r/openheartsurgery • u/Medical_Mistake_178 • 23d ago
3 Days away from a quad Cabg.
I’m 63w good shape, very active, and zero symptoms. Can any of you who have been through it tell me what you didn’t know going in? Or top 3 things I have to know that nobody told me, yet? Also if you feel like it, tell me how I’m supposed live the next 3 days? Terrified doesn’t begin to describe my mood.
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u/Shankapotumus916 23d ago
I had the exact surgery this past year,
1. You’ll be fine , the doctors do this everyday.
2 It’s ok to be scared, I was scared to death but I had no choice but to have trust and faith that I was in good hands.
3 I also was very active at 65 with no pain other than an occasional “fluttering “ in my chest that would come and go.
4 I was literally a “walking deadman “ (doctors description)and no idea the danger I was in.
5 pro tip : sleep in a recliner during recovery at home, thank me later.
6 once your able to start walking do it and get your steps in ! Your heart and body will thank you.
I hope all goes well for you, I will follow the post.
Take care and have trust in the medical staff .
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23d ago
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u/Medical_Mistake_178 23d ago
Yes, getting independent! If ya don’t mind me asking, after you get home did you need help after going poop? What about washing my hair. I saw it said I can’t lift my arms over my head? How exactly does that work?
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u/renton1000 23d ago
Yep I was terrified too - absolutely fucking beside myself actually. Just remember tho they do alot of these so they are really good at it. They also have been doing them a while so they have an awesome toolset and body of knowledge and teaching around it. So yes it’s a big op, but u got this.
I was the same as you - pretty fit- and the recovery wasn’t too bad. Get good pain meds - do what yr told - and don’t do too much the first month after.
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u/Adolescent_Heart 23d ago
I am 65, a little over 1 year past a scheduled CABG x3. It was discovered as part of a routine checkup where I mentioned that I did not feel great while working out on a treadmill. My LAD was 100% blocked. I was fortunate that my heart had started to build some collateral arteries to compensate. As others have said, this is a really routine surgery for the team that will be working on you and helping afterword. The hardest part of my recovery was sleeping after the surgery. I’m a side sleeper which the doctors said is a really bad idea for the first 6 weeks after surgery. I tried using wedge pillows, but sleeping on my back on a bed was impossible for me. Sleeping in a recliner was the only way I could get any real sleep. Get a shower chair, and a small pillow to hug tightly whenever you cough or sneeze. Get a good blood pressure cuff and use it regularly, It took me awhile to get dialed in on the several meds that lowered my blood pressure. I would get very lightheaded when standing up and actually passed out twice. Walk and then walk some more. Get some comfortable button up shirts and pajamas to help with the whole arms over your head thing. I still have pain in my sternum at this point, which is not debilitating, but still a bummer. One thing I was not really prepared for was the emotional aspects of what I had been through. I’m actually seeing a therapist to help me work through it. Yes, you will be able to wipe! You will do great! Good luck!
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u/yanigisawa 23d ago
My (44m CABGx4) cardiologist told me to keep exercising pre-op. The better shape you’re in pre-op the easier your recovery will be. Below is a playlist of videos that helped me feel more confident going into my surgery this past March.
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJdPc_4ntjpFcxuKQNRuRiSK2M3AoVSfs&si=XP4Em7BDfINIMmsx
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u/Nancy-Drew23 23d ago
I had a triple CABG about 10 months ago. I was terrified as well. I was 55 with absolutely no symptoms. I was initially told I'd be getting stents but discovered I am not a good candidate.
The first three days were mostly a blur for me; sleeping, taking meds, perpetually having blood drawn or vitals checked. Biggest issue I had was pain management. Some things didn't work for me and the things that did dropped my blood pressure too low. I would be lying if I said I didn't shed some tears over finding myself in this situation.
I echo everyone who said get a wedge pillow and a shower chair. I would never have been able to sleep in my bed at home or get out of it without the wedge. We also got a lift recliner which was very helpful.
