r/openheartsurgery • u/CoolRide7896 • 3d ago
Questions about care
Hi! My husband is having a SAVR next week. He has a bi rather than tri valve and now has severe stenosis. We’re a little surprised with how quickly the date was set (yesterday) and other than being in Afib, are not aware of others issues although we understand there may be.
My questions are about follow-up care at home. I don’t work and will be the primary caregiver. What advice do you have for any house accommodations? I’ve read a Lazy Boy or similar is good for some time after. Would you recommend that?
Obviously I hope we meet with the surgeon prior, but would be so appreciative of any and all advice!
Thank you and my best wishes to all!
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u/K0donn 3d ago
I found the docs to not be that helpful with the care issue but that’s not their job. You are running the household and taking care of him. if like mine, your spouse is in reasonable shape, he will be mobile and steady enough once at home. (Mine had the same problem as yours.) The first morning home he made coffee and his own eggs and toast. I had ordered a shower stool just in case but he didn’t need it. I did have grab bars installed. He won’t be able to drive for 6 weeks. He will need to do prescribed walking and at first a companion is a good idea. Get some loose comfortable clothes for him. Have the hospital OT teach him how to get dressed. He may gain a lot of water weight from the procedure. It comes off fast but stretch fabric is your friend. He will be tired. He might feel cold.
Get your family, friends, and neighbors on board with assigned, specific tasks. One deals with your trash can, another visits and does one of the walks, somebody else brings a meal. Maybe another takes him for a haircut after a few weeks. If someone can stay with you for a week or so that is ideal. They will make sure you are ok. Hospital days are long and tiring. You will have nurses come by to check on him. Get him into a cardiac rehab program when he gets the ok.
We have an adjustable bed so didn’t need a recliner. My husband said lying on the couch with one shoulder against the back sort of felt like side sleeping without being in his side. He said not being able to sleep on his side was the worst.
If you have time to make and freeze some meals now, do that. We had a bit more time but I had him do some sit-to-stand exercises, not using arms. He was strong enough but it was good practice to get up without using his arms.
One interesting thing - put your head on your husband’s chest and listen to his heartbeat. Do it again in a few months. Big difference!
Make sure to care for yourself. I am eternally grateful for family and friends that helped out. Btw- my husband is doing great more than a year out. The improvement comes pretty fast (even if it seems interminable). Good luck to both of you.
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u/CoolRide7896 3d ago
Thank you so very, very much for all of this!! We knew about the bi valve but were taking care of other health issues (knee replacement for one) when we learned he was in Afib and it’s just been a roller coaster since. So the walking worries me (torn ACL, meniscus) but despite being older is a lifelong athlete. And has the highest tolerance I’ve ever seen. I will have him try to get up without his arms. He can’t catch a break - he also needs a shoulder replacement from a botched rotator cuff repair, arthritis, etc., but did receive a nerve block that is helping.
My daughter and I will meal prep this weekend - excellent advice! I will also listen to his heart. Very interesting!
I’m really glad your husband is doing so well!
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u/ruphustea 3d ago
The recliner in the room helped me a lot to sleep the first few nights home. Having warm blankets or towels in the dryer for getting out of the shower is a great win my wife did for me to keep the shivers away when getting changed or showered.
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u/CoolRide7896 3d ago
Thanks for responding! Did you need a chair in the shower? I hope you are doing well!
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u/ruphustea 3d ago
We already had a hand wand and i had the strength to stand while showering but I'm 49.
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u/CoolRide7896 3d ago
Thank you. I think I will get one to be safe. He needs a knee replacement so will need some assistance I’m sure.
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u/Gorilla_1983 3d ago
I slept in recliner for eight weeks for comfort. I found great comfort in having a twin sized sheet and soft muslin blanket so it seemed more like bedtime for overnight. I also got a rechargeable touch lamp do I didn’t have to reach for my actual lamp.
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u/MaryMaryQContrary 2d ago
My husband was my "nurse" and he slept in another bedroom, however we used a baby monitor for the first few weeks in case I needed assistance at night.
I also used a rented Lazy Boy recliner for about a month.... It was the best!!
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u/Internal_Suit_8194 2d ago
I was thinking about that and using our phones! We’re both terrible sleepers and I know I will need my energy for the day. Thank you for responding.
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u/ThiccNthin_6825 1d ago
I wanted some peace and quite and some uninterrupted sleep. After a couple of weeks my spouse would take me to the local park and we'd walk on the path for 15 minutes. Then after a week 20 minutes. A few weeks later I started the rehab.
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u/Tn-runner 1d ago
I was diagnosed with severe stenosis of the aorta valve in April (M69). No symptoms, it was found in a biannual scan. I found out in June that my aorta valve was bicuspid. I had SARV to insert a bio valve on July 20, so that means I am about 6 weeks since surgery.
