Valve Replacement vs Bypass surgery

[kodi]

I'm a little curious and just wanted some opinions.
Do you think recovery from bypass surgery is faster and easier than recovery from valve replacement.
Do you think that someone that had bypass surgery is able to get back to their 'normal' exercise routines quicker than VRs.

 

[PJmomrunner]

I have heard that bypass recovery is comparable but easier because it's not quite as invasive as valve replacement since they don't actually cut into the heart for bypass surgery. I believe the sternotomy recovery is the same though.

 

[Praline]

Kodi

Kodi

That is an interesting question..I had both a mitral valve repair and a by-pass. I wonder if anyone here also had both.

 

[briansmom]

My son's first surgery was AVR with triple bypass, day 2 was surgery to put in the heart pump. He was in the hospital for 3 weeks (obviously, he was pretty ill before the surgeries). My uncle had a 7 bypass in his mid 60's and was back to work in 2 weeks. It took my son at least 8 weeks before he went back to work part time.

 

[Arnold Ziffel]

Well my two cents from what I heard from a bypass patient is that he had a harder recovery (pain) from the leg incision, but I think physiologically, being thaat your heart is actually stopped during valve replacement would be pretty hard on you. It was for me.

 

[Aussie Chris]

Hi Kodi,

I was sharing a ward in hospital with 2 guys who had bipass surgery on the same day I had valve repair. They were aged 70 and 79. Initially their recovery was better than mine being able to expand their lungs more and apearing to handle the very early walking around in ICU better than me. Despite their inital good recovery I was discharged before them and I met up with the 70 year old at rehab and he is still struggling with his recovery and has had to cope with an infection in his leg wounds.

It may have been different had they been closer to my age.

Talking with a few people at rehab the main thing seems to be the healing of the sternum and how quickly the chest muscles recover and this is common to both kinds of surgery.

Cheers,

Chris

 

[wildcat fan]

hello everyone,

I think what makes recovery times easier is to be in the best shape you can be in before surgery but I do know there are million things to consider in ones life . Thankfully for me I am still young and got into great shape before my surgery and my recovery has been smooth as silk . The only problem I had was during the 1st 24hrs after surgery and the staff was trying to get me off the vent my heart went into Atrial Fib so I had to be put back to sleep but other than that my recovery has been excellent and I am going back to work in 11 more days YEA!!!!!!!!!!!! but will continue with Cardiac Rehab and get back in the gym to regain what I have lost since surgery.

Chris

 

[temp69]

I had both done and so I couldn't really compare, but it seems like the major deal is the big incision, so I bet they're about the same.

 

[ALCapshaw2]

My first surgery was for Bypass. My second was for Aortic Valve Replacement.

I agree, the BIGGEST deal is healing of the sternum, and that is the same for both types of surgery.

Following my Bypass Surgery, I had some chest 'discomfort' because my mamary artery was 'moved' to serve as the primary bypass supply to my left heart arteries. The Leg incision can also be 'uncomfortable', especially when the incision runs the full length of the removed sapheous vein. Fortunately, new techniques allow for easier removal with only a couple of small incisions. I was lucky in that my leg incision was NOT terribly uncomfortable and I was able to walk OK soon after surgery.

Following my AVR, I had INTENSE PAIN in my BACK Muscles from being stretched way beyond the normal range of motion. I found that MASSAGE was FASTER and BETTER than any pain medication!

'AL Capshaw'

 

[Mb]

Hello everyone:

I recall very well, when my husband has his first heart surgery, two valve replacements, that his surgeon was VERY specific about this issue. (He had his surgery done by Dr. Vlahakes at Mass General). He told both of us that recovery from his surgery would be longer, and more difficult than by-pass. That often the medical professionals might treat him as a by pass patient, but he was not, and the recovery would definitely take longer. He was right. Unforunately, even his local cardio thought the same thing, until an echo was done, and it was found that his tricuspid valve had a severe leak, and that, combined with the surgery itself, and the chronic a-fib, have contributed to a less than optimal recovery. He is now scheduled for his second heart surgery this month, to repair that valve, and then get a pacemaker. What Dr. Vlahakes did say, was that for the mitral replacement, the heart did have to be incised, and the heart itself had to recover from that trauma. Combine that with going "on pump".....there you have it. I am sure, however, that age, other medical issues a person might have, might contricute to the overall recovery. Each person enters that operating room with a different set of circumstances, not the least of which is the staff standing there waiting for them.