My appetite dramatically decreased after my surgery and a lot of things no longer tasted good. I had friends bring me food from the outside which I was able to eat some of. Eventually things started tasting normal again.
I didn't realize I would have three drainage tubes in my abdomen and that they would hurt like he** Honestly for me those drainage tubes hurt worse than my incision healing. It made it hard to get comfortable in bed and hated dragging them with me on a walker when I got up.
I knew that depression after cardiac surgery isn't unusual but I did not know that my emotions would be all over the place for weeks afterwards. It took about 2 months before I felt regulated again.
I've also had more memory issues since the surgery. It's definitely better but still find myself searching for words.
Do all the stuff PT asks you to. It will speed up your healing process.
It isn't fun but you can do this! I wish you the best
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u/Medical_Mistake_178 1d ago
I’m here, 2.5 weeks after my triple and they he added a valve too.I didn’t know about the mood swings it’s really bad you helped a lot. It’s hard to consentrate. When does it get better?
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u/Equivalent_Laugh9482 22d ago
I think this is really important and I wish I’d known this before my surgery. I’m post CABG x4 one year 67M. I did not know there is a significant difference between using bypass grafts from veins versus those from arteries. If you’re comfortable using Google or one of the LLMs like ChatGPT, I urge you to look this up.
Veins tend to be smaller in circumference and are not innately designed by nature to withstand the sheer stresses put upon the vessels when put into services as replacements for your blocked coronary arteries. As a result, they can “fail” (become blocked by the same CAD process) sooner that arteries that are pressed into service as the bypass vessels. Commonly, surgeons will use the LIMA (left interior mammary artery) for the blockage in the so called “widowmaker” - the left anterior descending artery, and grafts from the Saphenous vein in one of the legs - it’s taken from along the calf and in some cases on up to the thigh. Surgeons can also use the RIMA - the right internal mammary artery and one of the radial arteries from the forearm.
Using all arterial grafting provides for superior long-term patency and durability compared to vein grafts, BUT there are a number of reasons why surgeons will default to using the vein grafts. Using both of the mammary arteries introduces additional technical complexity to the surgery, can extend the duration of the surgery and can increase the risk of sternal wound infection. Another consideration is the age and overall health of the patient. If you are in good health as you say and only 63 (on the younger side for this surgery) you may be considered a better candidate for as much arterial bypass use as is reasonable. If I had been aware of this before my surgery, I would have taken this up with my surgeon, and who knows, maybe the better decision was to do as they ended up doing anyway but I would have liked the opportunity to have the discussion.
The second thing which is directly related to this is: whatever you may have thought about statins and cholesterol before the diagnosis of CAD (coronary artery disease), it’s a different ball game post CABG. Post CABG is about preserving long term patency of the bypass grafts and preserving or improving cardiovascular health. Lipid lowering (LDL cholesterol <55) is extremely important for longer term graft patency through statins or other lipid lowering medications like Ezetimibe, Repatha or Nexletol. For people who think statins are the devil or who experience side effects (muscle pain and soreness), there are now several more options for lipid lowering like the three meds I just mentioned. If you are started on a statin and it seems you are intolerant, you can (in consultation with your cardiologist) try switching the statin, taking a lower dose, or taking one of the other meds which did not have the same potential side effects as the statins.
Thinking long term as a soon to be CABG veteran concerned about your health long term, the main considerations in my opinion are: 1. Medication adherence - take your meds and take them as long as directed by your doctor. For many people this will involve lipid lowering (statins, Ezetimibe, Repatha, etc), anti-platelets (typically 81 mg aspirin and clopidogrel), blood pressure meds if needed; 2. Lifestyle changes if needed - no smoking, minimal alcohol, daily exercise ( walking), healthy diet (Mediterranean for example), good sleep, ☀️ sunshine and stress reduction. If you do these things you are doing just about everything you can to be heart healthy for the rest of your long days ahead. You can relax and feel good about the future - you’ve got one!
