fluid on lungs after mital valve surgery

My mother had mitral valve surgery on the 6th dec 2008.
The surgery went well but has only been out of hospital on and of for a total on 2 weeks.
She has been complaining of chest pains and shortness of breath.
She has fluid on the lungs that they believe is from the surgery.
After 1 attempt of draining it was unsucessful so they will be doing it again under ultral sound so they came see where the fluid is (air pockets or somthing like that)
If this does not work what questions should I be asking the medical team.
How will they get rid of the fluid?
Please help, it is now the 19th Feb 2009 and my mother is very weak and is giving up the fight.
She is only 57!

[kenkeith]

Five years ago I congested heart failure, and that caused fluids to back up into the lungs (edema).  If the mital valve is malfunctioning, fluids will/can back up into the lungs as with heart failure (pump less into circulation than receivd from the lungs).

I was in ACU for 3-4 days, administered diuretic for the edema and stayed in hospital until oxygen level in the blood was normal.  The pulmonary edema I had was classified as mild!!

If there is a failing mitral valve, the appropriate test is ultra sound (echocardiogram).  The echo (doppler software) will produce images in realtime of the valves functionality as well as chamber dimensions.  Enlarged left ventricle can be secondary to the mitral valve problem.  An enlrged LV can cause a reduction in the heart's pumping ability.

An echo to image the heart will not involve an image of the lungs.  I believe your mother should be hospitalized for the edema and and tests to assure there is mitral valve integrity.

[lbutler54]

I amd 54 and I too had mitral valve surgery July 08.  I had problems with fluid in my lungs (not as severe as your mom's).  I assume she is on lasixs or another diuretic.  I coughed every second from the second day after surgery for 2 months.  I had to figure out myself that when they stopped the lacix the cough would get worse.  when you are in surgery, you're lungs are collapsed.  When they reinflate them the small aviolis do not reinflate and fill with fluid.  supposedly walking helps this but is difficult to do when you can't breathe!  It's very slow but a strong diuretic and some walking might start to help.  I had to sleep in a chair so that I could breath.  It's a slow process and can be very discouraging but hang in there.