipate a time because that builds expectations among friends and family who may think something bad is happening when the only thing taking place is monitoring. I remember almost nothing of the ICU except for a few brief windows each only a few seconds long. I remember just little snippets like: "Larry, Larry, can you open your eyes - the operation went really well and you are in the ICU" and later "I'm going to remove the ventillator tube and I need you to cough can you give me a thumbs up (↑ cough, cough) now just relax."

Larry

 

[olefin]

The first time in ICU was about 18 hours then I was reopened due to internal bleeding. The next time in ICU was 2 days, then after few more days went back to ICU for 5 more days. Got to go home after 20 days. At that time there were 80 year old people having valve replacement and going home within 5 days.

 

[ottagal]

I would suggest that you don't anticipate a time because that builds expectations among friends and family who may think something bad is happening when the only thing taking place is monitoring. I remember almost nothing of the ICU except for a few brief windows each only a few seconds long. I remember just little snippets like: "Larry, Larry, can you open your eyes - the operation went really well and you are in the ICU" and later "I'm going to remove the ventillator tube and I need you to cough can you give me a thumbs up (↑ cough, cough) now just relax."

Larry

Very valid point, Larry. I was in ICU for 2 and half days due to a few complications. The original expectation was 12 hours in ICU.

 

[jendyk]

George, I was in the ICU for about a day and a half but that was because I had begun having problems before surgery with kidney function due to poor blood flow. 24 - 48 hours is not unusual and it doesn't mean that anything is wrong but rather that the team is just watching the patient more closely to insure the best outcome. If there are no additional issues, it can be as little as 4-12 hours. I would suggest that you don't anticipate a time because that builds expectations among friends and family who may think something bad is happening when the only thing taking place is monitoring. I remember almost nothing of the ICU except for a few brief windows each only a few seconds long. I remember just little snippets like: "Larry, Larry, can you open your eyes - the operation went really well and you are in the ICU" and later "I'm going to remove the ventillator tube and I need you to cough can you give me a thumbs up (↑ cough, cough) now just relax."

Larry

I agree Larry. However, I am having difficulty with the blanks in my memory and I'm trying to make sense of the time lapses.

What I remember in ICU is not being able to move my tongue so I decided to sleep some more. This happened twice. The third time I woke, I got a sponge on a stick with water, twice, which I sucked greedily. Then a straw from a glass of water. I must of emptied the glass really quickly. Then for some reason they got me out of bed, and I insisted that I wanted to walk. I took 5 steps to the right, held by a nurse, 5 steps to the left and 5 steps to the right again before she insisted I go back into bed. I asked if this counted as walking and was assured that it was. I don't remember seeing anything until I was on the ward.

George

 

[jendyk]

Thanks for your replies, all. This has been a big help for me.

George