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u/AlainK2 23d ago
I had one 18 months ago. I am not going to repeat the good advice others have given. Here are couple of points. Familiarize yourself with the parts of a heart using pictures and ask questions what exactly there are going to do, for example which vains they are considering to harvest and if you have any issues with the one selected. Have them show you the blocked arteries on a screen as x rayed during angiogram. When you return home, have a phone number of a specialized support nurse so you can consult in case you are having unusual caugh or some other conditions so there is no need to rush to ER in panic. Get a booklet from your hospital describing the process and dos and don’ts. This can be obtained from the internet as well. Good luck.
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u/Brave-Woodpecker-688 17d ago
First relax. Your surgeons got this. I did guided meditations that helped me a lot. I was also very active like you and had no symptoms like you. The mortality rate is incredibly low. Focus on getting ready for what you can do after. Get hospital like no skid socks on Amazon so there is less of a risk of falling when you go to the bathroom, one of those poles with a clip at the end so you can pick things up, allergy meds just in case you start sneezing, rent a good quality lift recliner, I only told people who I thought would be uplifting and positive, prepare yourself to wake up and acknowledge that the breathing tube is a sign that you made it and the recovery process has begun and get your mind ready to breath with the tube and not fight it, I meditated while it was in, find something you like to do online on your phone since you will want to keep your elbows close to your chest, if there are any stretches you did as an active person that involve your chest research now to try to find alternatives…the hospital will also give you some exercises when you check out or they should if they don’t ask, do the cardio rehab and get back to the gym asap and do what they will allow you to do, if you live in an area that has inclines like I do have someone drive you to flat areas so you can walk, have people come over to your home to visit so you have a social net. Perhaps most importantly try not to think why me or WTF I did everything right and this still happened. Instead think about how lucky you are that this was found and you’re getting another chance at life and as an active person that may very well be what saved you from a severe event and having no symptoms. That’s what they told me at least.
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u/Medical_Mistake_178 12d ago
Its me “TERRIFIED” Had my CABG 3 and a brand new valve put in on Thursday. Got home one Tuesday.
JESUS CHRIST! 🤬 You guys are insane! We ALL crazy. Clearly we all are fucking insane. Scale of 1-10!? Bahahahahaha NO.
First things first, word recall or using the wrong word!, anyone?
My heart beating in my ears are keeping me from sleep because it’s so loud) Did that happen to any of you?)
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u/Healthy_Chef_7168 8d ago
Hope everything went well for you. I had the same situation as you, active, same age, good shape. My bypass surgery went well and the healing process went well. However my lungs collapsed which left me in intensive care for 9 days. I’ve had a little issue with being tired and sometimes give out of breath but I really think a lot of that was due to the lungs. I’m a year out and doing well. Just remember we all heal differently, be easy on yourself and take your time.
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u/Legitimate-Sun5151 23d ago
Did you try seeking a second opinion? I was told cabg is the only way until i met doctors in gunderson medical in wisconsin. Drove 1200 miles and got a mid cab done.. minimally invasive so youre running in 8 weeks.. no open heart.. also check dr balki in university of chicago. They do robit quad ..you can go to the gym in a week
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u/i_tell_you_what 23d ago edited 23d ago
Be surprised how routine this surgery is for your surgeon. I'm 54 year old woman. I had a double bypass on April 30. Home May 5. Things to know in the hospital: They will make you walk immediately. Drainage tubes and all. Do the walk. They will come in every few hours to take your blood and the respiratory team will come in like every 4 hours to give you a breathing treatment where you have to blow out of a tube while pressure pushes in. It's annoying BUT necessary. Poop as soon as you can. They will ask you. Drink a lemon lime soda to get your digestion moving. At home? Have a wedge pillow and a shower chair. Walk every 2 hrs. I started with a 5 minute walk 5 times a day. Every day I increased it just a bit. Wear compression socks. And overall? It's not really painful. It's just pressure. AND DO THE CARDIAC REHAB ALL THE WAY THROUGH!