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re: Any experiences with bypass surgery?
Posted on 6/29/26 at 4:54 pm to poppa1254
Posted on 6/29/26 at 4:54 pm to poppa1254
Four years ago, my 65 year old brother went had triple bypass surgery…4.5 hours later we were told he was taken off the machine and his heart was too weak and he died on the table. Utter shock. I was so positive that none of our conversations prior to surgery even broached the “what if you don’t make it” scenario. Of course, there was a-lot I would have said/talked about/reminisced had I treated the surgery like I may never speak to him again. My suggestion is to not take it for granted and have that conversation.
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Posted on 6/29/26 at 4:56 pm to StringedInstruments
I took care of open heart patients for quite a few years.
Tell him not to be afraid to take pain meds.Older guys often resisted taking pain meds,felt like it was a sign of weakness.Others were afraid of getting addicted.Severe pain causes shallow breathing which can lead to pneumonia.He won’t be on the strong stuff but a couple of days.
Quiz him to make sure he is getting out of bed and doing his incentive spirometer as ordered.
If not don’t be afraid to report it to the Dr.
Tell him not to be afraid to take pain meds.Older guys often resisted taking pain meds,felt like it was a sign of weakness.Others were afraid of getting addicted.Severe pain causes shallow breathing which can lead to pneumonia.He won’t be on the strong stuff but a couple of days.
Quiz him to make sure he is getting out of bed and doing his incentive spirometer as ordered.
If not don’t be afraid to report it to the Dr.
Posted on 6/29/26 at 5:01 pm to StringedInstruments
Pop had a quadruple back about 13 or so years ago. Similar to what everyone else has said…
My only words for you and the family is to be prepared for how he will look immediately after while he’s in ICU. Pop was grey and cold, damn near looked dead to me and it shook me up pretty bad. I wasn’t prepared to see him that way.
My only words for you and the family is to be prepared for how he will look immediately after while he’s in ICU. Pop was grey and cold, damn near looked dead to me and it shook me up pretty bad. I wasn’t prepared to see him that way.
Posted on 6/29/26 at 5:06 pm to StringedInstruments
quote:
My 67 year old father just found out he needs triple bypass surgery. The surgeon said 4-5 days in the hospital, 2 weeks of recovering at home with lots of rest and small walks. Then feeling about 80% at 4 weeks with normal, basic activities returning. 100% sometime between 8 and 12 weeks.
What all should he know about the experience? Does this sound like a typical recovery schedule?
The surgeon definitely downplayed the extent of how bad it might be, and I’m concerned my dad thinks it’s going to be a walk in the park.
my mom just had triple or quadruple. my mom is tough as a 2 dollar steak. when we saw her the night after the surgery when she was still half out of it and still had the tubes in her throat and shite you can tell she was struggling but was coherent. next day once all of that was out she looked very good in icu. once they took her out of icu the care was nowhere near as good and she struggled a little bit and was ready to get home. once she got home it took a couple of weeks but she started getting her strength back and now she is like brand new again. so keep that in mind that there will be some ups and downs. the body has to get used to having blood flow again and also the medications will need to be adjusted. she also quit smoking. but hasnt changed up much with her diet due to being a picky eater... but I suspect with no smoking that will go a long way.
one thing the doctor said was that despite being a tiny woman she had a very large mammary artery so that helped her alot. she had the biggest one out of everyone that did the surgery that day.
also make sure the house is setup for small short trips. make sure there is a handle and something to sit down on in the shower. early on she would get winded pretty quick.
again there will be ups and downs, especially after a few days thats when the pain starts setting in. stay positive. at the lowest point my mom was saying she wish she didnt do it etc but I stayed positive with her and I guarantee she is glad she did it now. she will be 71 in september.
This post was edited on 6/29/26 at 5:15 pm
Posted on 6/29/26 at 5:26 pm to NC_Tigah
quote:
PTCA
Damn interventional cardiologists talking food off my plate.