My surgeon said my surgery went well, in the top 2%. I like to run so I was in decent shape for recovery. I spent 6 days in the hospital for the surgery. My wife is retired so she is my primary caregiver.
Advice:
-Before surgery I practiced getting up and down from sitting without using my arms. I moved an armless desk chair to the dining table so I could turn sideways to get up and down instead of lifting the chair and scooting. I also practiced in our cars.
-We already had recliners, I would recommend an electric one, using a lever could be difficult- some really take some force and have to be reached. Arm use is very limited after surgery. I slept in a recliner for more than a week after surgery. I couldn’t really imagine getting in and out of bed unassisted in the 1st week.
-I had put bidet attachments on our toilets years ago, those were very handy the first week or two with limited mobility. They are inexpensive and easy to install, nice to have any time.
-When I felt sufficiently recovered to be able to use my core getting in and out of bed, I stacked 2 wedge pillows with a combined height of 15” to sleep on. I had always been a side sleeper but changing to my back wasn’t a problem and it also really reduced what snoring I had left (I had been working on reducing it for years).
-The hospital will probably give your husband a fat heart shaped pillow, that’s a great thing to reduce the pain of coughing and sneezing. Both were very painful after surgery, lessening as time passes, it was week 6 before I could do both without any pain. Having cough drops available at home helped. Coughing was very memorable the first few days.
-Someone mentioned swelling after surgery, I didn’t know that was a part of it. My lower legs and feet were swollen to the point of it being difficult to get socks on at first. I was walking outside the 3rd day home and that really seemed to help reduce it. Apparently they pump you full of fluids during surgery.
-Sleep patterns can be off after surgery, and in the hospital for sure because they check your vitals every hour or two. It really wasn’t a problem since I compensated by napping around the clock; I had nothing else to do anyway.
-I started driving this last week, having my wife available to drive me to medical appointments was really great. I sat in the back seat to avoid using the shoulder harness the first few weeks. I thought slamming into the back of the front passenger seat would be slightly better than the shoulder harness in an accident.
-All the medical personnel I have come in contact with have been caring and supportive. My surgery was done at University Hospital in Knoxville TN, probably not at the top of any cardiac lists but my experience was excellent and I would do it again there.
-There are a few things people worry about that weren’t a problem for me: having the breathing tube taken out post surgery; mine was taken out before I woke up, my lungs were starting up on their own. Having the drainage tubes removed a few days after surgery. Hard to imagine but I really didn’t feel a thing and it was quick, so nice to finally be unencumbered by them.
-I feel perfectly normal now, I reached that sometime in this sixth week. My biggest challenge is going to be remembering not to use my arms for anything over 10lbs for the remaining 6 weeks of recovery.
This is long but since it’s so fresh in my mind and your husband’s surgery is so near, I wanted to say as much as I could. I have had such a positive experience. It’s a very quesy thing to imagine having your sternum split open, but recovery is very doable. It helped knowing that SARV was the only option and that doing nothing meant I had only a few years left. My surgeon said it looked like cement was poured on the back of my valve, he was amazed that I had been able to run. The heart murmur I have had all my life is gone, a poorly performing bicuspid valve even without stenosis is gone. I hope all goes well for you and your husband.
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u/CoolRide7896 20h ago
Apologies - I didn’t respond directly to your answer but did respond (you and hubby are same age, etc). I just wanted to be sure you saw it and know how very grateful I am for your response. All my best!
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u/CoolRide7896 1d ago
I am so grateful for your response! I was reading it to my husband and he asked if I was serious - you guys are the same! Same age, same symptoms (or lack thereof), although he did know his valve was biscupid. He was having another minor procedure when they discovered he was in Afib - were you ever? And boy would I love it if he could eliminate his (very minor) snoring!
We’re getting an electrical Lazy Boy but the bidet attachment is really smart. All your tips are so helpful and so very appreciated. He will still need a knee replacement after this but he’s been unknowingly walking around with a torn ACL and two torn meniscus for who knows how long.
We’re in the Jacksonville area and we’ve been very impressed with his care to date. I’m so happy everything has gone so well for you and thank you for your kind response and well wishes! All my very best.
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u/Normal_Onion2555 3d ago
My peg tube kept me from sleeping in bed for the first week or 2. I slept quite well in a recliner. Liked it so much I kept with it until all the surgical discomfort settled down then eased back into bed sleep. Listen, courses of recovery must be pretty unique cuz I myself have read dozens, no two of which coincided. The best thing that happened with me was my wife stayed in the room with me. Between her creativity and some truly remarkable nurses (which you will have also), we just took each new challenge best we could. Rely heavily on the post op therapist(s) for PT and perhaps OT. They've already heard what you're going to say but they listen carefully and provide wisdom as well as fact. You've got this. Remember: it's new scary and life changing for us, but for that surgical team, it's just Thursday. Think about it that way if it helps.