r/openheartsurgery

1. What did you find to be the hardest thing about going through your recovery?

2. What was the biggest thing about the recovery process that surprised you?

3. What do you wish you had known before starting your recovery process?

4. What did people do that helped you so much besides just being there for you?

5. How many people helped you during your recovery and how many people would you say is the ideal number to have? Did people take turns in shifts? At what point in the process did you feel that you didn’t need to be constantly watched and that your caregivers could relax a bit? Did the same people who were helping you do things like stand up also prepare meals for you as well? Did they cook for you or did you even have much of an appetite? It just seems like a lot for one person to do and that it would take 2-3 people taking turns in shifts. Yes? No? They told my brother that he’s only supposed to be in the bed for actual sleeping, not lounging around. I guess they made quite a point about this.

My brother will be going through 3x bypass and a valve replacement and I want to be

Thanks in advance.

Hi everyone, I just wanted to ask for some advice because my dad is having CABG x3 surgery today and our whole family is kind of overwhelmed.

He’s 52, overweight, has high cholesterol, recently had high blood pressure, and just found out he’s pre diabetic too. He also has anxiety/depression and takes Effexor. His EKG was normal but his troponin levels were really high, so after the angiogram they said bypass surgery was the best option.

At first I was terrified about the surgery itself, but now I’m mostly worried about how to take care of him once he’s home. It’s just me, my brothers, and my mom helping out, and this all happened so suddenly that none of us have really had time to process it.

I’d really appreciate any advice about recovery at home, what to expect, things to watch out for, or honestly anything you think would help. We’re all trying our best and just feel really scared right now.

Thank you

44yo, ACTA2 mutation, 57mm aneurisn. used to be 50km for 3 years. I’ll be having the surgery in a bit over 24 hours.

I’ll try to keep A log.

I hope everyone is having a successful rehab. I am in week 12 post surgery. I had my first cardio rehab workout today. I have been walking 1-2 since week 2 of my surgery. I definitely feel ahead of the curve. I recommend getting out and walking as much as you can.

Hi. I'm hoping to gain some insight and advice on my dad's bypass journey. He's so frustrated and I feel terrible for him.

One year ago, my dad (71) had a stroke and has since then had many cardiac episodes and ongoing struggles with heart failure. At one point, his heart was working at 25%. He was hospitalized every month last fall until they found a good medication for him in late November. In February, he got an angiogram, an MRI, and other tests done. In March, when his doctor felt his heart was strong enough, he was given the green light for a triple bypass. His very last test was an ultrasound to look at the veins in his legs for grafting. He told me it was weird because, up to this point, everything had been meticulously laid out and scheduled, but the ultrasound was last minute and rushed. They found one vein that looked good.

However, 2 days before his scheduled surgery last month, a PA saw a rash on his leg, told his doctor, and the surgery was postponed till he got it under control. That was good because he'd had the rash for a while and wasn't doing anything about it. The rash cleared up in a few weeks. But, when he told his doctor, the doctor said, "Now we must redo all the tests", which made my dad confused and disappointed, of course.

Then, just yesterday, my dad met with a heart specialist (I don't remember what he said, but it was a type of heart doctor he hadn't seen before). He didn't know why he was there, and the doctor said, "We need to tweak your medications to get you ready for surgery. Then, you'll redo all the tests." My dad was shocked, to say the least. He was feeling good on the medication he's now been on for 6 months. And the communication has been so piss-poor. He said he felt blindsided because all he knew was, he was so close to surgery, had a rash, cleared it up, and now has to start from square one. He's very confused, as am I. I try to console him, but he's so depressed. Is it normal that he's starting over from square one?

It was helpful for me to read other people's experiences before surgery so I want to share mine in case it helps anyone else, because some things are the same as other's experiences and some things kind of surprised me.

I am a 68 yo F who had severe mitral regurgitation and had full sternotomy OHS at the University of Michigan last week Tuesday for mitral valve repair. My surgeon came highly recommended and is one of the best in the country. I live about 4 hours from the hospital so my husband, daughter and I traveled to the Med Inn on Monday, which is right inside the hospital, so tremendously convenient.

