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Original poster

Husband having open heart surgery tomorrow

123 replies

Myotis · 17/01/2024 19:44

That’s it really- anyone been through something similar? Worried and anxious obviously- he’s second on the list so just hope it goes ahead and is not postponed for any reason. No idea how long he will be in as it is complicated and depends how it goes. Advice and hand holding appreciated x

OP posts:
CelieandNettie · 08/05/2024 17:38

I'm following any advice given too. DH having CABG sometime this year. Had heart scan today so now we wait

thing47 · 08/05/2024 18:36

CelieandNettie · 08/05/2024 17:38

I'm following any advice given too. DH having CABG sometime this year. Had heart scan today so now we wait

Hi @CelieandNettie DH had an off-pump CABG about 9 years ago. All going fine now, he doesn't even have regular check-ups. He now works, exercises/plays sport, travels abroad… everything really.

He would definitely second PPs who mentioned the pillow! Also, he got up and started moving on the third day after operation (spent first day in ICU because of other health issues). Very slowly, with a walker at first, but a little and often.

cudbywestrangers · 09/05/2024 20:49

Sitting up in bed wasn't too much of a problem by the time dh came home- he was in hospital for2 weeks though. I would say you definitely need front opening tops for a good few weeks though so we had to buy some traditional style pyjamas.

Hope the angio went OK on Tuesday @balzamico We also started off using insurance, but you may find that the private hospitals aren't quite geared up to do pericardectomy. It's 5 days of close monitoring post op (hdu) and they haven't all got the facilities. We ended up going from private to the nhs waiting list and had the op about 3 months later.

CelieandNettie · 15/05/2024 17:23

My DH has had his angiogram so now we wait ... anyone have any ideas of how long the wait could be ? Read online it could be within 3 months of the referral but not sure how accurate this is

balzamico · 25/05/2024 08:23

Less than 5 weeks to go, the angiogram showed no other issues but that the valve was significantly blocked and they were happy/ recommended to proceed.
We chose the date to be after ds gcses - it's given us time to wrap our heads round it but like most things the waiting is difficult.
He'll be having a mechanical valve due to his age so we also have warfarin to deal with but I think that should be ok

Original poster
Myotis · 25/05/2024 21:09

Hi all
just picking up on this- glad the thread has been useful. My OH has recovered well from the heart op- he had other bigger health issues last year that the op was just the icing on the cake 😫 so he still has a way to go with his overall recovery but it’s a separate issue so he’s not back at work yet
He has been going to the cardiac rehab classes though and is almost ready to get booted out of them as he’s progressed well, and his scar has healed up nicely too. It is truly amazing what the body can heal from, it totally blows my mind
Thinking of you all who are going through this too, and hope the GCSEs go well- we are in the middle of them too with our eldest x

OP posts:
Lwrenagain · 26/05/2024 07:59

Myotis · 25/05/2024 21:09

Hi all
just picking up on this- glad the thread has been useful. My OH has recovered well from the heart op- he had other bigger health issues last year that the op was just the icing on the cake 😫 so he still has a way to go with his overall recovery but it’s a separate issue so he’s not back at work yet
He has been going to the cardiac rehab classes though and is almost ready to get booted out of them as he’s progressed well, and his scar has healed up nicely too. It is truly amazing what the body can heal from, it totally blows my mind
Thinking of you all who are going through this too, and hope the GCSEs go well- we are in the middle of them too with our eldest x

Sending you all much love and all the very best for you husband and family x

balzamico · 27/05/2024 10:53

thanks @Myotis this is so helpful and reassuring to hear. xx

balzamico · 30/05/2024 17:19

Has anyone tried to get travel insurance after this op? A chance conversation today has dh worried he's not going to be able to travel

Piggywaspushed · 30/05/2024 17:32

Hi OP. Good Luck.

Be mentally prepared for changes in behaviour as well as physical stuff in the recuperation phase, just in case. And ask lots of questions. I didn't so was prepared for lots of things really.

