{"id":11496,"date":"2025-03-25T14:42:52","date_gmt":"2025-03-25T11:42:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ams.uokerbala.edu.iq\/wp\/en\/?p=11496"},"modified":"2025-03-25T14:42:53","modified_gmt":"2025-03-25T11:42:53","slug":"recovery-aortic-valve-replacement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ams.uokerbala.edu.iq\/wp\/en\/blog\/2025\/03\/25\/recovery-aortic-valve-replacement\/","title":{"rendered":"Recovery-Aortic valve replacement"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>After an aortic valve replacement, you&#8217;ll usually need to stay in hospital for about a week.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The time it takes to fully&nbsp;recover varies depending on factors like your age and overall health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Your breastbone will usually heal in&nbsp;about&nbsp;6 to 8&nbsp;weeks, but it may be 2 to 3 months before you feel your normal self again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Recovering in hospital<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>You&#8217;ll usually stay in an&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nhs.uk\/conditions\/intensive-care\/\">intensive care unit (ICU)<\/a>&nbsp;for the first day or 2 after&nbsp;your operation, before moving to a surgical ward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Staying in&nbsp;an ICU<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>While you&#8217;re in the ICU:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>you may be kept asleep for\u00a0the first\u00a0few hours, or until the following morning<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>the activity of your heart, lungs and bodily functions will be closely monitored<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>you&#8217;ll be given painkillers for when your anaesthetic wears off\u00a0\u2013 let a nurse\u00a0or the doctor in charge of your care know if these aren&#8217;t helping<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>a tube attached to a ventilator will be placed down your throat until you&#8217;re able to breathe on your own\u00a0\u2013 this may be uncomfortable and you won&#8217;t be able to talk, eat or drink while it&#8217;s in place<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>When you&#8217;re taken off the ventilator,&nbsp;a mask will be placed over your mouth and nose to supply oxygen for you to breathe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Moving to a&nbsp;ward<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>You&#8217;ll be moved from the ICU to a surgical ward once the doctors treating you think you&#8217;re ready.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You may have several tubes and monitors attached to you during the first few days of your stay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These could include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>chest drains \u2013 small tubes from your chest to drain away any build-up of blood or fluid<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>pacing wires \u2013 if necessary, these will be inserted near the chest drains to control your heart rate<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>wires\u00a0attached to\u00a0sensor pads\u00a0\u2013 these can be used to measure your heart rate, blood pressure and blood flow, and the air flow to your lungs<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nhs.uk\/conditions\/urinary-catheters\/\">catheter<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 a tube inserted into your bladder so you can pass urine<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Your care team will focus on increasing your appetite and getting you back on your feet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Someone from the cardiac rehabilitation team or&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nhs.uk\/conditions\/physiotherapy\/\">physiotherapy<\/a>&nbsp;department will give you advice&nbsp;about getting back to normal, and where there&#8217;s a cardiac rehabilitation programme or support group in your area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The aim is to help you recover quickly and get back to living as full and active a life as you can, while preventing further heart problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Going home<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Depending on how well you progress, you should be able to leave the hospital about a week after your operation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some people may wish to go to a convalescent home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Before going home, you&#8217;ll be given advice about caring for your wound and any activities you need to avoid until you have recovered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Returning to your normal activities<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>You&#8217;ll need to take things easy at first. Starting gentle exercise, such as walking, can be helpful when you feel up to it, but don&#8217;t try to do too much too quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Your doctor or surgeon can give you specific advice about when you can return to your normal activities, but generally speaking:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>you can be a passenger in a car straight away<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>you should not drive for 6 weeks \u2013 wait until you can comfortably do an emergency stop, and tell your insurer that you have had heart surgery<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>you can have sex after 6 weeks \u2013 make sure you feel strong enough first and are able to do light work such as 15 minutes of brisk walking<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>when you can return to work depends on the type of work you do \u2013\u00a0this could be as soon as 6 to 8 weeks if your job mainly involves light work, but may not be for\u00a03 months if it involves manual labour<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>you should avoid strenuous exercise, sudden strains and heavy lifting for 3 months<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Possible side effects<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>While at home, you may experience some&nbsp;temporary side effects that should start to improve as you recover.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These can include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>pain and discomfort \u2013\u00a0you can take painkillers to relieve this, although it\u00a0should improve as your wound heals<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>swelling and redness around your wound that should gradually fade<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>loss of appetite<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nhs.uk\/conditions\/insomnia\/\">difficulty sleeping (insomnia)<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nhs.uk\/conditions\/constipation\/\">constipation<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0drinking plenty of fluids and eating fruit and vegetables\u00a0can help with this; your doctor may also suggest taking a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nhs.uk\/conditions\/laxatives\/\">laxative<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>mood swings, irritability,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nhs.uk\/conditions\/generalised-anxiety-disorder\/\">anxiety<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nhs.uk\/conditions\/clinical-depression\/\">depression<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 