My Dad needs a heart bypass, what does this mean for our family?

[MordecaiAndTheRigbys]

He hasnt been well for a long time, he has diabetes, HBP, pancreaitis, lung issues due to heavy smokingHas lost a ton of weight recently, he thought it was the big C and refused to go to the hospital, afraid of what he might be told. He has finally gone, been through a battery of tests and they have found blockages. They wont do stents and said he is too young for the meds, he is 60.

My mum is worried. He doesnt want to get it done because he will have to give up work, he is a lorry driver and has to lift heavy loads. Has anyone ben through this? What has been the impact for your family?

Sorry to hear your dad isn't well.

My dad had a bypass when he was 55. He had a quadruple one. It was a big operation, but he did get through it fine. He was in hospital for about 2 weeks when he had it done, but it was done in a private hospital as he was insured through his work.

It took my dad about 6 weeks to recover - he was very tired and weak for at least the first 4 weeks, but he had to start walking and building himself back up as soon as he could. He was off work for about 3 months then returned. He didnt have a job where he had to lift heavy things or do manual work, so he was ok to return. It will take longer I imagine for your dad to be able to return to his job.

As soon as he had completed his recovery, my dad felt brilliant. He is now retired but still very active and does a lot of physical work - he practically rebuilt a house 2 years after his op!!

I hope your dad recovers as well from his op - he really will find that he feels better after it. You need to make sure he allows himself to recover fully from the operation though, it is really important. Also, my dad was told that having open heart surgery can cause you to go into a depression. My dad was very teary the 4 day after his op, but soon got over that. Luckily he didn't suffer anything long term with this.

hi ....... must be a worrying time for you all atm with hard decisions to make. My mum had a triple ( 3 vessels blocked and replaced) bypass done three years ago at aged 81. She did not have the best of lungs either as she also smoked !

I went to stay with her for two weeks while she was in hospital and first at home and these are the main points I remember

She said that there was less pain at the operation area than she thought there would be ... however the pain and discomfort of the constipation she got was significant ( I cant remember if she had codeine based analgesia but if your dad gets offered it advise him constipation is a very common side effect ... I can vouch for that as I had it after my jaw op !)

After op she was in intensive care for 24 hours then high dependancy for another 24 or so.... a few days later was discharged as long as someone there for support.

She was up and about for short walks more limited by poor circulation in legs than the function of her heart.

There was the usual tiredness etc after any General Anasthetic

I left only after daily visits from district nurse then home care support organised till mum could drive again and do shopping. ( I live 600 miles from her) .

She does not need this input now and still lives on her own... limited as previoulsy said more from other things then her heart.

There are people that do return to work after bypass surgery and it more depends prob on how much other illnesses affect the ability to do the job..... if he is currently working with the heart disease so bad it needs an op then surely he can return when heart is better ....... has surgeon said he can / cant ?

best wishes for you all

My Dad had quadruple bypass at the age of around 74 - he was on holiday in France at the time, and had been completely fit and well up til then (although it turned out he had been suffering from "indigestion" on and off for a while), which made the whole thing more traumatic for all of us, but his recovery period was quick and straightforward, and it gave him a new lease of life. He's still going strong at 82.

If he needs bypass and is refusing then he should not be driving, he is at reisk of haveing a heart attack at the wheel and the Dr should be informing the DVLA and telling them to revoke his licence.

There are different types of bypass depending on where the blockages are and how many. If they are not putting in stents that means that there is either a large blockage they can't get through with the baloon or there are many small blockages - too many to stent. Not sure what you mea by the meds.

The simplest bypass is when a vein from just under the collar bone is attached to one of the coronary arteries, for more than this single bypass veins are 'harvested' from other parts of the body - usually the lower leg.

It is a big operation, the sternum has to be sawn open and this is what causes the hospitalisation for a couple of weeks.

From the limmited information you have given - and I wish there was anicer way to put this - he is a walking time bomb.

Coronary arteries that cannot be stented / opened with angioplasty will sooner or later block, depending on where the block is determins how much of his heart muscle will die. The technical name is myocardial infarction or MI - this is NOT the same as cardiac arrest where the heart is actually fibrillating and a shock can be given, although cardiac arrest can happen during or after an MI the MI is what does the damage.

Basic\ally your dad has been offered an operation that will highly reduce the risk of a heart attack. If he is driving a lorry without it being corrected he is a risk to everyone else on the road as well as himself.

My dad has had a bypass using a stent. It was fairly straightforward and he only had a few days in hospital. He now needs another so we are just waiting to find out what type.
Feel for you OP, it's very worrying.

I agree that your dad should not be driving a lorry, without checking with the DVLA first. AFAIK, the health requirements for HGV drivers are more stringent than for car drivers, so he may be uninsured. After his op, he will be allowed to drive again after 6 weeks, but I am not sure about his HGV licence, he may need a medical to get that back.

The op is big, but is also more routine now than you may think. His op will take about 4 hours, but could be a bit less or more. He will wake up in ICU on a ventilator, which will be removed when he is alert enough. The next day, he will get out of bed, because sitting in a chair is better for clearing fluid from his lungs. That day he may be moved to a step down unit or a normal ward, where he will stay for another 5 days, increasing his activity and slowly get tubes and wires removed.

My main advice to him is to quit smoking. This operation is about the heart, but recovery is as much about the lungs. Smokers do find recovery harder, and need to cough a lot more to clear the lungs. He will be shown how to brace himself to minimise discomfort from coughing, but it would be good to get his lungs as healthy as possible before the op. When he gets home, he will be encouraged to do walking exercise, starting at 5 minutes walking per day, building up to 40 minutes a day by 6 weeks. Make sure he does this, he may need a poke in the right direction.

If he works hard at his recovery, then he should be well enough to work again at 3 months. A lot of the lifting restriictions are gone by 3 months, and if he changes his diet and lifestyle then he has the potential to be healthier than he has been for years. Once again, the fags must go.

Just want to say thank you for all the lovely messages. I relayed the info to my mum. Its all well and good to have the pamplet but sometimes you just want some anecdocal advice.

My sister was with him this morning, he seems to understand the seriousness, he has always been an old fashioned countryman, no trust in doctors etc but he gets it now I think.

I agree about the smokes, he has the nurse tomorrow and me ma is going to get him to seek help about the smoking. Thanks again!