Breathlessness after bypass operation

[liesbeth56]

My husband had a quadruple bypass on the 12th January 2006. The day after the operaton he had a lot of fluid on his lungs whcih was removed.  He has never been able to breath properly but when asked at the follow up appointment whether he was suffering from 'breathlessness' he said 'no' because he thought they meant panting.  Over the months he has become more and more breathless and he spent 11 days in hospital where they diagnosed 'pulmonary embolism' put him on Warfarin and sent him home. They have promised a CT scan in about a month. He has lost about 10 kg in weight.  When first home he was a bit better but he is now getting very breathless again. He is also losing his appetite again.  What do we do?  Our GP is on holiday.

[ballroomqueen83]

A related discussion, quadruple heart bypass was started.

[liesbeth56]

They won't take you unless you have been referred by your GP.
We could call an ambulance again and have him admitted to hospital but he is desperate to avoid that and I must admit he is not quite as bad as he was on the 12th June he was admitted to hospital.
We have however heard from the hospital that the CT scan is scheduled for 18th July, so that is an improvement on the 14th August at the earliest.

[liesbeth56]

Well we have now spoken to a different GP.  He thought that having a CT scan in around two months was quite reasonable and has warned us that if this is indeed a pulmonary embolism, as is quite likely according to the VQ scan, there is every possibility that the breathlessness will continue forever.
He advised us to get an exercise bike, if my husband did not feel safe enough to use his bike in traffic.
Has anybody any experiencein how sensible this advice is?
Liesbeth

[liesbeth56]

That is all really useful.  I'll let you know how we get on

[LukeL]

When they diagnosed the embolism did they run a VQ Scan?

[Cleveland Clinic]

liesbeth,

Im sorry to hear of the rough course your husband has had. Open heart surgery is a big operation and it can take a serious toll on the body. There are a multitude of reasons why your husband might be breathless such as deconditiong, the pulmonary embolism, pleural and pericardial effusions and graft failure to name a few.

You really need to be evaluated in person. I would start with your GP or cardiologist and be specific of your complains and concerns. Sometimes a cardiac rehabilitation program is a marked benefit, but I would start with a medical evaluation to make sure something else inst going on.

good luck