I was the first case in the am so I checked in at 5:30 am. All of the pre-op things were done (get into gown, VS, weight, IV, a skin prep and nose swabs) then my family could be with me while the anesthesia team and surgical team members came in to talk to me. Finally it was time to go back and I was brought into a frigid OR suite packed with people and equipment. They got me over to the table and gave me a warm blanket and some nice drugs through my IV. I was still awake and still remember all of the team members saying their names and what their role was, not to me but more of a formal "roll call". They numbed my wrist and started the arterial line while I was still awake but I didn't mind. I heard someone say "Dr. Bolling is here" and the next thing I knew surgery was done and I was in CICU.

Yes, I did wake up still intubated. It was very uncomfortable, but my family was there and I knew that and it helped. I was able to write "take it out" on a piece of paper and after about 15 minutes they did. Apparently the first thing I said was "baby zebra.. no no- baby giraffe". I guess I was having some happy dreams anyway. The first day in the ICU is pretty much a blur and I don't remember much. Anesthesia is still in the body at that time plus powerful pain meds. My son was there and I really don't remember it.

Things started getting rougher the first night in the ICU. I wasn't in tremendous pain but I was having wild images before my eyes whenever I closed them (not scary just psychedelic), I was supremely uncomfortable and felt crummy. I had a true ANGEL of MERCY as my nighttime nurse and I could cry right now for how grateful I am that she was there. If you do not have that kind of nurse I would recommend asking a very caring family member or friend to be by your side that first and second night. Really just someone to hold your hand and help psychologically is a huge deal. Sleep was not good.

The next day lots of lines and tubes came out and I was moved to the step down unit. My husband and daughter were with me all day and I still did not feel right and was uncomfortable. I was taking oxy for pain along with lidocaine patches, Tylenol and muscle relaxers, plus a boatload of new meds and I had no appetite. Everything tasted like glue and I couldn't get enough water. Another rough night in the step down unit and I finally broke down and cried and I think that was good for me. All of this time, medically I was doing great. My VS were stable, labs where they expected them, etc. PT had started and I was up walking the halls.

Thursday things stared to turn around in terms of feeling like myself again. I think it had a lot to do with getting off the oxy. I have had surgery before and know that oxy is not my friend. I get nauseated and it messes with my mood and emotions. The pain was mild and occasionally more if I moved wrong or strained. Get your legs strong before surgery if you have the time! I had months to prepare so I had been doing squats, etc and it really paid off for getting in and out of bed and chair, toilet etc. I have not had any trouble with taking care of my bathroom needs as I have seen some other people mention so I'm grateful for that!

By Thursday night I knew discharge was planned for the am and I was able to eat a bit of food. I slept pretty well on and off Thursday but the visual strangeness continued. I knew it was harmless and I didn't let it scare me. Friday am the final IV's were removed and after talking with lots of folks we were finally discharged. I had to sit in the back seat because we can't disable the air bag but the 4 hours went by pretty easily and my appetite really woke up! For some reason I was craving a Burger King original chicken sandwich, something I haven't had in probably 20 years, so my husband obliged and I ate the whole thing.

Some things that have been surprising or challenging:
My surgeon said my heart was more enlarged than the echos reflected, and because of that I will have to be on a few meds for 6 months to a year to help with remodeling the heart. Also, I am on warfarin for 4- 6 weeks which I hadn't anticipated and it involves all the blood draws and coagulation clinic visits (virtual).

Speaking of my surgeon- he visited me a total of SIX times while I was hospitalized, just checking in and giving words of encouragement. STELLAR.

The scar is quite something. There is a significant bump at the top where the muscle is sutured back together under the skin, but I am told this will go down to some degree over time. The sternal pain is less than I anticipated and the upper back pain is there but not terrible.

