Trying to plan ahead

[WayneGM]

I didn't have a recliner to sleep on but propped myself up with pillows to sleep on an incline. Those first few weeks, if I had been sleeping flat, I don't think I would have been able to get myself out of bed, let alone get a good nights sleep. I spent most of the waking day in a seated postion on the couch. I doubt sleeping on an incline, whether a recliner or pillows, would hinder recovery. It sure was more comfortable that's for sure.

 

[Adam 12-21-05]

I disagree that this particular recliner/bed issue has anything to do with the speeding up of the recovery process.
After my surgery, an occupational therapist came to the room to demonstrate the correct procedure for getting in and out of the hospital bed. For the first 5-6 days, your sternum, although wired together, is still vulnerable. You will not want to use your arms to support your weight getting into bed.

Adam, regarding walking, almost without exception patients are up and walking the second day after surgery. Your experience was not unique. Walking does not really correlate with whether you sleep in a recliner or a bed at night. But if it did, I would venture a guess that you are more apt to walk if you're in a recliner because it facilitates greater mobility.

By the way, Adam, did the therapist use a belt or a harness to help you with your walking?

No belts or harnesses...

Just an old aluminum bat with two-inch spikes on the end.

Interesting points by the way...

However, I'll agree to disagree.

Cheers. Adam

 

[Mary]

Hey there Ken,

Welcome.

Another piece of advice on the hospital bed / recliner question...

Personally, I'm not a fan of either of those ideas.

Why?

One of the stimulants to recovery is engaging in normal day-to-day activity prior to surgery. By trading off comfort for natural motions to avoid pain, I don't believe you are helping your recovery. In fact, it might do just the opposite.

For example, when I was in the ICU at USC, the day after my Ross Procedure... My nurses requested (actually kind of demanded) that I get out of bed and walk through the unit.

Here's a snippet of what one surgeon had to say about motion following surgery:

"We attempt to get every patient out of bed and taking steps soon after surgery," said surgeon , Jamie Brown, who is a cardiac surgeon and head of the aortic valve surgery program at the Maryland Heart Center and an associate professor of surgery at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, "This greatly helps in the recovery process."

I think you can apply that same principal to the limitations of motion generated by hospital beds and recliners.

That said, it will be somewhat painful. (Like you, I have a low platform bed.)

But, I believe this a 'short-term pain, long-term gain' experience.

Cheers,

Adam

Ken,Adam, and everyone else reading this reply,

Thanks to Lyn's diligence, she has found the website that the "snippet of information" (Adam quoted) came from. I hope everyone will read it for themselves to see what they think. http://www.umm.edu/heart/william_wisener.htm
When I first read your post, I thought you were talking from personal experience, but after checking, I don't think you are. The 80 year-old man states that he was back in his hospital room after having minimally invasive replacement. Obviously you recognize the difference between his surgery and your own Ross procedure?
I stand by my original statement. The choice of a recliner or a bed has no bearing on your need to walk after any major surgery.

 

[Adam 12-21-05]

Ken,Adam, and everyone else reading this reply,

Thanks to Lyn's diligence, she has found the website that the "snippet of information" (Adam quoted) came from. I hope everyone will read it for themselves to see what they think. http://www.umm.edu/heart/william_wisener.htm
When I first read your post, I thought you were talking from personal experience, but after checking, I don't think you are. The 80 year-old man states that he was back in his hospital room after having minimally invasive replacement. Obviously you recognize the difference between his surgery and your own Ross procedure?
I stand by my original statement. The choice of a recliner or a bed has no bearing on your need to walk after any major surgery.

Mary,

I never represented that my communication referenced above was from my personal experience with Dr. Brown. I had seen that snippet on the web and referenced it. I felt it complimented the discussion.

However, the reference to my own personal experience following my Ross Procedure is first-hand, experiential information that was compounded my interaction with the ICU team at USC.

I encourage everyone to read whatever they chose. That's what is so great about this forum. There are different opinions.

I respect your opinion Mary.

