Worried sick - quadruple heart bypass

[Coffeeismybestfriend]

Hi, not sure I’ve posted this in the right place but I wasn’t sure where was best.

my grandma who I’m very close to is due to have at least a quadruple heart bypass tomorrow morning and I’m sick with worry. (I have health anxiety so worry at the smallest health issue anyway so this is major)

She has other health issues which have put her in the high risk category and I’m just so worried she won’t make it through the surgery.

They’re having to take veins from other parts of her body, and I learned the other day that they stop her heart to perform surgery then have to restart it again?!

Has anyone had a family member have this procedure? Has anyone had it themselves?

Any ideas of what I can do tomorrow to stop myself panicking all day while we wait for news?

My dad had it 10 years ago. It is a very stressful time, but if your gran is having this procedure, it's because it is absolutely her best option . But of course you are going to worry.
I hope all goes well for her

FIL had it. He lived another 20 years after.

I have had open heart surgery - for different reasons but it’s a similar process.

I’m younger (45) and was in good health going into it, so maybe less risk than your grandma but I can honestly say the hospitals are experts in their field and this is now a relatively common surgery that they have nailed. My risk was 2%.

The recovery wasn’t fun though, first 3 weeks were very hard. Not sure how true it is but one of the nurses say it is often more difficult for younger, fitter patients as muscles are stronger than older peoples so more healing.

Positive thoughts for tomorrow and try to remember that the docs must consider that she has a better chance having the surgery than without or they wouldn’t do it.

Thanks for responding.. I know it’s a surgery that’s performed often but I think it’s the fact it’s a quadruple that’s worrying me. Plus the last time she had major surgery she nearly didn’t survive. They’ve told her the risk is 1 in 30 for tomorrow.

you’re right though - positive thoughts, I’m trying!

My dad had this operation at St. George's, Tooting. They did an amazing job and he made a full recovery. Best of luck for your grandma. X

My friend had it last week, he's already home!

It must be her best option. Colleague had quintuple heart bypass in December and was back at work in January. Way too early imo, but he was adament he felt fine. Obviously he was younger (50s). Hope all goes well. Keep yourself busy with things you enjoy if you can to help your anxiety. It's a very long op so work out if you can meet up with a friend, go to the cinema etc. Make plans for the whole day if you can.

DP had a double heart bypass about 7 weeks ago. He was expecting it to be a triple. He's early 60s with other health issues. He was in for 10 days because he picked up an infection. But the difference in him over the last month has been amazing. He was worried, I was shitting myself, but we knew it had to be done and tried to think positively.
Sending good wishes to you and your DGran.

Great to hear positive stories, thank you!

hopefully we’ll hear an update this afternoon. Now to keep busy with 4DC for the day 🥴

My dad had a triple heart bypass 18 months ago, aged 80. He’s as fit as a fiddle today.

My dad had quadruple heart surgery last year at 70. He had a very successful op and recovery.

My mum had one in her 70’s, with additional surgery to her one of her heart valves. She was given a 20% chance of survival. She was out of hospital in about 10 days, recovery was gentle, and she still pottering around doing her washing, ironing and shopping 13 years later. Hope all goes well for your Nan!

My MIL had a quadruple bypass done about 20+ years ago and was so much better afterwards. Sadly it was cancer that took her many years later. I'm sure techniques have improved even more since then so hopefully your grandma will benefit too.

Not much I can advise to stop the worrying while the procedure takes place I'm afraid but sending best wishes for a successful surgery and recovery.

FIL had a quadruple bypass over 13y ago at 58. They walk you out of the recovery room. It's amazing. He's fine nowadays.

My friend had a quadruple bypass last year in his sixties. The worst bit for him was all the sitting around waiting for the op and then taking it slow afterwards. Fit as a fiddle now and he will show off his scar to anyone who asks

My nan with multiple other health conditions had it around 25 years ago. Recovery was a bit painful but she was up and about in days.
She died at a very ripe old age of 90 of something unrelated.
Yes it is a big operation but the results are just outstanding.

It sounds scary, but if there are four vessels at risk of blocking, they all need doing, or the remaining one(s) could still be at risk of blocking and causing a heart attack. It doesn't actually increase the risk of the op much over doing two or three, as I understand it. I'm an anaesthetist but not a cardiac specialist.

She will most likely go to ICU afterwards, and be asleep & ventilated for a short while (I've never heard of people walking out of recovery as a PP said). Most people do very well but it can be a stormy recovery as it is a big operation and the body has a lot of healing to do. My dad had one 4 years ago, was out of hospital in 5 days but took months of careful rehab to feel "normal." Good luck to her and to you.

What??
She will be in the cardiac ICU for at least a day, maybe two. I've never heard of a patient walking out of the recovery room after a quadruple bypass.
Yes, some people recovery very quickly but this is wild.
Hope your grandmas surgery goes well and she has a speedy recovery.

My dad had a similar operation many years ago. The worst bit was he was very confused after the operation - he couldn’t remember who I was. Apparently temporary confusion is quite common, but it was horrible to see him that frightened. It didn’t last more than a day and the operation was a complete success.

My dad had quadruple over 30 years ago. He's getting married again (aged nearly 80) next month!
It is a big operation (no point in pretending it's not) but they wouldn't put your grandma through it unless they thought she had a really good shot at making a strong recovery.

In my dad's case they took an artery from his leg for the graft so he felt very knocked about afterwards but he was home within a week and they started him on physio fairly quickly. Bearing in mind this was 30 years ago and medicine and surgery has advanced dramatically since then too.

Thank you everyone it’s so nice to hear so many positive stories.

she had the surgery this morning, they took arteries from her arms and legs to complete the procedure, but they’ve said so far that it’s looking successful.

she’s still asleep 7 hours later.. waiting for the news that she’s woken up. This is what went wrong last time - she couldn’t wake up and had to be ventilated for a week and that was just a small back op. So I’ll be watching my phone waiting for that call!

My brother and my bil have both had this. My brother had veins taken from the length of his leg, which looked grim, as it was clipped together with metal staples
He was home just a few days after the op, and 10 years later is good. BIL collapsed at a business meeting, so his was and emergency procedure. When he finally went back to work he was made redundant, he was a director in a large company, and got a large pay off. So they sold there house in the Midlands and bought a run down large property in the Charente. Spent the next 12 years rebuilding and refurbing. They are now selling up, and looking for somewhere a bit smaller. Just encourage her to eat healtily and exercise after the op.

Any update on this?