Post Operative Cognitive Disorders

My mother-in-law just had two consecutive heart valve surgeries within 6 weeks of each other.  The first was a valve repair and the second they ended up replacing the aortic valve.  Physically she is okay.  After the first surgery she came home and mentally she was close to being herself.  But, as the weeks passed and her body was pooling fluids, her memory deteriorated.  After the 2nd surgery her cognitive abilities were greatly deminished.  I've read some research information on post operative cognitive disorders.  Is this something that she can recover from or is her cognitive ability going to remain this strained?

[Roger Gould, M.D.]

It is definetly something she can recover from...being on the pump twice like that is very traumatic, but if she did not have a stroke, it is very likely she will fully recover.