Sleep has been my biggest challenge at home. I have a power recliner and it is very comfortable, but I'm not used to sleeping in it. I am one who is curled up on my side ordinarily. There was no restriction about sleeping on my side but that really hurts so I can't yet.

I'm hungry and eating but losing weight. My body is still adjusting I am sure.

Final thoughts: During the challenging times I tried to repeat the mantra "this too shall pass" in my mind. There is no getting around that this is tough BUT it wasn't as bad as I had feared and now at 6 days I am home, relaxing with my dogs with the windows open to a magnificent spring breeze.

my nephew is missing half his heart and his parents thought that he was going to die in the first few minutes he is three and today it another open heart. he will be in the hospital for a month give me some advise.

My baby just had a Ross-Konno procedure. Is there anyone out there who can tell me how their baby’s heart responded to the surgery? We are still recovering in the ICU and should be getting our first echo sometime in the near future. His levels are stable but I am very nervous for the echo

My mum & I are best friends. I’m only 22 and she’s only 59. She went for a routine heart scan today (history of family issues & her heart gives her trouble occasionally) after the cardiologist did her dye test he informed her she will need triple bypass surgery and that they will plan it over the next month or two.

I am so scared for her! I easily spiral and all evening i’ve been crying. Can someone please help me out with any advice for how to deal with this/ if anyone’s had it can you tell me it’s not so scary!

I’ve told myself she is going to pass away in surgery or not recover well.

Anything would be appreciated x

I had a triple bypas approx 5 weeks ago and am starting to feel myself again.

When im at home, I'm drinking water or tea.

When I go out, I'm drinking diet cola, used to drink alcohol but gone off it since I came out of hospital.

My friend was giving me grief, saying I shouldn't be drinking it as it's a stimulant.

Thoughts? Alternatives?

Hey gang. I am 30 days out from my CABG x4. My recovery has gone pretty well with minimal pain in the chest. I’ve had some pretty severe pain where the vein was harvested in the right leg. But I have a weird thing going on where the tops of both of my feet are incredibly sensitive to wearing socks. I kind of understand it in the right leg where the nerves were messed with, but I cannot figure out what’s going on with the left. My next follow up is June 8, and I will certainly bring it up then, but the irritation is killing me. Anyone else have this or something similar?

So my father underwenr 4×cabg abouy a month ago and they used the following grafts

Lima

Radial artery

Saphenous vein

So the issue is he was put on diltazem ( calcium channel blocker ) as his bp medicine but his pulse remained constantly high even 4 weeks post op so we consulted a total of three cardiologist

Two suggested to change diltazem ( calcium channel blocker) to metoprolol ( beta blocker ) while one said that since " radial artery graft " was used it is prone to spasm it is better to stay on calcium channel blocker despire high HR.

My question is to all those who too had radial artery graft as of what bp medicine they were prescribed and are taking ?

My 35f, Dad 57m had a double bypass today and is in the ICU still intubated. While the nurse did say he is responding to commands and such just seeing him with all those wires and everything is scaring me. I feel like a terrible daughter not being able to be in his room for more than 5 minutes, my mom 55f and brother 36m are with him.
They had originally wanted extubation today they are now saying tomorrow. Is this something I should be worried about?

Fourteen days after my heart surgery, I walked into my final postoperative appointment knowing this visit marked the end of one chapter of my life and the beginning of another. For the past two weeks, my world has revolved around survival, recovery, medications, incisions, chest pain, exhaustion, and learning how to live again after open-heart surgery. Today, for the first time, it finally felt like I was moving forward instead of simply trying to get through each day.

Earlier in the afternoon, I went to Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center for chest X-rays before the appointment. Sitting there waiting for the imaging, I realized how different everything feels now. Two weeks ago, I was waking up from heart surgery. Today, I was walking into radiology under my own power, knowing the doctors were checking to see how well my body was healing from one of the biggest medical events of my life.

