Open heart surgery isn't performed in the public hospital where I live so I was referred to the major cardiac hospital in my state, which is about 1 1/4 hours drive away. I had about a 5 week wait for the appointment, enough time to recover from the hectic pace of the previous few months, where I had been in and out of hospital numerous times.
On 7 July I met the surgeon who will fix my heart! I felt immediately at ease with him, especially when he emphasized that it is unacceptable for him that I should have any complications whatsoever. I said that that suits my philosophy as well, because as I am the single mother of two teenaged boys, I don't want anything bad happening to me either! He gave me his mobile phone number and said that I could let him know when I am ready for this surgery, because obviously I will need someone to look after me in the immediate post-operative period. I gave him a date in mid-August which is when a lot of my family will be here for my son's 18th birthday and he agreed to that.
How often does that happen? This doctor is caring and compassionate and cares for my welfare, not just for a body part that he has to fix! I have had no control over any of the dates of procedures or surgery up till now, and that has made me feel like my life is out of control for the last few months. At last I can organise things to suit me and my family.
Although I already knew the basics of what the surgery would entail, it was good to have him discuss it with me on a level that I could understand - he treated me very professionally. I took a copy of all my test results with me, and a typed history of all the dates of procedures etc., which he read thoroughly. This was important to me - he didn't dismiss me like a lot of other doctors do, he took me seriously and answered all my concerns. Most female patients are worried about the scar - he said he'd try and keep it as low on my chest as possible so I could still wear clothes that are low cut - I said that I don't wear low cut tops - "make the incision as large as you need to have enough visibility so that you can repair my heart with ease!"
Open heart surgery requires the heart to go on bypass - the blood is directed away from the body to a heart bypass machine which takes over the pumping action of the heart, and filters and oxygenates the blood before returning it to the body. This allows the surgeon to operate on the heart in a bloodless field. Once the heart is stopped, he will open it up to repair the septum between the atriums ( the wall between the two upper chambers of the heart) by either sewing over the defect or placing a graft over the hole. My lungs will also be deflated during the surgery.
I'll spend about 24 hours in ICU and during this time most of the tubes will be removed. I was most concerned about the pain because I know how sore my chest was after having CPR - I'll have a fentanyl or morphine PCA with a background infusion (a machine will give me narcotics straight into my bloodstream. When I'm awake enough I'll be able to control it with the push of a button). I'll be in hospital about 5 - 7 days.
The main complication to the surgery is air embolism which could cause a cerebrovascular accident or death. He has to make sure there are no bubbles of air in my heart to avoid this. He said I probably have one hole in the heart - not two, and it's been difficult for the doctors to visualize it due to it having an unusual shape, and the septum being floppy.
I've always wondered how this could have been missed for so long, especially when I have had symptoms most of my life. Apparently it worsens over time - if I don't get it repaired now, eventually the flow of blood from the left side to the right will reverse, and I will become cyanotic (blue). The pressure within my heart will cause damage to the valves and eventually I will get so sick (in 10 years' time) that it will be inoperable. So even though it's not critical that I get it fixed now, if I leave it too much longer I will be really unwell and may be too sick to undergo the surgery. Right now I'm still fit, young and healthy enough to do it so it should be done now to prevent complications.
I feel like I'm in good hands - the doctor and the other staff know their jobs so well. It's like a well-oiled machine, so organised. I have a lot of confidence in the hospital and doctor after this visit. I left there feeling positive and enthusiastic for the first time in months.
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