Is open heart surgery common?

Question

My mom just got out of the hospital,she had her second T.I.A. a mini stroke.She is only 47 so they ran a lot of test to see why she keeps having mini strokes.She also has lung disease,liver damage and clogged arteries.She has a hole in her heart,which the doctors think is causing the T.I.A.'s.She has to go for a TEE test on monday for a closer look at her heart.The doctors think that she may need open heart surgery,we will find out for sure on monday.She already has to go for surgery on her back in one month to remove some tumors and cyst that they found.She isn't scared of the surgery on her back,but she is scared of the open heart surgery.Surgery of any kind really doesn't scare me,I was more scared when she had the T.I.A.'s then her going for surgery.How common is open heart surgery?Is there anything she should do before the surgery to make it go smoother?what can I say to make her not so scared?How fast does someone recover after open heart surgery and are there any problems that come with open heart surgery?Should I stay with my mom after the surgery is done so that I can help her?If there is anything else that you can think of that I should know please tell me.I want my mom better and I will do anything to make that happen.My mom is my best friend,I do everything with her and everything for her,so if there is anything that I can do to help her please let me know.

purplegirl · Accepted Answer

Youre a good daughter...yes please do stay with your mum after her surgery...she will need someone to do the boring stuff like cooking and cleaning for a week or two maybe longer.

Opne heart surgery is nowhere near as painful and awful as you think its going to be.  The pain from my dislocated pinky toe was far worse than any pain I had after my own heart surgery.  The pain and recovery from back surgery would really be worse and have more impact on her activity than what she will have from heart surgery.  The first day or 2 may be tough and you feel a bit like a truck has run you over but that passes really quickly.  They give you good drugs...honestly after a week or two you manage quite well with regular pain killers like tylenol/panadol and some like to use a sleeping tablet to help sometimes...by 4-6 weeks post op your mum will be pretty much back to normal.

The sternum heals up quite quickly and surprisingly you are out of bed and sitting in a chair the day after surgery and walking up and down the halls of the hospital not long after that.

Anonymous · Answer

I had open heart surgery June 1996 when I was 17 and still battle depression. Before the surgery I was happy-go-lucky kid and nothing has been the same since. But thank you for pointing out the fact you would need a repeat surgery, I also need to have a second surgery and I am three years over due and pretty sure that's where my depression comes from.

Is open heart surgery common?

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