Valve Replacement Surgery - First Follow-up Vist To Cardiologist -

Kris and Lisa, took me for my first open heart surgery post operative visit with Dr. Blake, my primary cardiologist today. Because you will be moving a little slower, allow plenty of time to get to your appointment. This first follow-up appointment will be a big outing for you, and you will more than likely be exhausted once it's over. You will have to wait in the waiting room, in the little cubicle, and you will be examined, and have an EKG. Some of your medications will be adjusted and you'll be able to get some of your questions answered. Prepare a list of your questions before you get to the appointment.

Here are some of the questions I had for Dr. Blake? How long will take for the rather ugly knot at the top of my sternum to go away (two months)? How long until the bruising goes away? How long will I need the oxygen? What about the pain and how are we going to manage it? Your list may include these questions or you may have an entirely new list.

Dr. Blake, bless her heart, also took the time to explain to all of us about the extensive heart surgery I'd just had. It was much more extensive than we had originally thought. Actually there were nine separate points to the surgery.

Also, got a copy of the operative report. This report is a blow by blow description of the operative technique used during surgery. It is quite detailed and covers points like how your body is cooled to 23 centigrade during the procedure and how many minutes you were on the cardiopulmonary bypass machine. This report might be too much information for many of you, but some will find it entirely fascinating.

We read and hear about medical research on every front, but how often do we have an opportunity to have it applied successfully to our own bodies. I benefited from extensive research for mitral heart valve repair, the Maze procedure for atrial fibrillation, heart valve regurgitation, and tricuspid valve repair to name just a few of the hundreds of research studies completed prior to my complex valve repair surgery.