I honestly don't know if it is a lot, but she did close to 250 CABs last year. That and valves are her bread and butter, but the interventional cardiologists are coming for that too with TAVRs and etc.
I figure because OP's father's surgeon made it sound routine, he isn't a case nobody would have touched years ago.
Posted on 6/29/26 at 5:29 pm to Nutriaitch
oh an another thing, hopefully whatever hospital is full staffed across the board when he goes.
mine was early in 2021 with a lot of COVID restrictions still in place.
so night crew was short staffed and i was late (sometimes very late) getting my meds.
again, pain was never what i’d call excruciating, but at night when the daytime stuff wore off before getting the nighttime dose, i definitely noticed.
mine was early in 2021 with a lot of COVID restrictions still in place.
so night crew was short staffed and i was late (sometimes very late) getting my meds.
again, pain was never what i’d call excruciating, but at night when the daytime stuff wore off before getting the nighttime dose, i definitely noticed.
Posted on 6/29/26 at 5:44 pm to Obtuse1
quote:that's busy enough.
but she did close to 250 CABs last year.
Minimums would be at least 50-70 CABGs/yr by the surgeon and at least 250 CABGs/yr for the facility.
Posted on 6/29/26 at 5:49 pm to StringedInstruments
I may be speaking out of turn here but isn't bypass surgery highly risky? Someone correct me.
Posted on 6/29/26 at 5:50 pm to StringedInstruments
quote:
he surgeon said 4-5 days in the hospital, 2 weeks of recovering at home with lots of rest and small walks. Then feeling about 80% at 4 weeks with normal, basic activities returning. 100% sometime between 8 and 12 weeks.
My dad had emergency triple bypass surgery pass 25 years ago at 47 years old. I feel like the recovery time has been shortened by A LOT since then, but I’m also sure the procedure to access the heart has also changed and may not require cutting the chest completely open.
Posted on 6/29/26 at 6:21 pm to StringedInstruments
5 bypass surgery at age 55 here. A lot depends on your fitness pre-surgery and how willing you are to take your pain meds, go to rehab, do your spirometer, etc. Chest drainage tubes suck!!! Heart pillow is the bomb!!! 3 days in the hospital, felt much better after a week at home. Baby steps to get back to walking/exercise.
Worst part for me was body temp regulation post-surgery. I slept in the recliner for 2 weeks in Oct/Nov. Nothing but tighty-whiteys and sweating my arse off! Still feel like I"m hotter than normal.
Not something to be overy scared of these days. Good luck!!
Worst part for me was body temp regulation post-surgery. I slept in the recliner for 2 weeks in Oct/Nov. Nothing but tighty-whiteys and sweating my arse off! Still feel like I"m hotter than normal.
Not something to be overy scared of these days. Good luck!!
Posted on 6/29/26 at 7:01 pm to flyingtexastiger
Thanks for the information, everyone. The surgeon did say that the procedure has come a long way and it isn’t as traumatic as it used to be.
Posted on 6/29/26 at 7:08 pm to flyingtexastiger
I am 76 and had the 4x cabbage surgery in February of this year. The worst part for me was the catheter. Because of the catheter, you will not be wearing drawers but you wear 2 gowns, one opening in front and the other in back. After surgery, 3-5 days in ICU followed by Tier 1 rehab clinic at Memorial Hermann in The Woodlands.
After the surgery, you will have difficulty swallowing from that tube down your throat. Your diet will consist of fresh fruit like pineapple and grapes, iced tea, pudding cups and all the ice cream you can try and get. Hot breakfast will be served cold, sausage looks gray and you will learn to love the prepackaged cereal. There will be a wheelchair in the room. Get up with their help and sit there while eating.
The heart surgeon wants to see fresh films every day. I was awakened every day ay 3:30 AM for x rays taken in the bed.
You will not be allowed to use your hands or arms to get up out of bed. They force you to cross your arms on your chest with that heart shaped pillow and get up using just your legs. This minimizes the risk of tearin stitches internally.