Marybeth

 

[hensylee]

I had quad bypass. The goin in and coming out are the same as valvers. Once inside the picture changes. Valve replacement is much more complicated. It involves the heart directly while bypass jumps over it. My doctors told me it would be a full year of recovery. I had four separate saphenous vein pieces removed from ankle into groin. They were stapled from top to bottom with spaces between the cuts. Infection developed in the very bottom one at the ankle and required dr visits. I was in good condition when I went into surgery and recovery was good. My age at the time was 66. I do think that bypassers fail as time goes by especially if there was a heart attack involved pre-surgery. I had one of those.

 

[Lisa in Katy]

I was told that mitral valve replacement is the most complicated surgery (not including heart transplant and other non-standard procedures) because of the incision into the heart. However, I think that the recovery time for any open heart surgery would be similar, and would ultimately depend on many factors - including your age, level of fitness, complications, attitude, and pain threshhold. Many patients receiving bypass are older and in pretty poor shape to start with, so their recovery would probably be slower.

 

[MarkU]

I was 47 and in good shape going into my surgery. I bounced back relatively quickly, was out of bed the next day and home in four days. The only other patient close to my age in the cardiac ward at the time was a 42-year-old bypass patient, who smoked, was thirty pounds overweight, drank at least two martini's a day and ate red meat at almost every meal. We had our surgeries that same day, but when I was discharged he was still on oxygen and hadn't been out of bed yet. Lifestyle is definitely a contributing factor.

btw, I remember reading someplace recently that congenital BAV patients often have large and uncluttered arteries. That is certainly true in my case -after my pre-surgery cath my cardiologist told me I had "monster" arteries and would likely never have to worry about coronary blockages.

Mark

 

[toughcookie]

I'm a little curious and just wanted some opinions.
Do you think recovery from bypass surgery is faster and easier than recovery from valve replacement.
Do you think that someone that had bypass surgery is able to get back to their 'normal' exercise routines quicker than VRs.

My father-in-law had a bypass and tried to "one up" me about how tough his recovery was, so I like to think that valvers have it harder.

But, add into the mix a large chest, and it's a whole new ball game, no matter what went on inside. Imagine have two big weights pulling down on the incision, and then having to wear a bra which pulls across it. My husband said in all seriousness that he wished they'd have reduced them a little while they were poking around there.

 

[marciemarine]

I can relate to tough cookie because the weight of my chest does make the incision healing more uncomfortable. Wearing a surgical bra 24/7 helps some especially to sleep. I couldn't sleeps in bed for 6 weeks because I like to sleep on my side and my chest made side sleeping very uncomfortable. So, I used a recliner until just this week. I did try my bed a couple of times, but gave it up shortly.
My doctors all tell me that it takes longer to recover from an Open Heart Surgery especially a double valve replacement, than a Bypass if all other conditions are the same. I have no frame of reference, but I don't think any of my doctors are heart patients, so I tend to believe you guys who say they are about the same. Marcie

 

[aussigal]

I have absolutely no pain from the 8 inch incision down the front of my shin and never have although it does remain quite numb with pins & needles which just feels weird. Cant comment on the recovery aspect as I had both operations separately but on same day.
I reckon the mental scars from a by-pass would cause more anxiety than an AVR or MVR especially if a heart-attack is what leads to the surgery.

 

[Sir Reel]

As far as sleeping after surgery, I normally sleep on my side but couldn't after the surgery, so I put a couple of pillows behind me and slept partially on my back and partially on my side. Being in bed this way beat using a recliner. Strangely enough, my dogs never once touched those pillows during my recovery - they knew I needed to use them the way they were set up. Having a main floor bedroom at the time helped a lot.