| cavador1 2005-10-01, 8:31 am |
| I recently had heart surgery to install an artificial valve
to repair a heart murmer in the ascending aorta.
I am now 51 years old which is very young to have open heart surgery.
This was no problem to me even though I have to take
warfarin the rest of my life.
The real problem occured a week after coming home.
I awoke in the morning barely able to breath and my
heart going the clappers (like a mini minor at daytona)
I realised I had a major problem so I immediately
rang the ambulance.
On their arrival they check my heart rate which they clocked at 180 bpm.
After rushing me to hospital and wheeling me into emergency I went into
cardiac arrest.
The resident cardioligist immediatly recognised my symptons as a
perecardial effusion.
(This is where blood builds up around the heart chamber
thereby virtually crushing the heart)
The cardioligist was extremly skilled and inserted a perecardial drain using
only ultrasound to guide the needle
to just behind the heart and drained about a litre of blood
from my chest cavity.Almost immediatly my heart rate
dropped back to normal.
After another week of recuperation and getting all my body systems
functioning again,(My legs were the worst
as all my leg veins had collapsed) I am now back at home
for about four weeks now.
This is one experience I do NOT wish to have again
as I could have died if the ambulance didn't reach me in time.
Has any one had this experience after surgery ?
Please relay your story as I am very interested.
Keith Lyons
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