Heart Valve Surgery

I'm a dual open heart valve repair surgery survivor, who is now after only two months post surgery, actually thriving and really enjoying my life again.

Like you, when my cardiovascular surgeon first told me that I was a sinking ship, and that I would need open heart surgery ASAP, I was frightened beyond words. I just sat there, numb; I didn't know what to do. I was glad there was someone to drive me home, because I don't think I had my wits about me enough to drive.

At that time, I didn't know a thing about heart valve surgery. When the news finally soaked in and I settled down, I began, with the help of my dear friend, to find out everything I could about my upcoming open heart surgery.

Experience is the best teacher, and I'll share my surgery experiences with you, but I also want to share some of the resources and information that I found to be most helpful when I was preparing for my surgery.

Hands down, the most helpful book that I read was Adam Pick's book, The Patient's Guide To Heart Valve Surgery. Adam's book answered tons of questions that I had, and some that I hadn't even thought of. He covers everything from choosing a surgeon to the recovery phase and everything in between. Read more about Adam's book right here.

It's written in everyday language that anyone can understand, and you can download it right to your computer.

The first thing I remember after I started awakening in my ICU room after my open heart surgery was that I felt like a Mack Truck had run over me, backed up and came to rest right on top of my chest.

Yes, you will probably be in ICU for a day or two or maybe longer after your heart valve surgery. The nurses in cardiac ICU are highly trained and know just what to do every step of the way. They are kind and compassionate, but they can also be very tough when they are wanting you to sit in a chair or walk down the hall.

You will be incredibly thirsty when you come to your senses, and why not, you haven't had anything to drink since midnight the day before your surgery. Beg as you might, the cardiac nurses will only give you a few little ice chips. When the respirator tube gets pulled, they will let you have small sips of water, but not too much because they don't want you to vomit.

The cardiac nurses, under the Doctors orders, will have you sitting up in a chair as much as possible. The day after my surgery I sat in a chair for five hours. To tell you the truth, I was angry with those nurses. I couldn't really even hold my head up, but as long as you are sitting, they are happy.

When I awakened from my heart valve surgery, I had tubes running out of practically every orifice. There was the catheter for my urine output, the respirator tube to help me breathe ( they take this one out as soon as possible, usually within hours of your surgery), the oxygen tubing in my nose, and 8 or 9 IV drips are running to your neck and wrist, but the worst ones to me were the three fairly large chest tubes located right below by surgery incision.

The surgeon was careful to close the incision down my sternum so that my scar is, after only two months, barely noticeable, however the three big scars where those tubes were pulled shine like head lights.

My drainage tubes stayed in for five days. I thought I would never get rid of those things. They are necessary to drain the fluid from your chest area.

This picture shows what your ICU room looks like when they bring you up from surgery. The big tubes hanging over the foot of the bed are the drainage tubes.