Preparation for surgery

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cp172

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 25, 2007
Messages
585
Location
Middle Ga.
Question VR Veterans:

If you are overweight does it increase complications of OHS? Should one press to lose weight before surgery? Is there anything a person planning to climb the mountain should do such as exercise and/or diet to lose weight and get in shape? I would love to hear your thoughts/stories. I am probably 50 pounds overweight and in average shape (can easily walk 3.5 miles for 30 minutes).

Thanks,
 
Hi there,
I had a similar concern prior to my surgery last week and my surgeon recommended that I take a brisk one hour walk every day prior to surgery to make recovery easier. I had broken my spine earlier in the year and had gained weight due to complications from that (about 30 pounds....yikes) but more important than losing a ton of weight is just regaining some physical conditioning and hopefully the biproduct of that will be some weight loss. After surgery they want you up and walking right away as it helps to heal so the sooner you start prior to surgery, the better.
I guess the most important thing is to get your valve taken care of before you suffer any permanent heart damage.....and you may want to pose this question to your surgeon and see what he has to say.

Best of luck to you with everything!
 
Don't worry about weight issues and putting un needed stress on your organs. Focus on getting enough rest, walking, and eating well....no junk food...only lean protein, with lots of fruits and veggies.
 
Hi Lorie & Bina,

Thanks! I shall now start walking every day and keeping a closer watch on my diet. I think I will toss the scales in the trash.:D And Lorie it is great to hear from someone who has within the past few days had surgery. I am tickled you are doing so well.

I appreciate all the advice and encouragement you Veterans give to those of us waiting to have surgery.:)

God Bless
 
I was over 50lbs over weight and had no problems. I am sure it is desirable to be in the best shape possible but your emotional/spiritual health is also important. Try and relax and do the best for you that you can.
 
stretching

stretching

also, it might be a good idea to do some arm & shoulder stretches! i did them several times a day for about a week before surgery. you'll want your triceps and shoulder muscles to be strong to help eliminate discomfort post op (during the op, your arms are spread wide apart and stay in that position for hours).
 
wes said:
also, it might be a good idea to do some arm & shoulder stretches! i did them several times a day for about a week before surgery. you'll want your triceps and shoulder muscles to be strong to help eliminate discomfort post op (during the op, your arms are spread wide apart and stay in that position for hours).

Wes .... This is EXCELLENT advise!!!! I have never seen this mentioned but it can't do anything but help!!! I had a lot of shoulder issues post surgery from being stretched .... it took a good 8 months for it to resolve.
 
I guess eat healthly, keep away from the crap and just keep active with walking etc.

Doing that should see some weight drop off and as the others say its general fitness that will be improved and help you.

I was probably 260lbs when i had surgery.

Like cooker said, mental strength and happiness will probably give you more help than making yourself miserable worring about a few lbs before surgery.
 
cooker said:
Wes .... This is EXCELLENT advise!!!! I have never seen this mentioned but it can't do anything but help!!! I had a lot of shoulder issues post surgery from being stretched .... it took a good 8 months for it to resolve.



I'll put my third vote on this one..............for sure. DO IT!
 
I was a little overweight when I was getting ready to have surgery the last time, because I was on like 60 mg of prednisone the year before for my lung problem. But I don't think it was a problem, I didn't lose any weight. My surgeon told me it was a little harder to operate on petite women because it's a little harder to get there hands in there. I was petite but just a little over weight. You'll be fine, just take care of yourself, eat right and try to keep active.
 
I'll go along with all the others in answering your question. It is far more important that you relax as much as possible before surgery (easy to say & hard to do). Don't overly stress your system or psyche.

By the way, if it makes you feel any better, I lost 20 pounds within the first week or 2 after surgery. My wife then started feeding me fatty things to get me back to my normal weight. Others have used this as an impetus to stay slimmer.
 
You have gotten some great advice on this thread. I would just echo what others have said. I gather since you are in the waiting room, you don't have a surgery date yet, but if surgery is not far down the road, I would advise not stressing about losing a whole lot of weight beforehand. Walking and eating healthy is always good. After OHS, I would recommend cardiac rehab to get started on a sound exercise program and headed toward losing any weight that you need to lose.

I am a pretty hefty guy. Weighed about 270 at time of surgery. Would have been better to get in better shape, but am not aware of any special problems it caused in OHS. Now am below 250 as a result of the Throw-Down on vr.com, and am working to lose more.
 
I recall reading somewhere that losing a vast amount of weight right before OHS is not a great idea.. but I don't recall the specifics as to why that is so.

I also read somewhere that the surgeries are sometimes more painful (in the back, shoulders, etc.) among muscular people, rather than those with a bit of flab.

But surely being limber and in a reasonably decent physical condition is a good idea.

Take care and post again.
 
Guys,

Thanks for the advice. Per Dr. Wes and the rest of the VR Staff :D I will work on my arms, continue to eat right and walk every night. I hope to get my date next week from my cardio. In the meantime I will try to keep from freaking out.

Sounds like there is no need to go on a crash diet to lose weight so I will stop worrying about my weight.Again thanks for your advice. It sure helps having someone to talk to.:)
 
I wouldnt be going on a restictive diet before OHS unless my surgeon said to. I was told to take a good multivitamin to boost my "levels" for the 3 weeks leading up to surgery. I think healthy eating of good quality food ( forgo the junk food for awhile) and moderate exercise is the way to go.
 
One more thing that my surgeon recommended is taking 1000 mg of Vitamin C in the weeks prior to surgery. Personally speaking, I was not able to eat anything for 2.5 days post-surgery so eating good prior to surgery is really important. In terms of weight loss, I have lost 13 pounds since my weight post-op day 2 without really trying so I think you can safely assume to lose some weight post-op as most of us do. Now I am walking a hour a day and eating lots of small, healthy meals like fat-free yogurt, salads, low-sodium soups, fruit etc. and feeling really good. My goal is to lose about 30 more pounds and maintain my perfect weight for life. My surgeon says that a hallmark of successful valve surgery is to maintain a healthy lifestyle afterwards to include regular exercises, maintain healthy weight, and healthy diet as well as avoiding smoking and other obvious things. I can tell you I have never been so motivated to do that in my life. I want this valve to last as long as possible! All my best to you and good for you to start looking at these things before surgery!
 
Thanks! I guess I need to head to Wal Mart and pick up some vitamins.Sounds like good advice.

:) Thanks Lorie and Aussigal
 
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