At Dr. Nishant Dinesh Patel’s office, the nurse practitioners removed the stitches from my chest and left leg. The chest incision is the physical reminder of the surgery itself, the place where my sternum was opened so the surgeons could reach my heart. The incision in my left leg tells another part of the story, where veins were taken to use as bypass grafts. Seeing the stitches finally come out made the entire experience suddenly feel real in a different way. The wounds are no longer fresh trauma. They are becoming scars.

The nurse practitioners also showed me the chest X-rays that had been taken an hour earlier. Looking at them, I could see the metal sternotomy wires running down the center of my chest, permanently holding my breastbone together while it heals. Those wires are now part of me for the rest of my life. I could also see the outline of my heart and lungs, and although I am not a doctor, I understood what they were looking for, whether my lungs were clear, whether there was fluid buildup, whether the heart appeared stable after surgery, and whether my chest was healing the way it should.

Two weeks after open-heart surgery, those X-rays tell an important story. Right after surgery, patients often have fluid around the lungs, inflammation, swelling, and areas where the lungs are not fully expanded because of anesthesia and pain. By now, the doctors wanted to see improvement. The fact that the surgical team was satisfied enough to release me from their care told me more than words could. It meant the surgery had worked. It meant the healing process was progressing. It meant I had survived the hardest part.

Today also marked the transition from surgical recovery to lifelong cardiac care. Dr. Petal’s role was to save my life and repair my heart. Now my care shifts permanently to my cardiologist, Dr. Emilio Garcia, who will oversee everything that comes next.

In the world of heart disease, the surgeon fixes the crisis, but the cardiologist helps keep the next crisis from happening.

That reality became very clear today when the staff reviewed the medications I will likely take for the rest of my life. Those medications are now part of my future. Some help keep blood clots from forming. Others lower cholesterol and reduce inflammation inside the arteries. Some slow the heart down so it does not work as hard. Others protect blood vessels and help prevent future damage. None of them erase heart disease completely, but together they create a barrier against another heart attack, another blockage, or another trip into an operating room.

Hearing the phrase “for the rest of your life” changes the way a person thinks. Before surgery, medications were temporary things. Now they are part of survival.

What strikes me most tonight is how much respect I have for the people who carried me through this experience. Open-heart surgery is not just one doctor standing in an operating room. It is an entire chain of highly skilled professionals working together under enormous pressure where mistakes can cost lives. From the surgeon to the ICU nurses to the nurse practitioners handling recovery, every step depended on precision, training, and trust.

Dr. Petal gave me a second chance at life. There is no way around that truth. Two weeks ago my chest was opened and my heart was literally placed in the hands of a surgical team trained to do something extraordinary. The skill required to stop, repair, bypass, or restore a human heart and then send someone home alive only days later still feels almost unbelievable when I think about it.

Now the next phase belongs to Dr. Emilio Garcia. Cardiologists like Garcia do not simply monitor patients after surgery. They manage the lifelong battle against cardiovascular disease itself, watching blood pressure, cholesterol, circulation, heart rhythm, graft function, medications, and long-term risk factors. My future health now depends on the discipline of follow-up care just as much as it depended on the surgery itself.

Recovery from heart surgery does not end after fourteen days. In many ways, this is only the beginning.

My sternum will continue healing for months. Some days I will probably feel stronger, and other days exhausted. There may be tightness in my chest, numbness near the incisions, strange aches, emotional swings, anxiety, or moments where every heartbeat suddenly feels important because now I understand how fragile life really is.

I will go through cardiac rehabilitation, rebuilding strength one step at a time while doctors monitor how my heart responds. I will have to think differently about food, stress, sleep, exercise, and the pace of my life. Every future appointment, every blood pressure reading, every lab result, and every medication refill becomes part of protecting the life I nearly lost.

But tonight, more than anything else, I keep thinking about one simple fact:

Fourteen days ago, I was coming out of heart surgery.

Today, the stitches came out, the X-rays looked good, and the surgeons said goodbye because they believed I was healing.

For the first time since this began, I can finally see the possibility of the future again. — feeling blessed at Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center.

