Open heart surgery question...

[goofy4tink]

Hi guys.....it seems my dad is looking at open heart surgery next week. He was in Florida looking forward to having a cochlear implant done (he is almost completely deaf) when the doctors said they saw something suspicious in his heart. Well, his cardiologist here in Boston told him the Fl. doctors were seeing scar tissue, nothing to worry about. But the Fl docs wouldn't touch him until he had further testing done. So, he and my step-mom flew home Monday night to have some tests done. Well, he had tests done today, and they found 2 arteries completely blocked and a third one pretty far gone. But, he had been going in for cardio check-ups every six months. He thought he had emphysema and that's why he had trouble climbing stairs or walking long distances. When my step-mom questioned the cardio his answer was.."Well, that's the way Bill is...he never mentioned any trouble breathing." So, now he is scheduled for open heart surgery next Wed.

Having never gone through this before, I'm a bit stressed. My mom died almost three years ago, my fil died 2 years ago, my step-mom's mom died 2 years ago....this is beginning to look like a pattern here. And it's hard to talk to my step-mom since they have no land phone because it's turned off during the winter while they are in Florida and she used her cell phone when they are home in Boston. And I don't want to keep bothering her.

So...I ask those of you who might have some idea...what can I expect here? Is this a somewhat routine surgery now? I know that years ago it was pretty serious stuff....not that it's a walk in the park now, but is it safer, more routine now? My dad is 78 and in what we thought was pretty good health until this morning!!! Man, it looks like I'm going to be making some dietary and lifestyle changes here...my mom had heart and blood issues and now my father!! He had a major heart attack about 20 years ago, and has lived a wonderful lifestyle..watching what he eats..all the right stuff and now he's in this position.
So...any thoughts out there? Thanks people.

 

[Disney Doll]

Well, it is more routine now than in previous years, but is still, nonetheless, major surgery.

Expect him to be sore, especially his chest and legs (if that's where they harvest the blood vessels from). Keep an eye on his incisions for infections...severe redness, swelling, drainage, extreme pain.

My late DFIL had a bypass in 1999, and the thing that amazed me the most was the change in his personality afterward, which lasted for a few weeks. According to his primary MD, that is common in anyone who is on a heart/ling machine. Apparently it's something about changing the oxygen level in the blood and whatnot. Anyhow, he was a little "off"...more anxious and short-tempered...for about a month or so. The problem is that no one mentioned this to us, and so when he started acting oddly, it really caught us off guard. I have since discussed this with other folks whose relatives have had a bypass and they have observed the same phenomena.

 

[Buckalew11]

I will be praying for your father.

Open heart surgery is/seems so routine now. But still, the risk for strokes after the surgery is there and I had no idea it was an issue. Seemed so routine... anyway, your dad will be in my thoughts and in my prayers. I hope he does well!!

 

[m&m's mom]

My DH had Open Heart surgery a year ago this March. He was 50 and in extremely good shape ( well, except for that heart blockage thing _
He did triathalons and was not a tiny bit overweight. Just some really bad genes he inherited.
Anyway, he was mowing the yard 3 weeks later. He moved very gingerly for a couple of weeks. The Dr. said he could not lift his arms to even get a plate out of the cupboard for the 1st month. Yikes! Well, he did and survived. He did go to rehab for a few months so they could monitor him. His heart rate did some strange bouncing around that it had never done before for a couple of months but they got that straightened out w/ medication.
We have great insurance and his meds cost us over $100 per month.
Just remembered that they said depression was very common but he never had that. I think 2 DD's under 10 was enough to keep his spirits up.
Good luck to you Dad!

 

[goofy4tink]

Thanks for the kind words and experiences. That makes me feel a bit better.

 

[Lynn CC]

My Mom had the surgery at 78, triple bypass with a valve repair.
She's 84 now and in good health, so it was worth it
I sat at Brigham and Womans Hospital in Boston for MANY hours, she knew who I was right after the surgery (when they allowed family in), she had a respirator and was out of it, everything went routine with her surgery.
I think she was in the hospital for nearly a month,and then went to rehab (as an inpatient) after that for a couple of weeks. It was a long process for her, but she is back to doing what she always did before the surgery.

