Tyler's Journal

Rose Madura  Tyler, it's normal to be scared but our minds (are least mine) made it seem worse than it was.  Yes, being in good shape will definitely help.  As a swimmer, your lungs should be strong so that's a plus. God bless you on this journey And please keep us updated. 

Rita Savelis  Being in good physical condition is great and it sounds like you are. The only problem with those in great shape is that they can get worried if they can't immediately bike 15 miles after surgery. They expect more from their bodies! After surgery one needs time to heal and get strong again. But being in good physical condition is great for any surgery and great for life! Take care Tyler.

Richard Munson  Better in shape before, better in shape after. We were all scared before. Its normal. I was 79 and in good shape but not to your level. 

Marie Myers  Great advice from the previous comments. Stretching your chest and arms preop might help with the aching shoulders and upper back that I experienced. Like Rita said, for those in very good shape, they may experience frustration that they don’t recovery as quickly as they would like. I found that the Whole open heart surgery experience was not as bad as my Worrying mind would have me believe. 

Suelynn Hanegraaf  It is normal to worry because we’re not in control. Sounds like you’re in great shape. Keep up your exercising (as approved by your cardiologist), eat and sleep well, and read and get informed (knowledge is power). If I may suggest:  incorporate meditation and breathing exercises. Those two really helped my anxiety for both of my SAVRs. 

Anna Ma  Someone made a list a few weeks ago on preop prep. Strength in legs is good, doing more squats will help after surgery to standup etc. like Marie suggested, some neck and shoulder and upper back exercises should be good, I wish I knew that before my surgery. Back shoulder pain was what I struggled most post op. And lastly, body flexibility can be very beneficial in many situations.

Brady Busch  Nine days,after a full sternotomy.My attitude was never like,I've got to get out of this place.During the last day,while talking with a nurse practitioner,she asked me what I wanted to do.The decision was made then,it was time to go.
A few things happened-atrial fibrillation and sinus block,which required a pacemaker install,that most likely prolonged the stay.

Susan Dunne  6 days for me.  Full sternotomy.  Then I chose to go to acute rehab for 10 days to gain strength.  Home for 2 days.  So far so good.

J Alexander Lassally  Like 3-5 ish for thoracotomy and 5-7 ish for sternotomy. No hard and fast rule, though. They offered me a day early, but I stayed an extra.  No rush. 

Allen Carkner  This is just because they wanted my blood pressure really low, ideally less than 110/60, after surgery and they were adjusting meds a couple days so I’d be able to take them at home without much trouble.

Teressa Phillips  I had a mechanical aortic valve replacement in January. The two biggest reasons they were able to do the less invasive surgery was I did not require any bypasses or other work and the size of my valve opening was large enough for the size valve my doctor thought was appropriate. They were able to determine these things through my heart cath and a CT scan with contrast dye. Of course they warned me that if something happened during surgery they might still have to do the invasive incision.  

I had an incision above my right breast (and the dislocated rib right under it), the drain tube opening that was just in the crease under my right breast, a small hole right through my right breast for the camera (during my hospital stay, this was incredibly painful, but the first to stop hurting), a 3-4" incision in my right groin from the bypass machine entry point, and a hole in my neck for the central line.

Dan Fouratt  Tyler,  I am 14 days out from MI-AVR.  Like above they are only doing the valve work nothing else so I qualify.  However a friend (much younger) was scheduled for MI-AVR but ending up getting the sternotomy. Ask your doctor is you qualify for MI-AVR .

Susan Lynn  Tyler -Teressa pretty much covered all of the preop requirements and the bypass line that is required above the right thigh. My incision was for a mitral valve repair and was hidden in the crease on the side of my right breast. I had two additional holes for instruments and camera access on my side. My surgeon also froze the nerves in the area to reduce post-operative pain.

One of the main things you'll need to do is find a surgeon who does a high-volume of your procedure and who does the minimally-invasive entry. Some surgeons are excellent, but choose mini- or full-sternotomies as their preferred method of accessing the heart. The most important part of OHS is a good repair. Everything else is way down on the list. Good luck with your research. I'm sure there are excellent surgeons at Johns Hopkins who can offer you amazing care. There are also many others if you choose to travel.