Open Heart/Bypass Surgery

Take Care , were all pulling for you get better soon once you get patched up.

4 Likes

Wishing you an uneventful surgery, and amazing recovery.
My family medical history is a nightmare, inherited all the crap genes. Iā€™ve been battling early diabetes, lung disease for last 20 years, got the crap joints, birth defect, so joint replacements are a way of life for me. Got the familial high cholesterol, high blood pressure. Just got diagnosed with chronic kidney disease, most likely from all the NSAIDs for joint surgeries. Kidneys recently pushing my blood pressure into hypertensive crisis, so off to the internist, since now she wonā€™t clear me for much-delayed fourth joint replacement. A recent round f chest pain, radiating up right side of neck, has happened a couple times before, and internist sends me off to the cardiologist. A month wait for nuclear stress test, ultrasound, turns out I have developed four leaking heart valves. And my lung disease most likely was responsible for the left Ventricle Diastolic Dysfunction that accompanied the leaky valves. I am on oxygen at night, but have been noticing a decline in my oxygen saturation, which Iā€™ve mentioned to pulmy, but not bad enough yet to go round the clock oxygen supplementation. Yet.
As I said, I inherited all the crap genes, and my organs are vying for top dog, trying to take each other down.
Iā€™m not to the point that we need to begin replacing heart valves, but my cholesterol is determined to take ownership of them.
This is all a bad dream, right? I wish. For now, my plan (trying to get everything done before my spouse has another cardiovascular emergency) is to see all the specialists, get any testing, meds adjustments, and get finished with the joint replacements (I will be 4 for 4, both knees, both hips); we will need to be revising my 30-+ year old failing left artificial hip before long. I want to be able to move without unreasonable pain, before the kidneys, heart, and lungs get too bad, so as to prevent joint replacements.
None of it is a piece of cake. For me, being female, still in my sixties, added heart disease is a cruel hit, but thereā€™s really nothing I can do, other than eating properly for my health conditions, exercising the little bit I am able, taking my meds as prescribed. Women arenā€™t supposed to get heart disease. Yeah, right. They lie.
Best of luck on your surgery. Iā€™ve been through the heart surgery, strokes, heart attacks, with all my relatives, now going through it with my spouse. Itā€™s amazing how we can bounce back once modern medicine works itā€™s wonders!

5 Likes

Had double bypass 1990.I am sure it is not a real problem today. Talk about prodaxa 250.00 per month, VA is 9.00 for 3 months

2 Likes

Welcome aboard @Randy72

2 Likes

@Gary_H I wish you all the best my friend. I did a lot of medicine over the years but open heart and bypass is a little above my pay grade. It looks like you have a top flight Doc. Follow his advice and check the literature as you can, be an informed patient and donā€™t be afraid to question the ā€œstandardā€.

Stay well my friend.

Cheers,

Craig6

3 Likes

@Gary_H
I have two stents in my Rt femeral artery, I went in for a heart cath in 2009 and ended up with open heart triple bypass because one was behind heart and couldnā€™t be reached with robot. First few weeks were rough but doing fine now. Stay strong and really hug the bear or whatever stuffed creature they give you because coughing is a b***h lol Will keep in prayers!

3 Likes

@Gary_H my brother in law had by pass surgery 25 yrs ago. He had 3 blocked arteries (all on the left side) and he lived another 26 before passing due to Agent Orange from when he was in Vietnam. I pray your surgeon does a great job for you and I will be praying. On another note, I am going in, in a couple weeks for another aorta valve replacement surgery as well. I have faith in the hospital and staff that they will be good for me as well as praying too. Good luck, God speed on your recovery and once itā€™s done, youā€™ll feel like your old self again for sure!!!

2 Likes

I am quoting myself to reiterate that the surgeon stated I am not operable. My coronary disease has progressed past the point of bypass surgery being an option.

Edit: Sorry if this post came off as irritable, it is an understatement to say this has been a hard blow

4 Likes

Under those terms it might be better to seek a veterinarian for help :wink:. That is definitely a ā€œhard blowā€. So sorry for u you our situation. :pray:

3 Likes

Garry, Iā€™m a veteran in this area (no medals) ā€¦ Major heart attack in 2007, only 1 stint that day because they had to bring me back before I got to the hospital and 4 more times while they were doing the worst area stint. More (10) stints added as needed over the next few years. Open heart surgery about 2 years ago needed to fix the most difficult location. Surgery went PERFECT. It is clear that I had access to some of the best surgeons anywhere to be found. So, be sure you get a good one, BUT dont mess around. My story is longer if you want to contact me to chat. PS: I feel great right nowā€¦Larry Scott - larry.scott.sa@gmail.com

