Irregular Heartbeat

[milton4567]

Good evening. On July 22nd, my Mother had valve replacement surgery. She is 79 years old. She was in intensive care for 3 days and then eventually moved into PCCU. She was well enough to be transported to a rehab hospital on July 28th.
Considering her age, my Mother never had to work out. So once she arrived, that is exactly what she did. The nurses also gave her ''water pills''. My Mother stopped using them because she was going to the bathroom every 10 minutes. It made her upset that she was even on them.

Considering her age and her first workout. It was only brought to our attention tonight that this past Sunday night into Monday morning 8/1, her heartrate jumped briefly to 150. Eventually it came down. And for the last 72 hours, her heartrate has been high 70's -low 80's.

I am concerned about her recent jump. Should I be? Or is this normal after having this kind of surgery?

 

[Cris N]

Hi, first of all, welcome - you've come to a good spot for information.

After my surgery I, too, was on 'water pills' (furosemide - Lasix) for a good 10 days... and yes I did use the bathroom a lot. I would suspect that they gave her the pills was because she was retaining fluid... not a healthy situation for a newly repaired heart. If she goes back on the medication suggest that they give it to her in the morning rather than at night. The first few days are the hardest - once some of the excess fluid has been removed the bathroom visits become less frequent.

The episode of rapid heartrate is fairly common. The good thing is that it came down on its own. Otherwise, I'd say her heartrate is quite normal for when she had her surgery. It should be watched though - it's possible that it will be a one or two time episode, but if it becomes more frequent her doctor should be made aware. Surgery puts a lot of stress on the heart - it does become irritated and the poor thing gets a bit confused - after all it used to have to work so hard to accomplish its tasks & now it doesn't.

Don't hesitate to bring your concerns to her dr... It's part of the job!

Hope she makes good progress with her recovery...

Cris

 

[Nancy]

Hi Milton-

Welcome-

Sorry to hear about your mom. They are giving your mom various medications including diuretics to counteract some of the post surgery problems which are common, but can be helped.

You should tell her doctor that your mom is not taking her diuretics. They are MEANT to make you go to the bathroom a lot because they are ridding your body of excess fluid and that can put pressure on the heart. So every pill that she is getting has a very good reason, and she should not be second guessing her surgeon or cardiologist.

It is common for people to have irregular heartbeats after heart surgery. The heart is irritated, but it all has to be tested and diagnosed by the doctor.

So discuss this and the diuretic situation with the doctor. And do not wait.

Hope things get straightened out very soon.

 

[ALCapshaw2]

I second the previous comments. Fluid retention puts an extra strain on the heart. It needs to be drained off. Diuretics are the 'easy' way to do it. It is best to avoid the more 'invasive' procedures needed if fluid collects around the heart. Bottom Line: Take those pills !

Irregular and very rapid heart beats (over 120 bpm) should be treated. There are several medications which can either prevent them or at least control the maximum heart rate (HR). These often come and go following surgery. Surgery disrupts the normal electrical 'flow' across the surface of the heart which controls the muscles that contract to pump blood throughout the body. Hopefully as the heart heals, it will return to a normal rhythm.

A somewhat elevated resting HR (80 to 100 bpm) is very common following surgery and for most patients, will slowly return to a more normal 60 to 80 bpm as the heart heals. This can take several weeks.

Cardiac Rehabilitation is highly recommended around week 6 post op, assuming insurance will pay for it. If not, it would be good to go visit a Cardiac Rehab class to observe the exercises and especially the warmup and cooldown stretches they perform. Perhaps one of the nurses will provide a copy of their warmup exercises that your mother could do at home if rehab is not a covered benefit.

'AL Capshaw'

 

[milton4567]

Thank you for all the advice!

Thank you for all the advice!

I just want to say that I have read all your comments and I Thank you for the input.

My Mother is doing fine. I spoke to the head nurse at the Rehab Hospital where my Mother is staying. Apparently, the episode she had Sunday night into Monday morning was brief.

On Sunday, my Mother had a slight fever 99.8. She was given tylenol and within hours, her fever went down to normal. Also, she had PT earlier in the day. Plus she had a urinary track infection as well. All signs that would increasse the heart rate. The nurse also pointed out that she could have had a bad dream or pain from the incision from the surgery itself.

