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Family member's just had a quadruple bypass, what can we expect?
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Posted 4 months ago #
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What do you want to know?
Emergency or Planned?
Its major surgery. They will be in intensive care for a bit - maybe a day or two maybe more. Maybe sedated ventilated and so on ( on "life support") maybe not.
The surgery itself is debilitating - the breastbone is split and they will be under anaesthetic for a while. Its got good success rates these days but rehabilitation will take a while.
there are others here who know more than me on this. Hopefully one will answer
Posted 4 months ago # -
His average commute times might take a dip for the next few weeks.
Posted 4 months ago # -
MicArms -
Posted 4 months ago # -
How old is said family member?
My grandfather had the same thing done (not sure it was a quadruple, but I think so) and he never really recovered from it. That said, he probably had cancer at the time as well, so he went downhill pretty rapidly when that manifested.
Sorry it's not more positive.
Posted 4 months ago # -
Wife's Dad had it done - triple planned in the end he got 4 for 3. Recovery was pretty prolonged but you know what someone ripping your heart out will do that to you. Must have been 5-6 years ago now and he's been pretty well ever since with regular check-ups. Still plays golf and works in a garden centre so as active as he ever was.
Posted 4 months ago # -
father in law, 67, had one summer before last. just as, if not more, active and same as he ever was now.
Posted 4 months ago # -
Unplanned, had been getting increasingly breathless over the last 18 months, to the point where he couldn't walk any distance at all over the Christmas break when I was home, he got it checked 6 weeks ago, they gave him a f**king asthma inhaler, he insisted, so angiogram on Friday and rushed into surgery at 8am Saturday morning. Initially they envisaged only two but ended up giving him four. 62 but looks 42 and not fat, exercise consists of daily dog walk and weekly golf (i.e., not). He never actually had the heart attack, all pre-emptive.
I think he's going to be pretty f**ked for a while with recovery and then there is the underlying heart disease.
Lay off the fried breakfasts everyone, he's always had a normal bloke's diet, not a full english every day kinda guy, just the odd steak and sausages but that appears to have been enough. 90% blocked in one artery, 70% in another. Never has fast food, never drinks, did smoke for 20 years but gave up 20 years ago. You really do have to stick to the lentils and mackerel I'm afraid. Sucks.
Posted 4 months ago # -
my grandfather had one in the mid 80's; when it was a lot more invasive. the leg where they removed some artery (for the bypass) got infected with MRSA, which in turn got his kidney, the operation to remove the kidney left him with a massive hernia, a hernia which eventually killed him last year.
on the heart side of things he was fine - his leg left him with a bit of a limp though.
I don't think this is even close to normal. The operation is much less invasive than 20 years ago too.
Posted 4 months ago # -
jhw - the bypass effectively cures the underlying heart disease. ( depending just how much damage his heart sustained before the bypass
Recovery / rehab will take some weeks / months.
At 62 he stands a good chance of a good recovery
Posted 4 months ago # -
My grandfather had the same thing done (not sure it was a quadruple, but I think so) and he never really recovered from it
+1
My grandad was 79 when he had one, but never really got over it. Stuggled on for a few years afterwards, but always said to me that he thought it wasn't worth all the aggravation
Posted 4 months ago # -
My old man had on 4 years ago. Biggest problems where / are leg heals very slowly where the veins are taken and chest still aches where the sternum was cut. He will also be on beta blockers as well for the rest of his life
Posted 4 months ago # -
I'm no expert but I'd say the 20 years of smoking is likely to have had far more impact than a fry up now and then.
Posted 4 months ago # -
walk in the park.. icu for up to 24 hours hdu for the same out within a week, chaet will hurt like hell ( broken ribs do) start the physio and do it EVERYDAY like a religion to stop the internal tissue scaring ( it ll be 5 years before he can sneeze pain free btw) feel like poo for a month then bingo better than ever, back to work in 12 - 14 weeks.
get some nice anti scar cream for his chest so it doesnt stand out too much on the beach
hope all goes well my personal experience much worse for the family than the patientPosted 4 months ago # -
about 10 less years, apparently.
