My boyfriend is having open heart surgery Help me?!

I just had my aortic valve replaced in March. The surgery will not change him. I'm the same person I was before the surgery. The biggest thing is that he will be limited in what he can do after the surgery. They will likely encourage him to walk afterward the surgery for exercise, maybe you can offer to walk with him every day. I know I would have enjoyed some company during that. Sounds like he is with family, which is good. Just be supportive. One of the frustrating parts after surgery is having to rely on other people to do things for you that you normally do. For example, I couldn't even put on my own socks right after surgery because of the limited movement from the chest area.

Now, I'm doing better physically, though it does take time. Because I went with the artificial valve I am on blood thinners for the rest of my life, which is a pain, but other than that and the big scar on my chest, I am the same person. Just be supportive and patient. Good luck to you both.Health Question & Answer

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There are risks with all cardiac surgery. After his surgery he will go to a ICU and then sent to a regular cardiac surgery floor..He will have several IV lines and a sternal incision, maybe he will be on oxygen. The nurses will be helping him walk within 1-2 days. It's scary but not as scary as not having it done. My husband was discharged after 7 days and is doing great and it was done 7 years ago. Everything just got better and better and he went back to work in 6 weeks. So be positive, he will be just fine.Health Question & Answer

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Good luck. I recover open heart patients and valve patients every day. There are many tubes and wires right after surgery. Be assured that if you don't want to go in the room immediately after surgery, you don't have to. He will be sleeping and he won't even know that you are there. If you want to wait until he wakes up and has the tubes out, then he will be able to speak to you and eat ice chips, etc. Each hour and each day he will improve and be expected to do more. Our patients usually get up into a chair within the first 12 hours after surgery. They are expected to walk around the unit and hopefully will be transferred after 24 hours in the Cardiovascular ICU (CVICU).
There will definitely be a recovery time.......multiple weeks before he can resume even simple tasks like driving and climbing stairs. Try to be patient with him, but don't do everything for him. I find that so many family members want to do things for the patients that the patients should be doing for themselves.
Good luck with the surgery and the recovery!
Hope this will ease your mind a little!Health Question & Answer

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You state open heart surgery but what are they doing, coronary artery bypass graft, valve replacement please post.?, if it is bypass what did his angiogram and echocardiogram show, please post information so I can answer your question a little better.Why don't you post what your worries are to people can help you betterHealth Question & Answer

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he will come through it just fine, next day or so they will take the drainage tubes out and have him up and walking.in no time he will be back to his self he will have to be careful because his chest is wired up on the inside but the healing process is fast.Health Question & Answer

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i had that surgery 8 years ago. i was sore for a couple of days but i was walking the 2 day. ya its scary what surgery isn't. i went back to my job in 1month 2 weeks. no chest pains no breath problems. its ok to woory, my wife made herself sick doing that. i'm just finaHealth Question & Answer

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my boyfriend was qettinq eye surqury

it went perfectly fine
iwas with him every step

you should be too
if you care && love him
ithink he will be fine
trust the doctor
& make suree the doctor has a qrad. dip
so he wont be a fakeHealth Question & Answer

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I'm sure he'll be just fine. Health Question & Answer

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