My mother is currently on Water Pills, yet she does not know it. She is slowly losing the fluids. Her heartrate since the episode from Sunday night has been stable at or around 75 BPM. And it has been consistant.

Tomorrow my Mother will have another eco- cardiogram done. The rehab hospital said that this is routine and there is no cause for concern.

Right now, my Mother's main concern is going up a flight of stairs. We live in a house with 2 floors. We only have one bathroom and of course it is upstairs. We have considered renting a stair lift and are still debating on who to rent it from.

Anyone want to give me some feedback on how to calm her nerves?

If my spelling is incorrect, please forgive me. English is my second language.

Thank You and May God Bless you ALL!

I second the previous comments. Fluid retention puts an extra strain on the heart. It needs to be drained off. Diuretics are the 'easy' way to do it. It is best to avoid the more 'invasive' procedures needed if fluid collects around the heart. Bottom Line: Take those pills !

Irregular and very rapid heart beats (over 120 bpm) should be treated. There are several medications which can either prevent them or at least control the maximum heart rate (HR). These often come and go following surgery. Surgery disrupts the normal electrical 'flow' across the surface of the heart which controls the muscles that contract to pump blood throughout the body. Hopefully as the heart heals, it will return to a normal rhythm.

A somewhat elevated resting HR (80 to 100 bpm) is very common following surgery and for most patients, will slowly return to a more normal 60 to 80 bpm as the heart heals. This can take several weeks.

Cardiac Rehabilitation is highly recommended around week 6 post op, assuming insurance will pay for it. If not, it would be good to go visit a Cardiac Rehab class to observe the exercises and especially the warmup and cooldown stretches they perform. Perhaps one of the nurses will provide a copy of their warmup exercises that your mother could do at home if rehab is not a covered benefit.

'AL Capshaw'

 

[ALCapshaw2]

Another option might be to rent a portable toilet, such as those used by campers.

The first two weeks are the most difficult. She should SLOWLY regain her strength over the next several weeks, but will still get very tired very quickly. Walking is the best way to rebuild her strength. Start with short walks and increase gradually as her strength and stamina increase. It would be best if someone could walk with her. If not, at least give her a cell phone so she can call for help if she needs it.

Be sure she uses her "incentive spirometer" (breathing exercise machine) for several minutes every 2 hours to allow her lungs to become fully inflated.

Most patients only sleep for 2 or 3 hours at a time so NAPS are very helpful. She may be more comfortable sleeping in a recliner for several weeks until her sternum heals enough to allow her to sleep in bed comfortably.

You may want to read some of the archives in the Post Surgery Forum for more information on the recovery period.

If she has any unusual pain or seems to be having more problems than before, call her doctor or take her to the Emergency Room to be checked out.

If you have ANY questions, please feel free to ask here. I'm sure someone will answer shortly. Thank you for watching out for your mother. She will need your help for the first few weeks until she regains her strength.

'AL Capshaw'

 

[milton4567]

I just wanted to give you an update on my Mother's condition. She is in fair condition at the Rehab Hospital. She is back on the water pills. But once in a while, her heart rate continues to jump. Then it comes back down to normal which has been around 69-75 BPM. I asked the head nurse and doctor about this. And it seems that she will possibly need to have her medications changed in order to keep the heart beat at a steady rate. Do you or anyone else knows what kind of medication can do that for her? The nurse believes that anything can make the rate go up. Including certain medications, physical therapy, even a bad dream in the middle of the night. My mother is also still very weak after the surgery which was 18 days ago. I am still concerned about that as well. Thanks!

Welcome-

Sorry to hear about your mom. They are giving your mom various medications including diuretics to counteract some of the post surgery problems which are common, but can be helped.

You should tell her doctor that your mom is not taking her diuretics. They are MEANT to make you go to the bathroom a lot because they are ridding your body of excess fluid and that can put pressure on the heart. So every pill that she is getting has a very good reason, and she should not be second guessing her surgeon or cardiologist.

It is common for people to have irregular heartbeats after heart surgery. The heart is irritated, but it all has to be tested and diagnosed by the doctor.

So discuss this and the diuretic situation with the doctor. And do not wait.

Hope things get straightened out very soon.[/QUOTE]