CelieandNettie · 30/05/2024 17:40

Hi everyone. Those of you who have gone through this - how long did you have to wait from initial decision of operation to actual operation date ? It's been 5 weeks since DH was told he'd need a triple bypass

Piggywaspushed · 30/05/2024 17:45

Duh. Just realised my advice came rather late!

thing47 · 30/05/2024 18:13

balzamico · 30/05/2024 17:19

Has anyone tried to get travel insurance after this op? A chance conversation today has dh worried he's not going to be able to travel

DH had an off-pump triple bypass 10 years ago and has flown long and short haul since. I think insurance depends a lot on your age – DH was only in his early 40s and has had no trouble getting insurance but BIL in his 70s has had to pay a lot more since a similar operation.

cudbywestrangers · 30/05/2024 19:05

We're away at the moment, 4 months post pericardectomy. Insurance was £60 extra on top of the cover included with the bank account. And thinking of behaviour, the morphine made dh pretty paranoid which was horrible. It was a 3 month wait from going on the nhs list as urgent.

Needanadultgapyear · 30/05/2024 19:29

CelieandNettie · 30/05/2024 17:40

Hi everyone. Those of you who have gone through this - how long did you have to wait from initial decision of operation to actual operation date ? It's been 5 weeks since DH was told he'd need a triple bypass

My DH was told he'd need a triple bypass late Feb and needed referral to London from Hampshire for it. He had the surgery at the Royal Brompton mid April.
I moved to London for the time he was in hospital 6 nights. He wasn't ready for how deep he would have to dig in HDU and we now joke that I bullied him out of HDU, making him cough and breath deeply to expand his lungs. It will be 7 weeks tomorrow from his surgery and he is beginning to feel more himself. Though his consultant tells him it will be a year before he is normal again. The worst bit has been the scarring on his wrist where they took one of the arteries they used.
He had 3 stents over 12 years before he had a heart attack in February that caused the need for the triple bypass.

Needanadultgapyear · 30/05/2024 19:30

balzamico · 30/05/2024 17:19

Has anyone tried to get travel insurance after this op? A chance conversation today has dh worried he's not going to be able to travel

I checked for our summer holidays and after triple bypass you can get travel insurance after 3 months though DH's consult won't sign him fit to fly till end of July.

CelieandNettie · 30/05/2024 20:47

Thanks - I'm finding this thread very useful ! Now we wait ...

balzamico · 31/05/2024 23:23

Thank you all for the answers and reassurance about travel insurance. This thread is so useful as is the fact that practically everyone we tell knows someone who had it done and has been fine since.
We've now got less than four weeks to wait.
We're fortunate to have private health insurance as the NHS referral has not yet arrived (the stenosis was picked up incidentally at the beginning of March) but he could have had the surgery within a couple of weeks of the diagnosis privately .

CelieandNettie · 01/06/2024 17:08

Well we got a letter today, DH has a phone appt with cardiology nurse in 2 weeks ? It's from our local hospital even though we've been told op will be in London.
Anyone had this ? Thanks

Original poster
Myotis · 05/06/2024 20:43

They often hold weekly clinics in smaller hospitals so I would think it is just that @CelieandNettie?
MRI scan tomorrow for DH to have a look and see how things are post op 🤞🏻

OP posts:
MILTOBE · 05/06/2024 21:04

I hope it goes well tomorrow, OP. All of us are wishing him well.

cudbywestrangers · 05/06/2024 23:28

Hope the mri results are positive @Myotis funnily enough my dh is in tomorrow for an echo and 24 hour ecg!

balzamico · 06/06/2024 16:58

and another question from me - for those having aortic valves replaced, pig or mechanical? dh is in his 50's and has been told its entirely his choice, one cardiologist would go pig if it was him and the other would go mechanical (& thus take warfarin).
We do like a drink at the weekends and that's not great on warfarin apparently

CelieandNettie · 06/06/2024 19:05

@Myotis hope today went well and that your DH is ok

Hedjwitch · 06/06/2024 20:26

Dh had a pig valve put in as part of his double bypass in December.

Although the surgery went well and is working,he subsequently suffered heart failure and has been in and out of hospital since. Its a long road to recovery..dont underestimate it.