Average Recovery for MVP repaie

What is the average length of recovery for Mitral Valve Repair surgery?

connieed

[mrwjd]

They say to allow a year to be substantially recovered after open heart surgery.  In my experience (about 4 months down the line), that timeline is quite front-loaded, with most of the healing happening near the beginning.  Your condition will change for the better almost every day after the surgery.  I was quite surprised at how quickly I healed, was able to get around well, etc.  (Now that I've said that, you may expect it faster and be disappointed, but it really seemed very fast.)

My impression is that everything that was going to get well without intervention was pretty nearly there at three months.  I still have a few spots that get either sore or painful (twinges) from time to time, but it's no big deal.

My big concerns are a lingering breathing problem and substantially (not dangerously) elevated bp, HR, cholesterol since before surgery.  It is normal for these and others to be out of whack right after surgery.  My other vital signs are normalized by now.  I am starting to wonder how long these should lag behind before I have to worry that they are permanent, I haven't found data on that, but I kind of got a sense from my cardiologist at 3 months that he hoped they would have been okay by then.

I believe (I'm not an expert) that the actual heart/valve surgery site is healed pretty quickly.  The pericardial sac that had to be opened surgically to work on your heart also heals quickly  Some people have irritation at first where the heart rubs against the sac, which gives you referred pain elsewhere which makes it harder to find out what it is, but which responds well to something like ibuprofen for the edema/irritation.

What takes time is for the surgical site to heal, inside and out.  The good part is that since you and I don't have the secondary surgical sites on legs and arms, etc., we can be walking comfortably within a couple of weeks or so, and then more easily every day, and get back to normal activities soon.  They will give you a list of when you can do various things.  I see people on this forum more-or-less bragging about how much sooner they do this or that thing than they are cleared to do it; I believe this is a good example of the complicated relationship between brave and stupid!  Following the instructions exactly is no big deal, and you really don't want the site re-opened or something because you pushed the envelope.

I'm sure other complications may pop up from time to time.  When I was hospitalized, though, I saw that valve repair/replacement surgery is the one to have, if you have a choice!  ;-)   It seems there are far fewer problems for us than with some of the cardiothoracic surgeries.

Good luck!  (secret--it's not as bad as you think it's going to be)