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Original poster

According to my Dad (always a dodgy source of info) My mu is having her aorta replaced - can anyone throw any light on this surgery?

73 replies

KatyMac · 09/03/2009 21:28

She is having her aorta replaced (or lined with teflon) from in her chest through her stomach to where it splits in to each leg, then all the way down one leg

Does this make any sense or has he finally flipped

She will be in hospital about 10 days - 2 weeks then incapacitated for about 6 weeks....apparently

& I am feeling a little stressed about it

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Original poster
KatyMac · 10/03/2009 22:32

A large part of her aorta had been flattened (like a straw?) they have no idea how this happened

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Original poster
KatyMac · 10/03/2009 22:33

She had been having "a prolonged heart attack in her led & we fixed it" according to the dr

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Northernlurker · 10/03/2009 22:40

That's great news - wonderful that you can see her looking better already even after 7 hours in surgery! Hope all goes well with her recovery.

Original poster
KatyMac · 10/03/2009 22:49

I know

She was so pissed off with my dad & I who kept saying how good she looked & she was feeling so crap

Her BP is quite low, she had no blood, she still has an epidural in

She was sucking on a little ice lolly & kept falling asleep

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Northernlurker · 10/03/2009 23:12

I think they may aim to keep her BP as low as they can for a bit so she may carry on feeling crap for a while! As for falling asleep - it's not surprising! Hope you can get a good night's sleep - better than last night I expect!

Original poster
KatyMac · 10/03/2009 23:13

Much better - I am off now

Thanks to everyone - I really needed the support

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DarrellRivers · 11/03/2009 08:16

Checking in this morning, good to hear she is looking pinker.
What a day yesterday must have been for all involved!

Longtalljosie · 11/03/2009 08:21

Oh wonderful. I've been thinking of you. My dad had aortic surgery only last Friday. It will take a little while for her to bounce back but she'll get there x

Original poster
KatyMac · 11/03/2009 09:37

Thanks

Pops was talking about the bike he was going to buy her (she stopped riding about 2 yrs ago) & the nurse took me off to the side & said she might not be riding fro 6 months - so I guess it's a long recovery

I really don't understand how her face & the skin on her arms was so much softer and plumper - I thought it was the blood flow to her legs that was the problem

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Longtalljosie · 11/03/2009 16:47

Think of the aorta as being a bit like the M1 motorway - it facilitates blood to everywhere

Original poster
KatyMac · 11/03/2009 20:34

She can move both legs & is allowed sips of water

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DarrellRivers · 12/03/2009 09:07

Good progress

Original poster
KatyMac · 12/03/2009 12:14

Thanks & hope so too

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Original poster
KatyMac · 12/03/2009 20:16

She is not very good today

She is having blood, her BP has dropped and she needs lots of antibiotics

She looks awful - her colour is terrible

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rempy · 12/03/2009 20:25

Very sorry to hear that Katy.

It is up and down after this kind of thing, and really the first 10 days or so can be fraught.

It is very very common to need a blood transfusion a day or so after surgery, she will have more colour when she has received the transfusion.

Some of the antibiotics will be a prophylaxis - a pre-emptive strike as infection in the graft is catastrophic - patients with grafts get big doses of hardcore antibiotics to try and make sure that no bugs settle there after the surgery.

I hope she settles overnight, and looks better in the morning.

Original poster
KatyMac · 12/03/2009 20:28

She had a "Aorto-Bifemoral Bypass" I found out today

She is on oxygen and they are worried about pneumonia

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rempy · 12/03/2009 20:32

Thats not uncommon, particularly if she hasnt had time to stop smoking some weeks before the op.

She may need some help breathing over the next few days - either a mask tight on her face, or a hood over her head, as well as chest physio and antibiotics.

Wishing her well soon.

Original poster
KatyMac · 12/03/2009 20:33

Thank you that is reassuring

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Original poster
KatyMac · 13/03/2009 09:00

My dad phoned the hospital last night to inform them that she has pernicious anaemia - he thinks she has forgotton to tell them

He thinks this may affect the blood pressure

My physio thinks that as blood wasn't going into her legs for a long time, that progressively over time less & less blood was produced to circulate - which may have been a contributer to the PA

I am just so confused tbh

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Original poster
KatyMac · 13/03/2009 09:07

No I have that wrong - it contributed to the low BP (I think)

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DarrellRivers · 13/03/2009 12:22

Overall, an operation of this sort will knock you about and you are prone to all the post op complications that just having a GA will entail like pneumonia etc.
Hopefully time will help with all these complications (and the Docs and nurses!)

Original poster
KatyMac · 13/03/2009 13:26

Thanks

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Original poster
KatyMac · 13/03/2009 21:27

She looks much better today

Her chest is clear, but she still needs the oxygen

She is still on A-Bs but she looks better

Apparently she had surgery 24 yrs ago & that has left her with the damaged aorta & some other significant damage (she had peritonitis) and it is unclear whether or not that will need further surgery

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