When they start with rehab, ask for a stand up walker. Much easier than the old style. Google it.
Check out Rooms To Go for a zero base stand up recliner that will put you up into a standing position. Look for the ones with 3 motors around $900. This is what you will sleep in for at least a month.
The hospital food sucks. Chicken tenders will need dipping sauce to help you swallow. Have your family bring you beef jerky and pop tarts for hunger issues.
The best part is you should lose 15 to 25 pounds. Good Luck to you
After the surgery, you will have difficulty swallowing from that tube down your throat. Your diet will consist of fresh fruit like pineapple and grapes, iced tea, pudding cups and all the ice cream you can try and get. Hot breakfast will be served cold, sausage looks gray and you will learn to love the prepackaged cereal. There will be a wheelchair in the room. Get up with their help and sit there while eating.
The heart surgeon wants to see fresh films every day. I was awakened every day ay 3:30 AM for x rays taken in the bed.
You will not be allowed to use your hands or arms to get up out of bed. They force you to cross your arms on your chest with that heart shaped pillow and get up using just your legs. This minimizes the risk of tearin stitches internally.
When they start with rehab, ask for a stand up walker. Much easier than the old style. Google it.
Check out Rooms To Go for a zero base stand up recliner that will put you up into a standing position. Look for the ones with 3 motors around $900. This is what you will sleep in for at least a month.
The hospital food sucks. Chicken tenders will need dipping sauce to help you swallow. Have your family bring you beef jerky and pop tarts for hunger issues.
The best part is you should lose 15 to 25 pounds. Good Luck to you
Posted on 6/29/26 at 7:21 pm to flyingtexastiger
Another quintuplet !!!
Try to convince him that his emotional state that he goes into surgery with will be the one he wakes up with, only worse, or better. Be positive going in! It matters. Gently warn him he might awaken with a breathing machine, its a shock, but understand its temporary. (Most are asleep when taken off, I wasn't). Pain meds must be taken on time!!!!!! He will regret it if he doesn't, he doesn't want to feel that pain. For a few days he will feel bad, but the next day he will feel so much better, but still feel very bad. Its a daily progression but very noticeable. In a few weeks he will probably feel better than he has in years. Follow ALL the directions, they have the process down to the T.
ALSO, I think you said in 3 days? Tell him if his chest starts hurting to go to ER stat. Its prvoen he has a severe problem, the docs cant guarantee he won't have a heart attack in the next 3 days. I'm assuming they gave him some nitro. If he feels pain, take the nitro, and if the pain stops that proves it was the heart. Go to ER
Try to convince him that his emotional state that he goes into surgery with will be the one he wakes up with, only worse, or better. Be positive going in! It matters. Gently warn him he might awaken with a breathing machine, its a shock, but understand its temporary. (Most are asleep when taken off, I wasn't). Pain meds must be taken on time!!!!!! He will regret it if he doesn't, he doesn't want to feel that pain. For a few days he will feel bad, but the next day he will feel so much better, but still feel very bad. Its a daily progression but very noticeable. In a few weeks he will probably feel better than he has in years. Follow ALL the directions, they have the process down to the T.
ALSO, I think you said in 3 days? Tell him if his chest starts hurting to go to ER stat. Its prvoen he has a severe problem, the docs cant guarantee he won't have a heart attack in the next 3 days. I'm assuming they gave him some nitro. If he feels pain, take the nitro, and if the pain stops that proves it was the heart. Go to ER
Posted on 6/29/26 at 7:27 pm to Purplehaze
quote:
The best part is you should lose 15 to 25 pounds
This is what I remember most after my dad had quadruple bypass. He lost a lot of weight. He also got a staff infection and ended up with an open wound on his chest that had to be packed for a month or so while it healed. He also had to wear compression stockings for the rest of his life from where they took veins from his legs.
