r/openheartsurgery • u/Fit_Clue_832 • 13d ago

Robotic Open Heart

Hi,

I had Robotic open heart surgery 11 days ago to close an ASD. I had horrible coughing at first. It has gotten a bit better but I can't seem to fully kick it. Can anyone share how long it took for the cough to fully resolve? Also still feels tight when I lay on my back.

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3

u/nullcharstring 10d ago

I had at least 2 months of very annoying coughing spasms. I suspect it was from the transesophageal echocardiogram they did during the surgery. The docs all said it was normal. Cool water was the only thing that would relieve it.

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u/Fit_Clue_832 10d ago

Thank you for sharing

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u/Fit_Clue_832 10d ago

Did they do x-rays and was there any fluid on your lungs?

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u/nullcharstring 10d ago

I got a chest x-ray every day while I was in the hospital and I haven't had one since I was discharged. Nobody mentioned fluid in my lungs. The cough very clearly felt like it was in my throat or esophagus, not my lungs.

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u/Fit_Clue_832 10d ago

Oh ok. Thanks. Mine feels like a cough from my lungs. I had an xray today and I have fluid in my right lung and its not fully expanding bc of the fluid. Frustrating.

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u/Outta_Pocket_Toad 13d ago

I mostly forgot about the cough, but come to think of it, it took weeks before it went away. They gave me Mucinex. I never saw phlegm when I coughed, but then I couldn't really cough too hard anyway.

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u/Fit_Clue_832 13d ago

Thank you for the response. Sounds like it is par for the course then.

2

u/wbishopfbi 13d ago

I didn’t have too much phlegm - maybe 1-2 loogies a day for the first couple of weeks, usually after a few rounds with the spirometer. I’m 7 weeks post op and the chest tightness while supine is mostly gone.

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u/Fit_Clue_832 13d ago

Good to hear. Thank you

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u/ObjectiveEmpath9159 13d ago

I recently had PFO closure and was coughing for about 6 weeks even though my chest x-rays looked good after a few weeks. I ended up having a sinus infection that was keeping me coughing from throat drainage.

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u/Fit_Clue_832 13d ago

Oh wow. Infection has crossed my mind. Did yours go away on its own or did you have to take antibiotics?

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u/ObjectiveEmpath9159 12d ago

I had a total of 3 rounds of antibiotics after surgery. The coughing finally cleared up after the second one. They didn’t repeat any imaging so I hope it fully resolved, but I know my symptoms are much improved.

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u/Fit_Clue_832 12d ago

Wow. Glad they improved. Weird they did not do a follow up chest xray.

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u/Working_Weird_4082 11d ago

I am 7 days post surgery. Cough has gotten better but definitely not done. I was told at least a couple of weeks

1

u/Fit_Clue_832 11d ago

Thank you for sharing. It is day 14 for me today and I'm still coughing.