Olga Said:

Please help - My Father is having aortic valve replacement surgery?

We Answered:

1] support yourself and your mom physically - be sure you both eat, drink fluids, and you both get sleep
2] pray; speak to chaplain if you wish
3] buy a crossword puzzle/sudoku or really interesting book
4] walk around every hour or so - go to restroom/gift shop one hour; then walk to restroom next hour - be sure Mom does too - gotta keep the blood circulating!
5] he will look like crap the first time you see him - be SURE it is after you both have eaten something!!
6] He will look very very pale, and have a bunch of noisy machines attached - just touch his hands or face gently - [no rubbing or tapping, just hold ], and talk softly to him - so he can sleep as much as possible
a] we are here for you;
b] everyone is praying for you
c] the doctors and nurses are taking great care of you
d] [ when you leave ] - ' we will be back at...'
7] ask nurses questions, and be polite please - they have a lot to do!
8] but do insist on pain meds, nausea meds, as needed - he should take pain meds as often as required to heal better - not wait til it gets REALLY bad - just steadily uncomfortable
9] you can gently comb his shair, sponge his face - when he gets off some machines bring HIS toothpaste, brush, mouthwash, deodorant, etc - so he feels more 'normal'. Don't try to shave him unless you know how
10] it is actually easier to do guy's faces than women's legs. The tricky part is the neck. Have him look up, and shave WITH the direction of hair growth - of course you will use a great shave cream!

Larry Said:

Is it common to still have a heart murmur after aortic valve replacement surgery?

We Answered:

It's extremely common, usually from mild valvular regurgitation.

Beth Said:

Aortic valve replacement surgery?

We Answered:

Hello Lisa,

Aortic valve replacement is a cardiac surgery procedure in which a patient's aortic valve is replaced with a different one. The procedure itself is rather simple. Your chest will be opened, you will be placed on bypass, valves exchanged, and closed again. The risk with respect to the procedure is generally cited as being between 1 and 5 percent. My advice to you is to call ahead, and specifically request to meet the physicians who will be performing surgery; including the Senior Surgeon, and Anaesthesiologist. In some cases, hospitals will provide a general doctor for questions; but it is important to meet all of those who will be operating, both for comfort and questions.

When meeting with those who will be operating on you; ask them any questions you might have. They are there for you; to brief you on the procedure, ensure you are ready, and respond to any of your concerns.

Dr. James Jeah MD

Miriam Said:

Is it normal to take days to wake up after a aortic valve replacement surgery?

We Answered:

Normally, it is normal for the patient to get out of anesthesia (depending on depth of anesthesia). But it's a long time for him, might be the doctors have sedated him , for reasons they know better.

Beverly Said:

What is Aortic valve replacement surgery?

We Answered:

As I personally experienced a few years ago, an aortic valve replacement is a complex, surgical procedure to implant a mechanical or biological heart valve in exchange for a diseased aortic valve within the human heart muscle.

Brad Said:

What is the effect of a pacemaker after aortic valve replacement surgery?

We Answered:

"His heart has not yet started up again on it's own (although he is awake) and they are now going to put in a pacemaker on Monday."

Your Dad's heart is a muscular organ with four chambers designed specifically to work efficiently , reliably, and continuously over his lifetime. the muscular wall thereof contract on a regulated sequence, which then pumps blood as required by the body while expending as little energy as possible during each heartbeat.

The contractions of the muscle fibers in the heart itself is controlled by electricity that flows through the heart in a precise manner along distinct pathwaysand at a controlled speed.

The electrical current that begins each and every heartbeat originates in your Dad's natural pacemaker, that is the sinus or sinoatrial node, which is located directly at he top of the upper right heart chamber or right atrium. The rate at which your Dad's natural pacemaker discharges its electrical current determines his heart rate. This rate is influenced by nerve impulses and by levels of certain hormones in his bloodstream.

In adults at rest, the normal heart rate is usually between 60 and 100 beats per minute. However, lower rates are possible in young adults, especially if physically fit. Yet, the heart rate is considered by doctors to be normal ONLY when the heart rate is inappropriately fast or is irregular, but also when the electrical impulses travel along abnormal pathways.
Age-related changes in the heart's electrical system make make some arrythmias more likely, possibly as in your Dad's case. An overactive thyroid gland, sometimes...no cause can be found to identify one.

Most arrythmias neither cause symptoms nor interfere with the hearts ability to pump blood, and pose little or no risk, although they can cause considerable anxiety if someone becomes aware of them. However, some , harmless in in themselves, can lead to more serious arrhythmias. Thus, any arrhythmia that IMPAIRS THE HEART'S ABILITY to pump blood adequately is serious stuff. How serious depends on whether the arrhythmia originate in the natural pacemaker of the heart, in the atria, or in the ventricles. Those that originate in the ventricles are more serious than those that originate in the pacemaker. However there are exceptions....

Your Dad's aortic valve replacement may possibly have been due to abnormal rhythms (arrhythmias) that are also known as sequential heartbeats that are irregular, too fast, too slow, or conducted via an abnormal electrical pathway through the heart. For with harmless arrhymthmias, reassurance is treatment enough. In your Dad's case, which I deduce is serious, an artificial pacemaker has been decided to help him regulate his heartbeat.

Please note that sometimes the area of the natural pacemaker were your Dad's surgeon intenionally felt safe to cut into sometimes gets damaged in heart surgeries. ...as all heart surgery are purported to be the taking of risk ...and in a risky situation, some things just happen ...unknowingly and without malice.

The natural pacemaker of your Dad's heart, the sinoatrial node, has two places involved, where when one portion of this natural pacemaker is damaged, the other takes up the slack. Sometime this 'slack' isn't strong enough or does not occur. Thus a pacemaker implant is the decision of the Doctors that will act in place of your Dad's own pacemaker to his benefit. They implant it surgically under the skin, usu. below the left or right collarbone,...then connect it to the heart by running wires inside of the brachiocephalic vein. It's low-energy circuitry and battery designs now last a patient about 10-15 years undesturbed.

When you Dad's heartbeat, after placement, slows below a certain threashhold set by the doctors on the pacemaker, the electronic pacemaker will begin immediately by firing the necessary electrical impulses to assist your Dad in increaseing his heart rate accordingly.

I hope this helps...
Much Love and Respect

N.B.:

I agree with POPO: Your best answers are going to come from the cardiologist who is caring for your father, don't be afraid to ask.

Kyle Said:

What hospitals in Western Europe are practising the recently-new "keyhole" aortic valve replacement surgery?

We Answered:

The Queens Medical Centre in Nottingham

Largest teaching hospital in Europe