I just found out my almost 70 year old sister needs a heart bypass

[kimbutgar]

She is not overweight but used to be and is diabetic. She spent many years caring for her husband who was a smoker and had heart problems and eventually died in 2017. My sister was a smoker but gave up several years ago. I am so upset as she is my only sister and she is freaked out. She has caregivers who live with her because of a seizure she had in December 2018 because she got depressed and stopped taking her meds and liked having people take care of her and she can afford to keep them on. Luckily her late husband left her a generous pension thank goodness!

Has anyone here ever had a heart bypass and what is the recovery period etc? The timing sure sucks with the CV. I have not seen her since March 16th since they locked down California but we speak all the time. This so sucks.

[DarthDem]

1. My best wishes to her

I hope she'll be fine.

[tblue37]

2. My brother did in his mid-sixties. He is 73 now. He healed pretty quickly and is in good health

now.

Obviously such surgery is never trivial, but it is common and usually quite successful.

[marble falls]

3. It used to be a pretty rough surgery with a significant amount of time to heal ...

she won't be playing basket ball this year.

These really are good questions for her doctor (or yours). I only play one in the movies and I never spent the night in a Holiday Inn Express.

My prayers for your sister's uneventful surgery and successful recuperation.

[malaise]

4. She'll recover sooner than you think

[kimbutgar]

5. Thank you all I never expected to hear this news today

That is the reason I love DU. This is such a smart, supportive community that I so admire greatly.

Thank you

[SaveOurDemocracy]

6. My husband had robotic heart bypass surgery, Feb 2019, at Lankenau, in Philadelphia.

Great results, much faster recovery. 5 small incisions.

His Surgeon was Francis Sutter and my husband was patient #2003: I


"Dr. Sutter, chief of cardiac surgery at Main Line Health's Lankenau Medical Center and clinical professor of surgery at Jefferson Medical College, is well-known for his innovative approach to coronary bypass surgery, using a robotic surgical system to perform coronary artery bypass grafts while his patients’ hearts continue to beat. The procedure is far less intrusive, sparing his patients the foot-long incision, split sternum and connection to a heart-lung machine that is required in traditional coronary bypass surgeries."


https://www.mainlinehealth.org/news/2018/01/31/francis-p-sutter-do-honored-by-alma-mater


I see that your sister is in CA, perhaps you could contact Dr Sutter's office for further information or a referral.


I know what you mean about bad timing! My husband (again!) had surgery for colon cancer last friday, we brought him home yesterday, he's recuperating and his prognosis looks good. This time it was at John's Hopkins. When it's your health go to the pros, no do-overs.

Good Luck!