Cheers,

Adam

 

[Christina]

This is my first post/thread after reading for a couple of weeks. After monitoring what started as a murmur and small calcium deposit some 6 years ago, my PCP and Cardiologist reached the point where they are recommending an AVR in the near future. My cardiologist keeps looking at my test results and, when I tell him I have no symptoms, looks at me as though I have to be wrong. In any case, the left ventricle is thickening, and he wants to go ahead before anything serious happens. So I am meeting with a surgeon today, and having a catheterization on May 30. I expect surgery will be in the first couple of weeks of June, in part because I would like to be in condition to go to my son's wedding (plane from DC to Cleveland) on July 21. Things could be tight, but I am concerned that if I try to ride out past the wedding I might develop symptoms which would require immediate action.

Anyway, I have been reading about the valve options, and will discuss with the surgeon. I saw a reference to a web site in one of the forums which had sample sounds of the mechanical valves, but now cannot find it again. Could someone provide me with it?

I have some practical planning questions, which I haven't seen addressed in the forums (did I miss them?)

One is whether it would be worthwhile to rent a hospital bed to use at home for a couple of weeks. My usual bed is a low platform with a futon. No one seems to have discussed whether it is difficult to get in and out of bed the first couple of weeks (I am 60, in generally good health and reasonably limber).

Second, should I plan on trying to get some people to be around all day after I get home? A couple of adult children will be up for the surgery, but they cannot stay all that long, and my wife works (hard and long days), so I need to know how needy I am likely to be (e.g. does it make sense to get an LPN to visit?)

I am sure I had some other questions, but have by now forgotten them, so I may add them later.

Here is a site with some mechanical valve sounds.

http://www.carbomedics.com/patients_how_ticking.asp

Christina

 

[Philip B]

Just an Opinion

Just an Opinion

Like many of you, sleeping on the sofa or a recliner to minimize pain issues after surgery did not have any affect on my desire to engage in post-surgery exercise. In fact, while in the hospital, my bed was never in a flat position. Being able to extract myself from the bed, sofa, and recliner without excessive sternum pain probably helped me keep my aggressive mindset to get up and exercise frequently. Others may have had a different experience or may have different ideas regarding motivation.

This said, one of the unfortunate realities is that many individuals who undergo different types of heart surgeries, including AVR, do not make the necessary changes to their lifestyles to maintain their health. I personally know people who fail or refuse to do this and others of you do too. The results are all too often very tragic. I guess some of the best advice I can give anyone who?s having heart surgery is to make sure to follow the directions of one?s surgeon and cardiologist about engaging in exercise after surgery. Regardless of the system one chooses to use to sleep, it important to get up and get moving rather than lying around and refusing to engage in recommended exercise. Do whatever it takes; it's important.

-Philip

 

[Mary]

However, the reference to my own personal experience following my Ross Procedure is first-hand, experiential information that was compounded my interaction with the ICU team at USC.

I respect your opinion Mary.

Cheers,

Adam

Thanks for your positive reply.
But I'm still not sure what the above statement means?
Are you saying that when you had the Ross procedure at USC, your interaction with the ICU staff was perhaps different from what I've experienced?
You kind of lost me there!

 

[aussie girl]

I believe the medical profession endorses walking as soon as possible after any and every type of surgery to aviod the possibility of deep vien thrombosis ....mary

 

[67walkon]

Can you get DVT when on coumdadin?

 

[KenBeirne]

Thanks for walking advice and sounds site

Thanks for walking advice and sounds site

Just got back from a trip to NYC, which is why I could not respond sooner. Thanks again to everyone for the advice on walking, which, fortunately, is one of my favorite activities, so I will be motivated to keep my activity level up.

And thanks to Christina for the web site with the sounds. Not too horrifying (well, one or two maybe )

I am guessing I will be trying both the hospital bed and the recliner, so I will be able to tell you all which works out better.

Still aiming for the 31st.

Ken

 

[Ross]

Can you get DVT when on coumdadin?

Yes you can, but the chances are cut significantly.