fluid on lung

[ednaearle]

I want to know what is really going on?  My sister 62 yrs old, had 6 bypasses on april 4th 2008.  She came home for 2 WKS, but had to go back for fluid on the lungs, the doctors say this is not uncommon, but yet cant explain it...she also suffered a mild stroke during the bypass, she is at home now, but has to have the fluid drained off 2 times a day.when will this end, and when will she get her life back? .i just dont understand why this is happening,  and no matter what is said, there is something going on that is causing this, maybe something that happened during surgery..i want her well again, after all that is why she had the surgery in the first place, you walk in because they tell you could die, and then you are unable to function afterwards, help me find some answers please, she walks with a walker, and is doing pretty good with that, but she has to have a tube in each lung for at least a month..please help


This discussion is related to Fluid on the Lung?.

[kenkeith]

Reading between the lines without further information, it can be the left ventricle is not pumping out into circulation blood received and there is an imbalance of blood received causing the surplus blood to back up into the lungs.  As a result fluids leak into the lung tissues (lung edema).  Or there could be a problem with the kidneys and the problem increases blood volume.  

It may not be uncommon but it is a condition that is not expected.  A test can determine the pumping strength of the left ventricle.  Normal is about 50 to 70% called the ejection fraction (EF) and that represents the fraction of blood pumped out rwith each stroke.  I had pulmonary edema when the EF was below 29%.

[ednaearle]

Thanks for taking the time.. The only other thing is when she went back to get the fluid drained off her lungs, it affected her kidneys, she couldnt use the bathroom, so they put a cartha in, sorry i dont know how to spell it She will be going to get her kidneys checked next wk.  But she isnt having trouble now.  So I dont know whats going on.  I will have to say she is doing better...she saw the heart doctor yesterday, and he said everything looked fine,,and told her husband to drain her lungs once a day, and he gave her more fluid pills, I didnt go, wish i had, because i would have asked him more questions...anyway thanks again,,