It really does get frustrating!

[HeartPart2]

Hey all I just found this forum last night, April 11th 2008. My name is Kelly and I had VRS on March 17th so I am basically 4 weeks out and still get so frustrated with the not knowing. Sometimes I get this fluttering in my heart and it freaks me out. I have read so many different things that all of you have written and find it to be very comforting. Would you say this strange fluttering is normal?? have all of you been there??
Let me also add that I am thrilled to have found you all... it suddenly feels more normal to have the chest with the line and two dots. You know that I think about it I have hundreds of questions. I wont ask them all at this moment Thanks for reading ...

 

[WayneGM]

Welcome to our little VR community. Glad you found us. Also welcome to this side of the OHS mountain. I can't say I recall any heart flutters post-op but I can say I was very "aware" of any sensation I didn't think normal around my heart or chest even if it was in fact normal. Hopefully others will come by with some insights on this.

That said, the standing advice around here is "if in doubt, call the doc". Best not to guess, and let the pros confirm everything is the way it should be.

Best wishes for a smooth and uneventful recovery.

 

[Dawn-Marie]

Hi Kelly -

I'm still waiting for AVR surgery due to severe aortic stenosis caused by a congenital bicuspid valve, so i really can't tell you a thing about recovering from your surgery. I'm happy for you that you've had it done and are now on the road to recovery.

I just wanted to welcome you to the site and say that i'm happy to have you here. I hope you feel stronger and much better with each passing day!!

 

[Karlynn]

Ask away Kelly! I'm glad you found us. You are not alone in your experience any more.

 

[geebee]

Welcome Kelly,

Hard to say if the flutters are normal as "flutter" can mean so much. We have all learned to be pretty agressive so, if you have post-surgical questions, never hesitate to call your doctor. Doctors get paid good money to answer questions as well as help us heal.

Sometimes heart surgery makes us so very aware of everything that happens in our heart. Things you might not have noticed ahead of time become very loud and very forceful so we do tend to worry a bit more. However, paying attention is important and it is much better to have things checked out and find out that it is nothing than to find out you ignored a serious issue.

Let us know how we can help.

 

[Nancy]

Yup, call your doctor about those flutters. It is ALWAYS better to know exactly what they are, than to not know what they are.

If it's nothing, then you won't be worrying and wasting precious time.

If it is something then it can be taken care of.

So please call the cardiologist and run it by him/her.

 

[marie]

Welcome and I'll echo what others have said call your doctor it's better to be safe than sorry later. Lots of knowledge and support here so ask away.
Earline

 

[Curtsmum]

Hi Kelly, welcome to the forum, please let us know if you find anything out, hope it is nothing to worry about. I probably wont be able to answer any of your questions but wanted to wish you best of luck.

 

[hensylee]

my last instruction upon leaving hospital was 'if you have ANY questions, call'. I did, they answered. That's their job..


Welcome to VR. Good spot to be, don't you agree? Blessins.........

 

[ALCapshaw2]

Post Op Arrhythmias are Quite Common Kelly.

In fact, one of them is called "Atrial Flutter" which is when the contractions of the atrium are more frequent that the contractions of the ventricle (i.e. your heart is 'out of sync').

Atrial Fibrilation is another common post-op arrhythmia where the heart rate is irregular and often faster than normal.

Do you have a Stethoscope that you can use to listen to your heart?

Premature Atrial Contractions (PAC's) and Premature Ventricular Contractions (PVC's) are often "irregularly regular" (you will know it if you hear it).

Bottom Line: The Heart's electrical impulses get 'out of whack' and the heart is not happy after being cut upon.

There are several types of medications that can help get those arrhythmias under control. Let your Cardiologist know if / when that is happening. He will probably want to do an EKG and may send you home with a 24 hour monitor to 'capture' the irregularities for proper identification. Once he knows what you have, he can prescribe an appropriate medication.

IF you develop a continuous arrhythmia that does not resolve in a few hours, call the ER or the on-call Cardiologist.

'AL Capshaw'

 

[tcopel]

Just to amplify what the others have posted.

"Flutters" are fairly common after heart surgery. They can be as simple as an occassional PVC which, as Al says, are an extra or premature heartbeat with a longer than usual pause thereafter. Some people cannot feel them but, others such as myself, can feel a flutter in my chest when it occurs. It isnt a problem when it occurs occassionally but I dont like the sensation and I take atenolol, which is a beta blocker for it.

It can also be afib or aflutter which is a sustained irregularity of the heart which can be rapid. Neither is these are immediately life threatning, but need to be found out so that appropriate meds can be instituted.

Cardiac awareness is fairly common which means that we all are particulary aware of what is happening in our chest (understandably) and think we feel something amiss after our surgery, when in fact we may have all kinds of sensations before the surgery and we never paid any attention to it.

If you were to ask your doc, he may suggest a 24 hour holter which is a small box like item your wear and it records every heart beat you have during that time. In that way, you can define what your are actually having. I would think that it is important to understand what rhythm you are having.

Glad you are doing well, Kelly. Finding out what your flutters are about would be reassuring. Believe me, that freaking out feeling you describe only causes sleepless nights.

 

[Freddie]

Okay, so I can't help on answering your question, but I sure can wish you a big

WELCOME to the FAMILY greeting

 

[HeartPart2]

You Guys and Gals!!!!!!

You Guys and Gals!!!!!!

Let me just say thank you for all of your wonderful insight and help. I hope that there is a forum out there for all surgeries, I hope there is like the "hang nail forum", because you people make it so much easier to experience what is thought to be the unknown!!! Going to my cardio this week and getting this worked out!! Thank you all again .... two days here and I love my family!!

 

[DebbyA]

At four weeks, not much feels 'normal', but you're getting closer!

I hope when you called you were able to talk to someone who put your mind at ease about your flutter--a nurse practitioner or physician assistant, if not the surgeon. That followup support is one of the best things about a good surgical practice. If not, call back, even though you're going in later.

And WELCOME! Glad you found this wonderful site.

 

[Cooker]

Kelly...I just want to welcome yo to the zoo ....As other have said, call the doctor when in doubt.....Also, it takes time....at 4 weeks you still have the tire marks from the truck that hit you .....It gets better a little each day, you may not feel that way but your body is healing itself with each tick of the clock.....hang in there

 

[Bina]

Kelly, welcome to the gang.
At 4 wks post op I was still under the truck
Every night I had flutters, jumps, and jitters. I though I would lose my mind.
It gets better quite quickly for most people (I was slow). Your heart is finding its new rhythm.
Don't be shy to call your docs to be sure, that's what I did.

 

[aussigal]

I just want to Welcome you also...its really helpful to have these guys here to talk with about all the heart-stuff. Hope you continue to feel better each week, soon you'll feel practically normal again and will hardly notice your scar and 2 holes . Eventually you stop feeling so paranoid about every little movement and sound you feel & hear from your heart.