these are completely normal after\u00a0major surgery; talking to your friends and family can help, and your cardiac nurse can also offer support<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nhs.uk\/conditions\/loss-of-libido\/\">loss of interest in sex<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 this is common in people with serious illnesses; in men, the associated emotional stress can also result in\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nhs.uk\/conditions\/erection-problems-erectile-dysfunction\/\">erectile dysfunction<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Speak to your GP or cardiac nurse&nbsp;for advice if you&#8217;re struggling to cope with the after effects of your operation or they don&#8217;t seem to be improving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">When to get medical advice<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Contact&nbsp;your GP&nbsp;if you experience:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>increasing redness, swelling\u00a0or tenderness around the wound<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>pus or fluid oozing\u00a0from the wound<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>pain that&#8217;s getting worse<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>a high temperature<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>increasing\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nhs.uk\/conditions\/shortness-of-breath\/\">shortness of breath<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>a return of the symptoms you had before the operation<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>These symptoms could be a sign of a problem such as an infection.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>After an aortic valve replacement, you&#8217;ll usually need to stay in hospital for about a week. The time it takes to fully&nbsp;recover varies depending on factors like your age and overall health. Your breastbone will usually heal in&nbsp;about&nbsp;6 to 8&nbsp;weeks, but it may be 2 to 3 months before you feel your normal self again. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":[],"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"ocean_post_layout":"","ocean_both_sidebars_style":"","ocean_both_sidebars_content_width":0,"ocean_both_sidebars_sidebars_width":0,"ocean_sidebar":"","ocean_second_sidebar":"","ocean_disable_margins":"enable","ocean_add_body_class":"","ocean_shortcode_before_top_bar":"","ocean_shortcode_after_top_bar":"","ocean_shortcode_before_header":"","ocean_shortcode_after_header":"","ocean_has_shortcode":"","ocean_shortcode_after_title":"","ocean_shortcode_before_footer_widgets":"","ocean_shortcode_after_footer_widgets":"","ocean_shortcode_before_footer_bottom":"","ocean_shortcode_after_footer_bottom":"","ocean_display_top_bar":"default","ocean_display_header":"default","ocean_header_style":"","ocean_center_header_left_menu":"","ocean_custom_header_template":"","ocean_custom_logo":0,"ocean_custom_retina_logo":0,"ocean_custom_logo_max_width":0,"ocean_custom_logo_tablet_max_width":0,"ocean_custom_logo_mobile_max_width":0,"ocean_custom_logo_max_height":0,"ocean_custom_logo_tablet_max_height":0,"ocean_custom_logo_mobile_max_height":0,"ocean_header_custom_menu":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_family":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_subset":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_size":0,"ocean_menu_typo_font_size_tablet":0,"ocean_menu_typo_font_size_mobile":0,"ocean_menu_typo_font_size_unit":"px","ocean_menu_typo_font_weight":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_weight_tablet":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_weight_mobile":"","ocean_menu_typo_transform":"","ocean_menu_typo_transform_tablet":"","ocean_menu_typo_transform_mobile":"","ocean_menu_typo_line_height":0,"ocean_menu_typo_line_height_tablet":0,"ocean_menu_typo_line_height_mobile":0,"ocean_menu_typo_line_height_unit":"","ocean_menu_typo_spacing":0,"ocean_menu_typo_spacing_tablet":0,"ocean_menu_typo_spacing_mobile":0,"ocean_menu_typo_spacing_unit":"","ocean_menu_link_color":"","ocean_menu_link_color_hover":"","ocean_menu_link_color_active":"","ocean_menu_link_background":"","ocean_menu_link_hover_background":"","ocean_menu_link_active_background":"","ocean_menu_social_links_bg":"","ocean_menu_social_hover_links_bg":"","ocean_menu_social_links_color":"","ocean_menu_social_hover_links_color":"","ocean_disable_title":"default","ocean_disable_heading":"default","ocean_post_title":"","ocean_post_subheading":"","ocean_post_title_style":"","ocean_post_title_background_color":"","ocean_post_title_background":0,"ocean_post_title_bg_image_position":"","ocean_post_title_bg_image_attachment":"","ocean_post_title_bg_image_repeat":"","ocean_post_title_bg_image_size":"","ocean_post_title_height":0,"ocean_post_title_bg_overlay":0.5,"ocean_post_title_bg_overlay_color":"","ocean_disable_breadcrumbs":"default","ocean_breadcrumbs_color":"","ocean_breadcrumbs_separator_color":"","ocean_breadcrumbs_links_color":"","ocean_breadcrumbs_links_hover_color":"","ocean_display_footer_widgets":"default","ocean_display_footer_bottom":"default","ocean_custom_footer_template":"","ocean_post_oembed":"","ocean_post_self_hosted_media":"","ocean_post_video_embed":"","ocean_link_format":"","ocean_link_format_target":"self","ocean_quote_format":"","ocean_quote_format_link":"post","ocean_gallery_link_images":"on","ocean_gallery_id":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[117],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11496","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-medical-information","entry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","rttpg_featured_image_url":null,"rttpg_author":{"display_name":false,"author_link":"https:\/\/ams.uokerbala.edu.iq\/wp\/en\/blog\/author\/ams0manager\/"},"rttpg_comment":0,"rttpg_category":"<a href=\"https:\/\/ams.uokerbala.edu.iq\/wp\/en\/blog\/category\/medical-information\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Medical Information<\/a>","rttpg_excerpt":"After an aortic valve replacement, you&#8217;ll usually need to stay in hospital for about a week. The time it takes to fully&nbsp;recover varies depending on factors like your age and overall health. Your breastbone will usually heal in&nbsp;about&nbsp;6 to 8&nbsp;weeks, but it may be 2 to 3 months before you feel your normal self again.&hellip;","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ams.uokerbala.edu.iq\/wp\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11496","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ams.uokerbala.edu.iq\/wp\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ams.uokerbala.edu.iq\/wp\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ams.uokerbala.edu.iq\/wp\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ams.uokerbala.edu.iq\/wp\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11496"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/ams.uokerbala.edu.iq\/wp\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11496\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11512,"href":"https:\/\/ams.uokerbala.edu.iq\/wp\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11496\/revisions\/11512"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ams.uokerbala.edu.iq\/wp\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11496"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ams.uokerbala.edu.iq\/wp\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11496"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ams.uokerbala.edu.iq\/wp\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11496"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}