Basically I’m 21 F and have 2 leaky valves, the surgeon is giving me only 2 options of, (I forgot the name) surgery every few years, like 10 years or so, or a mechanical replacement which I would have to live on really strong blood thinners my whole life.
Now I also have hs which is an auto immune condition which causes me to get bumps and they turn into open wounds and bleed; right now I’m in the hospital and they’re giving me a super low does of blood thinners just to not get blood clots and I have blood everywhere 24/7. Then also I have never been able to take care of myself properly, which is probably the reason this is happening to me at such a young age, so how am i supposed to keep up with making sure I don’t die, keeping up with meds so my heart won’t clot when I can’t even get up just to eat, I have adhd and it makes everything I do a million times harder to just DO IT, I’ve had infections bc of my hs and would have to go back to the doctor bc I wasn’t taking my meds probably.
I’m just really stressed out and don’t know what to do…

Everybody's doctor gave them some instruction on when they could drive again. So I'm curious, what did your doctor say about when you could drive again, and alluding to the title, when did you actually do it?

At 68 years old and only 12 days removed from open heart surgery for congenital nonrheumatic aortic valve stenosis caused by a bicuspid aortic valve I was born with, the last thing I needed was unnecessary stress and aggravation from hospital bureaucracy.

I spent May 1 through May 6 in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit at Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center recovering from life-saving aortic valve replacement surgery performed by Nishant Dinesh Patel. Every patient in that cardiac ICU is under Dr. Patel’s care, and the hospital staff clearly knows the process involved with follow-up appointments and post-operative imaging.

My follow-up appointment with Dr. Patel was scheduled for May 14, and my chest X-ray at the hospital was scheduled one hour before the appointment. Dr. Patel’s office is literally across the street from the hospital. Instead of simply contacting Dr. Patel’s office to obtain whatever referral paperwork was apparently missing, a hospital employee called me on May 13 and unilaterally moved my chest X-ray appointment to Friday — the day after my doctor’s appointment.

That was not only illogical, it showed a complete lack of customer service, common sense, and compassion for a recovering open heart surgery patient. Rather than doing the job they are paid to do and coordinating directly with the physician’s office, this employee chose the easier route: push the problem onto the patient recovering from major cardiac surgery.

Patients recovering from open heart surgery should not have to fight administrative battles or be forced to correct scheduling problems created by hospital paperwork issues. At a time when stress and elevated blood pressure should be avoided, I was forced to deal with unnecessary aggravation because someone could not be bothered to make a simple phone call to Dr. Patel’s office.

The medical care I received from the cardiac ICU nurses, rehabilitation staff, and Dr. Patel himself was outstanding and compassionate. Unfortunately, this interaction with hospital administration was the complete opposite. Hospitals need to remember that recovering cardiac patients are human beings, not paperwork files to shuffle around for administrative convenience.

Not sure if this is the right sub, but want to get some opinions on what I should do or who to reach out to.

My 64 year old father just got open heart surgery for an aortic valve repair this past friday, 5/8. He has been in the Cardiac ICU.

Last night, saturday, 5/9, my dads ICU day shift nurse forgot to give him his pain medication before shift change / before he went to bed. She also left his call button across the room and out of reach. This left him in pain until the night nurse came in 4 hours later to give him his next dosage. When the night nurse came in, that is when the mistake was caught and pointed out.

At that point, he was in excruciating pain and frightened. During this time, he still had his chest tube in and it has been causing shortness of breath. While waiting for a nurse to finally come in, my father was laying in bed facing an anxiety attack and thinking he was dying. His heart rate and blood pressure were high when the nigh nurse checked on him.

When I came in this morning, Im met with my dad looking exhausted and defeated. He explained what happened and how freaked out he was. I talked to yesterday's nurse and the charge nurse, and she admitted to forgetting to administer the pain medication.