It's a blessing that your Dad found out now, rather than after he had a heart attack, they can essentially fix him up before more damage is done to his heart!

 

[goofy4tink]

My Mom had the surgery at 78, triple bypass with a valve repair.
She's 84 now and in good health, so it was worth it
I sat at Brigham and Womans Hospital in Boston for MANY hours, she knew who I was right after the surgery (when they allowed family in), she had a respirator and was out of it, everything went routine with her surgery.
I think she was in the hospital for nearly a month,and then went to rehab (as an inpatient) after that for a couple of weeks. It was a long process for her, but she is back to doing what she always did before the surgery.

It's a blessing that your Dad found out now, rather than after he had a heart attack, they can essentially fix him up before more damage is done to his heart!

Yep, that's where he's going to be also!!! Thanks so much for the reassuring words.

 

[luv2nascar]

my uncle had quadruple bypass end of Oct only in hosp 4 days. Doctor's said he was a model patient. He is 56. He would have returned to work in beginning of Dec if he had a sedentary job but he has to work out in cold and snow of pa for winter. He did return to work mid january though and is better than before. Good wishes and good luck.

 

[escape]

goofy4tink - I'm glad the doctor caught this before he had another heart attack.

My FIL, at age 75, had a quintuple (5) by-pass surgery 2 years ago. He had "a little chest pain" that wouldn't go away. The surgery fixed him right up. As for it being "routine", it's still major surgery; things can go wrong. However, it's more common today than it used to be. The surgeons have done more of these types of operations, their skills are sharper. It's more routine in that sense.

The docs had my FIL up and walking the next day, even though he didn't like it. He had some minor complications at the beginning of the healing process, mainly getting the meds adjusted just right, but he managed to pull through the process. He was also sore at the beginning. It took a while for him to heal but he is doing better than ever now. The cardiologist said he has the heart of a 20 year-old.

My late DFIL had a bypass in 1999, and the thing that amazed me the most was the change in his personality afterward, which lasted for a few weeks. According to his primary MD, that is common in anyone who is on a heart/ling machine. Apparently it's something about changing the oxygen level in the blood and whatnot. Anyhow, he was a little "off"...more anxious and short-tempered...for about a month or so. The problem is that no one mentioned this to us, and so when he started acting oddly, it really caught us off guard. I have since discussed this with other folks whose relatives have had a bypass and they have observed the same phenomena.

As for the personality change.....yep, my FIL was more anxious than normal and was really afraid of his surgery coming "undone", I guess meaning that is stitches would pull out when he moved. The surgeon finally convinced him otherwise. He also had some depression but we weren't too worried about it.

My grandfather, on the other hand, experienced such a rush for about a month after his quintuple by-pass. He was normally a quiet, shy man. After his surgery he was quite talkative and laughed a lot. We liked this side of him. However, he, all of a sudden, turned into a gambling man...wanted to enter every lottery, go to Las Vegas and try his luck at anything. This was a man that NEVER gambled a day in his life. We had to really watch him. If this hadn't been my grandfather, it would actually have been quite comical. Finally, after a few months, he was back to normal - quiet and all. Whew!

goofy4tink - sending prayers and pixie dust your way in hopes that everything turns out well for your dad. I think it's a blessing that this problem was discovered before a major heart attack occured. Please keep us informed.

 

[goofy4tink]

Thank-you all. Looks like he'll be at BI-Deaconess rather than Brigham Womans. Just talked to my step mom...they seem to be pretty upbeat. So, I'll be spending the day at Beth Israel-Deaconess..a place I haven't been since I gave birth there 12 yrs ago.
Meanwhile my dad is moaning and groaning about not being able to have his cochlear implant done....Hello....you could have stopped breathing!!!! Sheesh...the man is nuts. Who cares about being almost completely deaf when you're looking at a possible major heart attack. I'm just thanking my lucky stars that he had a problem and they had to do further testing and found the blockages!!!!