Any experience of major heart surgery in their 80s?

[PacificDogwod]

My 83 yo DF has been advised to have surgery for a slowly widening aneurysm at his ascending aorta (likely associated with the congenital aortic valve problem he has).
The whole issue was found incidentally some 10 years ago, he is entirely well, VERY active (think cycling, chopping his own firewood, climbing trees to saw branches off and falling off etc etc), never smoked, not diabetic, not overweight etc etc.
Surgery is now recommended as it has been widening and obviously if it pops, he'd be dead before he hits the floor

I'd really appreciate any stories of how an elderly person in your life recovered from such an operation??

His cardiothoracic surgeon is suggesting a minimally invasive approach with a small cut near his collar bone, going down to access the heart/aorta, so no huge cut through breastbone/ribs.

My dad is 84 and is about to have valve replacement and heart bypass surgery. He's fit and active otherwise but I am worried about his recovery. Didn't seem to be much of an option tho

MIL had emergency surgery for a ruptured aneurism aged 88, 5 years ago. She's made of tough stuff but she's done really well. She was really uncomfortable and tired immediately after the op but we didn't notice any long term loss of health.

Physically she's fine, but she decided that she wanted to go into a care home as a temporary resident to recover from the operation and she's never left. I think she lost a little confidence and it made her realise she wanted to be looked after.

Neckless - they do monitor them very carefully though and they wouldn't do the op unless they felt he was fit enough for it. I was very worried about Dad at 87 but he was sitting up in a chair for a whle the next day (in ICU but still).

Thank you. Also selfishly worried about how we're going to be able to look after him afterwards, with work and kids etc on top

Does he live alone Neckless? They were very careful to check with Dad before he was discharged that there was someone at home - even though it was my 84-year-old mother! If there had been nobody though I presume they would have arranged some convalescent care - he couldn't have managed alone. I had to go up every couple of days to change his compression socks. In fact I think they dropped the ball there as they didn't inform the district nurses and nobody visited him at home for several days until Mum telephoned. They didn't even put compression socks on him in hospital and sent him home without them - I had to order some off ebay!!

He does live alone, but he told them my sister lives up the road, which she does but she also works and has 4 children so is panicking as to how to manage his care as well. I'm 3 hours away. But she says she thought they might not have agreed to him having the op otherwise?

We weren't asked this question until the op was definite. He won't be able to manage without someone there. My dad is very fit for 87 (88 now) - that was the consultant's opinion - but he couldn't bathe himself (my 84-year-old mother had to wash his hair for him - not that he has very much ) and neither of them could get those compression socks on him - I had to go every 2 days to do it. (He only had a bath every couple of days because of this). When he was still in hospital he told us he had had a shower - but the nurse had helped him.

When my uncle was 79 he had his gall bladder out (it couldn't be keyhole surgery because of complications) and he was in hospital for a long time. Because none of us lives near him, they arranged for him to go into a convalescent home for a couple of weeks (might have been more). Could this be arranged for your Dad do you think?

My dad had a triple bypass in his 80s. He recovered well and went on to live into his 90s.

My dad had a general for a heart valve replacement 15 months ago.

He seems pretty well as sharp as ever. He is now 86.

My grandfather had a triple heart bypass at 88. It went well - the only issue was that they needed to use veins from another part of his body, tried his arm but weren't successful, so had to use his leg instead (leg and arm might be other way round!). One of those was a bit slow to heal. He died at 93 from complications with prostate cancer - but was still cycling only two weeks before his death; he had 10 days to say goodbye to people and gradually drifted away. About as good as it gets I think.

I think they're taking the vein from his leg. We'll have to sort out some sort of rota I think, for when he comes home. He's rattling around in a big house and I don't know how he'll manage stairs either. I did wonder about convalescent care but I actually work in adult social care and think people can become institutionalised quickly, plus I don't know the services where he lives. Glad to hear all the success stories tho!

My dad has had his op, 2 days ago. It went fine but he is now very confused, I've googled post op delirium and am worried he won't recover, but I suppose it's early days and it was his decision.