I don't want to get anyone in trouble and I know this job is extremely stressful, but something just doesn't feel right. This already stressful weekend has managed to get worse. Now myself, my family, and most importantly my dad, has lost confidence in the hospital.

What is my best course of action from here? Do I call the nurses desk every few hours and ask for updates? I don't want to cause a scene or harass the nursing staff. Do I talk to a case manager? Do I leave it alone? I want my dad to have the safest recovery and to ease his anxiety.

I walked back into my townhouse carrying a heart that had been rebuilt. Just days earlier, Dr. Nishant Dinesh Patel had opened my chest for an aortic reconstruction and bypass procedure that took four hours in the operating room. Now the monitors were gone, the ICU was behind me, and the long hallways of cardiac rehab had been replaced by the quiet reality of recovery at home.

Nothing fully prepares you for the strange emotional moment of returning home after major heart surgery. Part of me expected to feel instantly normal simply because I was no longer in a hospital bed. Instead, I discovered that recovery is measured less in dramatic moments and more in small victories.

The first thing I noticed was the exhaustion. Even simple things like standing up, walking across a room, adjusting pillows, getting comfortable in a chair now suddenly require planning and energy. My body feels like it has been through a war because, in many ways, it has. Dr. Petal had to cut through my sternum to reach my heart, repaired what needed repairing, performed the bypass, and then wired my chest back together so the bone can heal over the coming weeks.

Every movement reminds me of that healing process. There is soreness deep in my chest, especially when I cough, shift positions, or try to push myself too quickly. It is not the sharp pain many people imagine. It feels more like intense bruising and pressure, as though my chest has become aware of every breath I take. Sleeping is difficult. Finding the right position can take time, and rest comes in shorter stretches than normal.

Yet beneath all of that discomfort is something stronger: relief.

For a long time, my heart had been struggling against disease. The aortic valve problem caused by my bicuspid valve had gradually forced my heart to work harder and harder. Now that the damaged system has been repaired. Even through the fatigue, I can already sense subtle changes, moments where my breathing feels easier or my heartbeat feels steadier.

The Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center prepared me well before release. By Monday, only days after surgery, I had already started walking in cardiac rehab. At first, it was slow, careful movement down hospital corridors with nurses nearby and monitors attached. Every day became a little easier. Those early walks were not about exercise. They were about teaching my body and my mind that life was beginning again.

Now at home, walking remains one of the most important parts of recovery.

Several times a day, I get up and move, even when I do not feel like it. Some walks are only a few minutes long. The goal is not speed or distance. The goal is healing. Each walk helps rebuild stamina, protects my lungs, improves circulation, and slowly restores confidence.

The emotional side of recovery is something people do not talk about enough.

There are moments of gratitude so powerful that they are overwhelming. There are also moments of vulnerability. Heart surgery changes the way you think about time, mortality, and the incredible fragility of the human body. One week you are preparing for open-heart surgery. Days later, you are standing in your kitchen trying to remember whether you have enough energy to pour iced tea.

Recovery becomes deeply personal.

Over the next several days, I know what to expect. The fatigue will continue for a while. My chest will remain tight and sore as the sternum heals. I will probably have good days followed by unexpectedly difficult ones. That is normal after major cardiac surgery. Healing is rarely a straight line.

But there will also be progress.

In the coming days, walking will become easier. Breathing exercises will help my lungs continue recovering. The incision will gradually begin to itch instead of ache as the skin heals. My appetite should improve. Sleep will slowly return. The fear that naturally follows heart surgery will begin giving way to confidence.

Within the next few weeks, I should notice major improvements in strength and endurance. Cardiac rehab will continue helping rebuild both my heart and my stamina under careful supervision. The sternum itself will take several months to fully heal internally, but every week should bring more independence and more energy.

For now, though, recovery is about patience.

It is about listening to my body, respecting the healing process, and understanding that survival itself is already a victory. Every careful step through my home is a reminder that modern medicine, skilled surgeons, and determination carried me through one of the biggest battles of my life.

And now comes the equally important part: healing enough to truly live again.