He also developed afib afterwards, which is what ultimately did him in, albeit, after 30 years. Had to go off his blood thinners to have a hernia repair and ended up having two strokes as soon as he stopped them. Died within 10 days.
Posted on 6/29/26 at 9:15 pm to StringedInstruments
Single bypass at 44. On a Friday. Left ICU Monday to go to a regular room. Left hospital on Thursday.
First week at home was pretty useless. Second week was able to do very light stuff. End of second week started working 1-2 hr a day on computer. By 4 weeks was back to normal except still had weight lifting restrictions for a whine. After 8 weeks flew cruises country for a work trip.
Suggestions:
Heart pillow is a life saver
Get a shower seat - he will need help getting in and out of shower
Get a toilet seat - same as shower
The pain patches are very helpful
Lots of pillows to help him elevate while sleeping and he will need help getting out of bed at first
He has to walk. Even if it’s around the living room,
Most important - do the cardiac rehab including the nutritional component
First week at home was pretty useless. Second week was able to do very light stuff. End of second week started working 1-2 hr a day on computer. By 4 weeks was back to normal except still had weight lifting restrictions for a whine. After 8 weeks flew cruises country for a work trip.
Suggestions:
Heart pillow is a life saver
Get a shower seat - he will need help getting in and out of shower
Get a toilet seat - same as shower
The pain patches are very helpful
Lots of pillows to help him elevate while sleeping and he will need help getting out of bed at first
He has to walk. Even if it’s around the living room,
Most important - do the cardiac rehab including the nutritional component
This post was edited on 6/29/26 at 9:23 pm
Posted on 6/29/26 at 9:41 pm to flyingtexastiger
Double at age 52. Research your surgeon...you don't want Doogie Howser but you don't want some old codger stuck in his ways either. Drains were the worst for me, and most painful of the whole deal. Wife got scared, as one guy said, that I looked gray when she first got to see me, so be prepared.
Heart pillow and recliner are a must, as stated. Rehab like they tell you. I am a firefighter and was back to work in approx. 5 months full go.
Heart pillow and recliner are a must, as stated. Rehab like they tell you. I am a firefighter and was back to work in approx. 5 months full go.
Posted on 6/29/26 at 9:53 pm to StringedInstruments
Also let me say this… there’s likely to be a complication along the way. Any major surgery has this.
For me… about 24 hrs post surgery, while still in ICU, my oxygen levels started dropping, fast. My lungs got very full with fluid and breathing got very hard and everything got very painful, my kids were in the icu with me (13 avd 16 at the time) and the nurses etc rushed in and made them leave. They grabbed my wife from waiting room, it was pretty surreal. They kept upping oxygen and changing the breathing mask. Finally got it stabilized
Only other thing was my complete inability to poo, which led to a very flamboyant male nurse giving me an enema. It worked…
For me… about 24 hrs post surgery, while still in ICU, my oxygen levels started dropping, fast. My lungs got very full with fluid and breathing got very hard and everything got very painful, my kids were in the icu with me (13 avd 16 at the time) and the nurses etc rushed in and made them leave. They grabbed my wife from waiting room, it was pretty surreal. They kept upping oxygen and changing the breathing mask. Finally got it stabilized
Only other thing was my complete inability to poo, which led to a very flamboyant male nurse giving me an enema. It worked…
Posted on 6/29/26 at 9:56 pm to StringedInstruments
Does he have his will in order?
Posted on 6/29/26 at 10:01 pm to StringedInstruments
Add about 4 weeks to reach 80%. It's not the lack of blood flow or oxygen, it's the time it takes for the chest to heal. Stay active. Get dressed every morning, walk every day. No lifting over 3-4 lbs. for a while. Take the drugs so you he can use the spirolizer or whatever they call that frickin thing. Listen to your doctor, I was hitting golf balls at 3 months, found out you need to wait 6 months. Yes the chest pillow is his best friend and yess the drainage tubes will keep him from sleeping until they pull them out.
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