Posted 4 months ago # -
>exercise consists of daily dog walk and weekly golf (i.e., not). <
sounds ok to me - walking is exercise.
Anyway... father in law has had 2 x separate quadruple bypass ops in 25 years and he'd have been 6' under without them. Still walks / bowls / plays Curling and turns 80 next month. My old man had a Triple and a heart valve aged 75 closely follwed by 2 hip replacements - he's 83 now and can still walk a few miles. Both of them were up and about in no time / never complained about anything - in fact the hip ops proved far more problematic.
I'd say the outlook for your relative is probably very good. Didn't Ranulph Fiennes have bypass surgery then go on to run all these marathons?
Posted 4 months ago # -
I know quite a few people who have had bypass surgery from my cardiac rehab group. Generally in pretty good shape considering,
First big positive is that the surgery was pre heart attack.
Recovery is measured in months not weeks, most of the guys would say a year before they were back to most activties and that's a relative term.
There is some great rehabilitation available (can only speak for where I live) make the most of it. If there is a gym based group available ( we are talking 3 to 4 months post opp ) that's really useful for keeping in touch with people with similar issues and talking to them.
Develop a taste for fish, don't have cheese in the house.
Posted 4 months ago # -
Thanks all
Posted 4 months ago # -
My dad had a triple by-pass aged 73, about 9 months after a major heart attack and coronary arrest.
His heart was badly damaged from the earlier MI so recovery was never going to be complete, but 15 years on aged 88 he is OK. Sadly aging fast but he still lives on his own, gets out and about to meet his friends, those that are still alive etc.
He was in ICU for less than 24 hours and back at home after 5-6 days. I took a couple of weeks off to look after him but other than a lot of pain he was fine.
EDIT. Wallop's post has just made me realize my dad was 77 when he had his surgery, so 11 years on now. He has also had major emergency surgery only a couple of years ago for a strangulated hernia and survived that, but that has really taken its toll.
Posted 4 months ago # -
My grandad had one in 1980. He lived for 13 years after that, which by all accounts was quite good at the time. I hear that things are much, much better these days so your relative should be fine.
One thing I am a huge believer in though - positivity. I truly believe a positive outlook can help keep you healthy. Anyone I know who is a miserable git and always sees the negativity is always frickin' ill. Tell them to keep smiling.
Posted 4 months ago # -
My grandmother had one in 1994 and they said she might get 10 years. She died on saturday following C-diff complications.
On a more practical note, one common symptom in recovery is apparently a very short temper and the patients become a nightmare to live with for about 2 months, granny certainly did. This is apparently not unlike drug withdrawal as the body has been producing stress chemicals to overcome the arterial restrictions and stops when the arteries are opened up, causing the bad temper.
Posted 4 months ago # -
Never has fast food, never drinks, did smoke for 20 years but gave up 20 years ago.
This has a rather massive impact, aparently, a family member of mine has had healthy diet etc for all of his life, always been active (not specific exercise but an energetic job and not shy of working around the garden, walking 10-15 miles). Went down with a minor heart attack a few years ago and had stents fitted. Surgeon suggested it was more than likely caused by his 15 years of smoking hardening his arteries from which they never recover.
Posted 4 months ago # -
My dad had one about 5 years ago. Silent ischaemia so no heart attack and no pain beforehand just occasional episodes of breathlessness. He was mid 70s then and post op increased his exercise steadily via walking, purchase and use of a Brompton, addition of a basic MTB etc. He is still going strong and when my parents come to stay he borrows one of my bikes and gives the kids a run for their money.
Best wishes.
Posted 4 months ago # -
Hmmmmmm
My understanding was that your risk returned to normal after 10 years or so of not smoking
Posted 4 months ago # -
My understanding was that your risk returned to normal after 10 years or so of not smoking
More like 15-20 years for MI risk to go back to that of non-smoker. Other risks drop away more quickly.
Posted 4 months ago #
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