Edema and leg pain in general after CABG is pretty standard from what I've read. Tell your mom she might want to ask her Doctor(s) about compression hose. I came home from CABG with leg pain *Throbbing and apparently some nerves were cut because both legs have numbness in some areas. Our Neighbor suggested the Compression. My surgeons staff told me they used to suggest it to all their patients. The nurse I spoke to didn't understand the switch. Maybe the cost? Anyway the Doctor said yes so...
For a guy its a tad embarrassing but I work on my feet. For me it wake up put on the compression tights. Take them off when I get into bed. Water Pills like Lasix work fairly well but it adds a dozen trips to the bathroom. *Which work frowns on.
Thnx for your response..
It's great to hear the same thing which our cardiac surgeon also said that it will take a yr or so for EF to increase because someone else told us that EF should increase immediately after surgery and if it doesn't,it stays the same thoughout the life,which if was true would have been a area of great concern for my mother considering her low EF.
Yes, she is already under a medication of lascilactone(diuretic) and our cardiologist has also advised to reduce her intake of fluid to 750ml for a week to see if the situation improves
Rgds
Naveen
An EF below 29% is oftened the reason not to do any open heart surgery for occlusions as well as valve surgery. Many times the EF will not return to normal (55-70) and that is the risk. It appears currently the problem with your mother is the EF does not sufficiently pump blood into circulation all the blood recieved from the lungs and this causes fluids to leak into the tissues. It may take up to a year or so for the heart to heal, in the meantime treatment should be to reduce the heart's workload (dilate vessels, etc.) and a diuretic for the reduction of fluids (fluids stress the heart to work harder).