cpap and open heart surgery

I'm going ot go to Seattle to have open heart surgery on Friday March 11th. I just had an angiogram study done and was in the hospital over night a couple days ago and they said they need to get in there and replace my aortic valve and the Dr mentioned some thing about cpap. I told him I did not bring it as I was not told to bring it nor did I ask about it as I thought I would be released the same night. Turns out they had one emergency after another so it must have been a heart attack day that day and they did not get to me until after 6:30 P.M and they kept me over night. I did not sleep that night any ways as the bed was not my own and the room was not dark enough and such. I will take my cpap with me when I go back and the Dr told me there is an oxygen thing that can connect to the mask. I know my nasal mask has little ports that the oxygen thing they put on you during a procedure will go in that mask, but I don't use that mask as it leaks big time in my eyes so I told the dr I use nasal pillows. Any way I'll take both masks and see how it will go. So I wonder if they put a cpap or some thing like it on me during the surgery or after when I'm in the icu unit. Iwill be in there for a day or two and then in a regular room, probably with some one else. Any one every have this done????? cpap in surgery or after??? Thanks in advance, Huggies, Fay

They will put you on a Vent, that's how they found out I needed XPAP. They couldn't get the vent in, took 20 minutes for that. I'd have the equipment ready, but I'd want the Dr to order it's use after being cut open. Odd's are it will take time before you are allowed to use it. i kept my head section raised 30 degrees. Jim

My father recently had surgery and the hospital he was at had a neat little coupler thingy that went between the hose and the machine that had a port for the supplemental oxygen. If they have that you may be ok with your normal mask.

Good luck with your surgery!

I had bypass surgery two years ago and Jim iscorrect they will insert a ventilator tube during the surgery when they take you off the heart/lung machine. Some time after the surgery the ventilator tube will be removed, generally the next day as I remember. I was put back on my cpap any time I went to sleep after the tube was removed. As I remember I did not need oxygen so it was not hooked up to the cpap line but it can be if you need it. I have been told that after only 2 years I am going to have to go through it again. Within 2 years now I am going to have to have the aortic valve replaced also. I'm a little bumbed out about the prospects of having to go through it AGAIN.

Jerry

6PtStar wrote:I had bypass surgery two years ago and Jim iscorrect they will insert a ventilator tube during the surgery when they take you off the heart/lung machine. Some time after the surgery the ventilator tube will be removed, generally the next day as I remember. I was put back on my cpap any time I went to sleep after the tube was removed. As I remember I did not need oxygen so it was not hooked up to the cpap line but it can be if you need it. I have been told that after only 2 years I am going to have to go through it again. Within 2 years now I am going to have to have the aortic valve replaced also. I'm a little bumbed out about the prospects of having to go through it AGAIN.

Jerry

Best of luck with that, be sure to tell them to use the zipper, don't cut you open again.

P.S. I spray my zipper every week with WD-40, just to make sure it doesn't rust. Jim

Goofproof wrote:P.S. I spray my zipper every week with WD-40, just to make sure it doesn't rust. Jim

Did not know you planned ahead!!!!

Fay, which valve are you going to get? There are two choices, the Procine (Pig's Valve) and the Metal one. My Cardilogist told me the break for the Porcine valve is around 70 years of age since it only lasts around 10 years but has much less side effects. The metal valve lasts 50 years but is prone to blood clots so you have to be on Coumadin after it is put in.

Jerry

6PtStar wrote:

Goofproof wrote:P.S. I spray my zipper every week with WD-40, just to make sure it doesn't rust. Jim

Did not know you planned ahead!!!!

Fay, which valve are you going to get? There are two choices, the Procine (Pig's Valve) and the Metal one. My Cardilogist told me the break for the Porcine valve is around 70 years of age since it only lasts around 10 years but has much less side effects. The metal valve lasts 50 years but is prone to blood clots so you have to be on Coumadin after it is put in.

Jerry

They are still waiting to come up with a solution for the defective leads they installed in me. They have run into a snag trying to push two 4 guage wires down into my heart. The idea not is to find a stronger doctor. Jim

Maybe, if they just spray them with WD-40.

Good luck!! It's the pig valve for me also. My doc said they did not use the cow valve much anymore, the pig valve is more compatible. Oink Oink also!! I was on coumedin for about a month after the bypass and had to have the blood test every week. Never could get it regulated. Blood was either to thick or to thin every time. If that was any example, I can't imagine being on it for the rest of my existance. I WAS figuring to stay around for a while yet.

Dang Jim, I would think with WD-40 yopu could push those 4 gague wires through the eye of a needle. Not sure about how the insulation would turn out. I wanted a zipper for the Defibrulator also since the battery has to be changed so often but when I woke up he did not put one in there either!! Darn!!

Jerry

6PtStar wrote:Good luck!! It's the pig valve for me also. My doc said they did not use the cow valve much anymore, the pig valve is more compatible. Oink Oink also!! I was on coumedin for about a month after the bypass and had to have the blood test every week. Never could get it regulated. Blood was either to thick or to thin every time. If that was any example, I can't imagine being on it for the rest of my existance. I WAS figuring to stay around for a while yet.

Dang Jim, I would think with WD-40 yopu could push those 4 gague wires through the eye of a needle. Not sure about how the insulation would turn out. I wanted a zipper for the Defibrulator also since the battery has to be changed so often but when I woke up he did not put one in there either!! Darn!!

Jerry

At least they put you out for the defib install, it's no fun with my Dr., not using enough Novicane, the pain didn't stop until I passed out from it. The Viet Cong couldn't have made it worse. jim

2ndGenCPAPgal wrote:My father recently had surgery and the hospital he was at had a neat little coupler thingy that went between the hose and the machine that had a port for the supplemental oxygen. If they have that you may be ok with your normal mask.

Good luck with your surgery!

Bring your own coupler along too - just to be on the safe side: https://www.cpap.com/productpage/O2-Enr ... apter.html