Pericardiectomy

Hey Eric!  Glad you are doing great!  The lungs will take time...everyone seems to have a cough and shortness of breath...Don't worry.  If they gave you that breathing thing to blow into, use it....it will help your lungs a lot!   And get out there walking!   Not too many hills at first but definitely walk and do the breathing exercises...be careful of your incision...use the pillow ( do they give you one?)  so you don't use your arms to get yourself out of bed or out of a chair...you have to protect your sternum for at least 6 weeks.  You are wired together and you don't want that coming apart!  Coughing won't hurt the wiring  but if you lift something heavy or push yourself up from a chair, you might do something....I guess they told you all this...just take it slow, and walk walk walk!   Good luck and keep us posted

Michelle

Hi Nan - Glad to hear that you had your surgery...As you know, my landlord had his in October...he's still recuperating but much much better.   You have to give your  sternum 12 weeks to heal...and I have heard that after  the 12 weeks, you will feel way better than at 5-6 weeks...you will start to feel better around 4-5 weeks, but really really better after 12.  If you have any concerns, you should ask your doctor.  Are you out walking ??   It's a good thing you were on the heart-lung machine as it would be very difficult for the surgeons to do the that type of surgery with a heart jumping around!   Keep us posted on your progress.   I wonder how Eric is doing??

Michelle

Barb3 said...
Hi I am having a pericardiectomy in a few weeks, I am a 38 year old female. I can not find any info on this surgery. I will be having the surgery at Loma Linda. I would really like to hear from someone who has gone through this.

Hi Barb3,

I have just had this opreation six weeks ago. I can help you with your questions.

henk

NZ

HENK...

Hi!  How are you feeling six weeks post?  I'm 4 weeks post and would like to hear what to look forward to in the next 2 weeks.  When and where did you have surgery?  I had mine Dec 15th at Mayo.  I'm feeling great.  My symptoms are decreasing every day.  I'm trying to get out and walk but we have record low temperatures here so outside walking is not an option.  Do you have any shortness of breath?  Do you still see your pulse in your neck?  Are you still shedding fluid?  Looking forward to hearing about your experience.

Nan2

Hi Henk..

Thanks for your reply.  Glad to hear you are doing well.  I have not had any rechecks yet to see if my liver has decreased in size.  That is good to hear that yours has already!  When did you have that reassessed?  What is the med you are talking about?  Is it a diuretic?  How many years have you had symptoms?  My symptoms have been over a year but the flag for the MDs was my liver.  I will be happy when someone tells me it is back to normal.  Wow...walking several miles this soon is great...I'm not there yet but am starting to want to get out soon!  We have very cold weather so it has to be indoors right now.

I had a sternotomy too...my chest is not too sore unless I laugh hard or sneeze...but otherwise not too bad.  I was also in the hospital 6 days.

It is great to hear from someone on the same road to recovery...keep feeling better!

Nan2

oops, wanted to add..

For your scars ( bullet holes, too, funny that I call them that also ) , buy some Neosporin, apply that.

Also, get some Vitamin E tablets, break them open, and just apply the gel within to your incision. It will help the healing along very well.

You can also use the purest aloe vera you can find, too...

~E

I was also wondering...did either of you have to go on the bypass machine?

Nan

They had told me I had a 50% chance of going on bypass...so I was hoping not to...but it was needed...just wondering what other experiences were.

Nan

Welcome Dancing_water and congratulations on your successful procedure!

Also good to hear from you Eric and Nan! It sounds like your both recovering very well! God Bless, Pat

Hi, everyone out there....I thought it appropriate that I send out a HAPPY VALENTINES DAY to all my freinds I have found thru this board, I trust you are all progressing well from your time on your "vacation", and, that this finds you all on the fast track to recovery.

I also wish to to welcome Diane, and her husband to the board!!!!!!!!!

As for my progress, for those who are interested, I am happy to report I am making a bumpy road, but see the light, for sure.
I had a couple setbacks, mostly from meds, ( Vicodin ) and that I had my Lasix ( water pill ) changed up, which caused some fluid retention, around the heart, and scared me. I have logged two 911 calls thus far, thanks to very very attentive advice nurses on the phone who scared me silly into going, it all turned out well in the end, it's better to be safe than sorry....As of the 16th, I will be 3 months post-op, my cardiolgist says it may be up to 6 months before my whole system re-adjusts to it all..Trying to eat alot better, too.....no salt and all..

Diane, welcome.

I was diagnosed with Severe Constrictive Pericarditis on 11-04-04, and it was detirmined that it had been present for at least 5 years, since the calcification was so advanced. Has your husband had liver tests, and Hepatits panels run?

See if your doctor can perscribe Lasix for the water retention, and the swelling. Supplemted by Potassium, too, usually.

Eat lots of bannanas and potatoes, to help out, too. NO SALT..
Shortness of breath, pain in the chest is totally normal, just give him the remote and take it easy, I'd say...

They may also do a Cardiac Catheterization, to check the pressures in the heart and lungs prior to surgery, I'd ask for one.

Also, and Echocardiogram, and EKG.

The doctors may hear what is called a " flutter " or "pericardial rub ", when listening to the heart..trust me, I had my surgery at a teaching hospital ( UCSF in San Francisco ), and all the residents rushed to hear what is indeed a rare syptom.

As a point of refrence, USCF is rated #6 in the nation from US News and World, and they only do about 5-6 of these operations ( Pericardectomy ) a year. My surgeon is the head of the Cardiothorasic department there, he is the best.

I don't know what kind of Insurance you carry, but, if there is any way of coming to SF, I'd give you info if need be...

Just research for a teaching hoptial ( VS a private HMO or whatever, beacause most hospital staff, in my experiences, have never even heard of Pericarditis.......

Anyways, not to be long winded....just everyone take care, know you are ALL in my prayers daily..

Diane, I look forward to being your rock of Giblatar thru all this....

My best medicine thru it all is #1 Prayer, #2 Laughter, #3 learn how to say and spell Pericarditis and Pericardectomy....

~ Eric

Thanks Eric,

Did your doctors mention a less invasive operation where they insert a catheter under the rib cage , withdraw fluid and "cut a window" in the pericardum?  This was mentioned as the next step and then my husband had a heart catherization and the pressures were "equal" and now they are talking about pericardectomy.  I know I want the less invasive operation, but according to the cardiologist it may not be the answer.  Since the cardiologist in PA and FL are all saying this is rare, I am getting confused. 

Diane

 

Hi,

 

I am new to this and I appreciate the information you all have offered.  The support given is remarkable and I will seek your advice and support in the up coming months.

 

I am a 47 year old male and I have calcification around the heart.  I have heard this is somewhat rare and I am being scheduled for a pericardiectomy soon.  My symptoms began several years ago with abnormal pressure around the neck and upper chest followed several months later with atrial flutter.  In December 2003 I underwent a catheter ablation procedure to cure the flutter when they discovered the calcification.  An angiogram and MRI later confirmed.  The angiogram (I have a copy of the video) is very enlightening.  The calcification is like a rock at the bottom of the heart keeping the ventricle from fully contracting. 

 

I have been on beta blockers for over a year and recently I was switched to Amioderone (Sotalol wasn't doing the job).  My cardiologist says I'll feel a lot better after the procedure but I'm concerned about post operative mortality, complications, life style restrictions, etc.

 

 

Kurtiss