Any one facing a major medical process has questions. It is a good idea to get them answered before the process so that you will be informed and not quite as scared about whatis going to occur. If you and your family & friends are comfortable, it makes the whole process a little easier. If you’re going to have heart valve replacement, you need to ask your doctor for all the particulars about what is going to occur before, during, and after the surgery so you can prepare yourself and know what should be expected.
Before your heart valve replacement, you may get hitched up to an IV, and you will have to remove any jewelry, glasses, dentures, contacts, and hearing aids. Essentially, anything that you are wearing that can be removed. The anesthesiologist and the doctor will chat with you about what’s going to occur, and you’ll be given a sedative.
See also : mitral valve prolapse
During the process, you’ll be anesthetized. You’ll be hitched up to a heart lung machine which will take over for these organs so the doctor can perform the heart valve replacement using either a mechanical or tissue valve. To do this they’re going to have to cut open your sternum to access your heart. Once the old valve is removed and the new one sewn in, they can unfasten you from the heart lung machine and launch your own heart up again. Your breastbone will be wired back together and your incision will be sewn up.
When you wake up from your heart valve replacement surgery, you’ll be hooked up to all sorts of tubes and wires, including one down your throat to helpyou breath, a catheter, an IV for medication, and tubes near your heart to reduce the liquids from this area that are left over from the surgery. Once you are awake and able to breathe on your own the tube down your throat will be removed, and the others will be removed as you get better. You should be expecting to spend a pair days in the ICU, and then more time in a cardiac surgical floor till you are recovered enough to return home. However, even if you return home you will still not be back to your old self. This will take roughly six to 8 weeks of gentle healing. You will continue to be on medication as well you need to take, and you’ll need to visit the doctor from time to time for monitoring of your condition.
