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Increased Heart Rate days after heart surgery
Hi,
My father underwent a double bypass and mitral valve replacement on Friday 28/08/09. Following surgery he had excessive bleeding in icu and after being unable to control it for 4 hours he was taken back to surgery to assess where the bleeding was coming from. Once openeing him up they were unable to find a source for the bleeding and by then it had subsided. We still have no idea where this bleeding came from. Any ideas???
Currently my dad who remains in hospital is experiencing an irregular heart rate. Prior to surgery his heart rate was around 50-60. Since surgery it has been anywhere from 64 to 190. He has a mechanical valve and they are now talking about having a pace maker put in. The explanation given for the irregular heart rate was that following this type of surgery the heart can swell which interferes with the conductivity of the heart.
What would your advice be in regards to this? Initially they said the heart rate would return to normal but clearly they feel otherwise now if they want to put in a pacemaker.
Thanks so much for your help,
Lisa
Perth, Western Australia.
My father underwent a double bypass and mitral valve replacement on Friday 28/08/09. Following surgery he had excessive bleeding in icu and after being unable to control it for 4 hours he was taken back to surgery to assess where the bleeding was coming from. Once openeing him up they were unable to find a source for the bleeding and by then it had subsided. We still have no idea where this bleeding came from. Any ideas???
Currently my dad who remains in hospital is experiencing an irregular heart rate. Prior to surgery his heart rate was around 50-60. Since surgery it has been anywhere from 64 to 190. He has a mechanical valve and they are now talking about having a pace maker put in. The explanation given for the irregular heart rate was that following this type of surgery the heart can swell which interferes with the conductivity of the heart.
What would your advice be in regards to this? Initially they said the heart rate would return to normal but clearly they feel otherwise now if they want to put in a pacemaker.
Thanks so much for your help,
Lisa
Perth, Western Australia.
The left ventricle may be enlarged as a condition subsequent to the valve operation. If the heart is under stress, it will enlarge to compensate...as your doctor states an enlarged heart can cause irregular heartbeats. A pacemaker may be an option to consider as it should/will stabilize the heart rate and provide peace of mind.
140 at rest is high. You would expect this when walking up a steep hill, walking very fast
on a flat surface or gently running. His erratic pulse has settled down, maybe this fast
rate will slow down too. After my bypass cardiac rehab were always worried about my
pulse. As soon as I started the simplest exercise, it would literally jump from 90 to
186. As soon as I sat down it would return to 90 in 20 seconds. The surgeon said this
was a sign of fitness. It did slow down over the next 6 weeks and was averaging 120
when exercising.
on a flat surface or gently running. His erratic pulse has settled down, maybe this fast
rate will slow down too. After my bypass cardiac rehab were always worried about my
pulse. As soon as I started the simplest exercise, it would literally jump from 90 to
186. As soon as I sat down it would return to 90 in 20 seconds. The surgeon said this
was a sign of fitness. It did slow down over the next 6 weeks and was averaging 120
when exercising.
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