Post Surgery Issues

[scg]

I just got out of the hospital last Saturday after undergoing Mitral Valve Repair the preceding Monday. It was a fairly long operation...7 plus hours, but was successful with the repair and the less invasive right side thoracotomy.
Since then my pain has been really confined to my right groin below the incision for cath insert. It's fine while I sit on a comfortable chair and doesn't really bother me when I walk...but it is extremely painful while just standing or sitting in an office chair for any length of time. I'm also getting a number of muscle twitches since the surgery and wonder if that is due to an irregular heartbeat or something else.. heaven forbid something worse like ALS. I've had difficulty swallowing even before the surgery, but that is definitely worse since. Otherwise I'm progressing fairly well, walking 2-4 miles every day...sleeping well...and although doped up on hydrocodone... not feeling much pain besides the groin pain. Any thoughts about the above would be appreciated.

Thanks

SCG!

51 Year old Male : MVR Repair 5/14/2012, Right Side Thoracotomy - Leaflets secured with Gore-Tex Chordae and 35mm Annuloplasty Ring

 

[ejc61]

I don't remember swallowing discomfort and not much groin pain. What kind of muscle twitches? Maybe too much exercise? How's the spirometer going?

 

[Boston Tiger]

I found that the best thing for most of the aches was simply time. My groin incision was probably the most consistently uncomfortable think I had during my recovery. Sneezes were excruciating at first, but they were rare. And I really felt the pain in my ribs when I pushed things too far. But the groin would ache just sitting there.

Some of your symptoms might tie into the medicines you are taking. For me, the biggest side effect was that my tastes changed while I was on painkillers. But I had shifted down to Tylenol by the end of the first week at home, and didn't miss the narcotics at all.