2 Likes

Iā€™ve had a mitral valve replaced 13 years ago. This year I was set up for tavar procedure and was a canadate. Went to Memphis may 11 set for surgery this was supposed to be non evasive surgery go through between your ribs small incision 2 days your out. But that didnā€™t happen they did it but my valve popped out 3 timeā€™s and landed on the or floor. They cleaned out the scar tissue but no go. I prayed to God just before they said they were fixing to sedat me. God almighty let these surgeonā€™s see your mighty hand what you and only you can do by turning this around for a miracle. They had seconds to make a decision and they listened to God and cut me open and follow the cut from the old surgery line and open me back up. It worked Jesus showed up 2 surgeries that day but they listened now Iā€™m better than 14 years ago. They said they never seen a valve do this ever. I said God works miracles and I was a miracle waiting to happen. I had also chf. My heart muscle injection fraction was only 39 percent last year and getting weaker I walked 5miles a day. My ep dr. asked how are you even standing I said on Godā€™s word. Iā€™m completely healed gained my weight back and Iā€™m back teaching adult Sunday school. Even I saw Drā€™s got saved its not about me but God. Yes it looked bad. But God turned it for good. Iā€™m 65 had cancer 2 times kidney and throat cancer married 45years. Been in hospital every year for 40 years but I never fail to pray for others when I was there Jesus never left me Iā€™ve left Him. But Heā€™s always opened up His arms and took me back. Now its my turn to tell you Godā€™s will is for you to be healed healing is Godā€™s will for you brother. Iā€™m standing in prayer for you this Sunday morning. Amen trust and obey jehova rapha.

3 Likes

Thank you so much for sharing @Ronnie22. I appreciate your faith and prayers :+1:

Welcome to the community!

1 Like

Decon Rece here i was on amiodorone or Cordarone. They done a biopsy of my liver and it was the heart medicine that was raising my lever enzymes very high i also was on lipitor. They put me on 2 shots a month called it repatha injection. Iā€™m still taking injections but God directed them to exactly what it was.

Nowadays itā€™s a relatively routine procedure. I had a quadruple bypass at 47, believe it or not. I was probably a month or two away from dying, if I didnā€™t correct the blockages. 18 years later, Iā€™m doing fine. I urge you to do the full cardiac rehab after your surgery. Studies show long term results are significantly better for bypass patients who do the rehab. Good luck!

1 Like

I had mine 13 years ago. I was in good shape and waterskiing when all of a sudden I couldnā€™t breathe. My wife made me go to the hospital. An angiogram showed I had the widow maker. Needed surgery right away. It was a hard recovery. Make sure you do rehab religiously. I needed to lower my cholesterol but the statins made my muscles ache. I take 200 mg of CQ10 and now no aches. I also take a Repatha injection biweekly. Cholesterol is now under 100. Feeling good. Hang in there. And prayerful meditation is good for the heart and soul.

I understand you are currently in ā€œtreat the illnessā€ mode, but Iā€™m curious if you and/or your doctors have considered your problem as a side affect of either having had COVID or been injected with the vaccine? Many articles on COVID side affects include clotting, heart, lung, and other problems.

Gary do not give up hope, I had a similar problem on Dec 4, 1998, I experienced a heart attack and was rushed to the hospital, it turned out that I required a 5 vessel bypass and that knocked me off my feet. I was ready to give up and walk away, my Mom died of heart disease in Feb 1969 at 46. I was 48 and not in as good of shape as she was. I was convinced (pressured) into going through with the operation. It knocked me down a few pegs but remember that date Dec4, I had my bypass, 5 vessels, Dec 10, 1998, and as you can see I am still here to tell you about it. The Surgeon said he would only give me 10 more years of good health but the Nuns in school told me I never paid attention. You will do good I can feel it in my heart.

2 Likes

Thoughts and prayers are with you Gary. I had a similar experience, I went in for an upper GI, I was told that because I was 39 years old it wasnā€™t a heart problem. They said everything looked OK so the doc sent me to a cardiologist. This was about 4 pm on a Thursday. The cardiologist ran a couple of tests and said 'Tomorrow we are going to do an angiogram and that will likely be followed by bypass surgery '. Needless to say I wasnā€™t happy, and 2 days later for my 39th bday I had 6 way bypass. That was 2005 just before Hurricane Katrina hit us. This past summer, for my 55th bday, I went to the Cleveland Clinic for some newer heart problems. Their recommendation was a heart transplant. Again not what I wanted to hear. Shortly after, on the anniversary of Katrina, we got hit with Ida. I am still here trying to make life more difficult for my loved ones :laughing:. You can get through it with some help and still have a pretty good life.

1 Like

Best of luck!! Praying for a speedy recovery!!

1 Like

Praying for you!!!

3 Likes