post aorta replacement complications

[mara di si]

4days ago my dad who is 85yrs had a aorta pig valve replacement.
Prior to the surgery my dad was the perfect canidate for this.no health issues,no medications the man was better than any man his age or even 20yrs younger.To give you an idea he would climb 24 flights of stairs for excersie 3xs a week.
After his surg.his surgeon said every thing was great.We saw him postop in icu still out,and his nurse said all his vital were excellent.The next day they told us he had paralisis on his left side and was not responding to commands.Also that during the night he was trashing in bed.They sedated then.He would look at us but was unable to respond because of the tube in trachia.
Now he has regain strenght on the left side and is concious.
He now has high blood presure,hallucinations,and hears music.
He also has some asthma.He is telling us he is worried about his recovery.He has not even started walking yet and they told us he would be up on day 2.He is now on meds for blood presure,arthmeas,and coumadin.He also had a ct scan which showed no brain bleed or problem,the dr said something about TIA.
He is getting anxious and depressed.what is going on?
Could the hallusinatons of scrolling names and numbers and music play the same sounds be from the Medications for his issues?
Please advise me.

[Cleveland Clinic]

mara,

Im sorry to hear of the complications of your fathers surgery.

As you have found out, open heart surgery is a major operation and many of the complications you place in the back of your worries prior to the procedure can happen, especially in the elderly.

Distilling what you tall me it sounds like your father had a perioperative stroke, some of which is resolving and is having problems with delirium post operatively.

Both of these factors can complicate the course of surgery and sometimes lead to other complications, but often patients can rebound from both.

Frustration, and anxiety are common post operatively. For now I would let the medical/surgical staff continue your fathers care. While complex, he may do ok.  As he recovers and is able to move out of the ICU his confusion should subside.

A lot of this is out of your hands and the best thing you can do is continue to provide support as needed, let him heal, and use what ever support system you have such as family, friends or faith.

good luck with everything. Please update us on his course.

[gregory_usa83]

Mara,

My grandmother had the same exact procedure done not to long ago
and she suffered the same after effects as it sounds like your father is having, she did get better over time but she had to go to a nursing home for 2 weeks of additional recovery because the hospital only kept her there for 1 weeks until all she needed was therapy.. ie strengthing and healing time. Good luck and hope all is going well.. and remember it takes more time the older you are to recover..  My aunt had bypass and was home in 4 days and back to work within 3 weeks...

Greg

[StPeter]

I had an aortic valve replacement in mid December. What I'm wondering is if anyone else experienced a loss of memory several days after the surgery. I have recovered fine but experienced a severe loss of memory beginning 4 days after the surgery. I didn't know why I was in the hospital..thought it was some time in the 1990's and couldn't remember people I talked to or saw during the first 4 days post opt. This lasted for several weeks after then I began to remember things..but never did recover the lost memory for those weeks.