Elcarim
Well-known member
Surgery was October 1. It has been a rough ride.
Being sternotomy #3 it was always going to be risky, but my surgeon was prepared for every eventuality and she got me through it. I know there were a few opinions going around about my surgeon's plan and her recommendation that I get a tissue tricuspid valve at my relatively young age, especially when I already have a mechanical aortic valve. But I have been incredibly impressed by her approach to my surgery, her dedication to this being my last sternotomy, as well as her skill and preparedness for dealing with complications as they arose. I'm so glad I ended up in her hands.
I got a new tricuspid valve, pacemaker lead moved to outside the valve, and an epicardial lead inserted so that should the current pacemaker lead ever wear out nobody will have to put a new one through my valve again.
She also put in a bovine pericardium patch to prevent my heart from sticking to the inside of my chest wall should I ever need to be opened up again, but her first contingency is that this won't be necessary. Valve-in-valve transcatheter tricuspid replacements are already being done in people with tissue tricuspid valves, and this will be first option when the time comes for this valve to be replaced.
My aorta was injured when they opened my chest and I required a blood transfusion. I spent over 24hrs on the ventilator while they got my bleeding under control and I was in ICU for 6 nights total.
I reacted to pretty much all the opiate painkillers with severe vomiting, but managed to get this under control with anti-emetics and for most of my stay my pain was managed with codeine and paracetamol.
I had a LOT of blood products, so a lot of fluid which took several days to start to shift. My lungs took a while to dry out and get going again, and I spent a couple of nights on CPAP in ICU plus a couple more on the ward on a high-flow air machine. Not much sleep had during this time.
My nervous system is fried, but being home again is helping a lot.
I'm glad it's over, and I am looking forward to the memories of the experience fading and to feeling better than I was before.
Being sternotomy #3 it was always going to be risky, but my surgeon was prepared for every eventuality and she got me through it. I know there were a few opinions going around about my surgeon's plan and her recommendation that I get a tissue tricuspid valve at my relatively young age, especially when I already have a mechanical aortic valve. But I have been incredibly impressed by her approach to my surgery, her dedication to this being my last sternotomy, as well as her skill and preparedness for dealing with complications as they arose. I'm so glad I ended up in her hands.
I got a new tricuspid valve, pacemaker lead moved to outside the valve, and an epicardial lead inserted so that should the current pacemaker lead ever wear out nobody will have to put a new one through my valve again.
She also put in a bovine pericardium patch to prevent my heart from sticking to the inside of my chest wall should I ever need to be opened up again, but her first contingency is that this won't be necessary. Valve-in-valve transcatheter tricuspid replacements are already being done in people with tissue tricuspid valves, and this will be first option when the time comes for this valve to be replaced.
My aorta was injured when they opened my chest and I required a blood transfusion. I spent over 24hrs on the ventilator while they got my bleeding under control and I was in ICU for 6 nights total.
I reacted to pretty much all the opiate painkillers with severe vomiting, but managed to get this under control with anti-emetics and for most of my stay my pain was managed with codeine and paracetamol.
I had a LOT of blood products, so a lot of fluid which took several days to start to shift. My lungs took a while to dry out and get going again, and I spent a couple of nights on CPAP in ICU plus a couple more on the ward on a high-flow air machine. Not much sleep had during this time.
My nervous system is fried, but being home again is helping a lot.
I'm glad it's over, and I am looking forward to the memories of the experience fading and to feeling better than I was before.
