The condition has been nicknamed "pump head".
Now don't get me wrong, you don't go in as Albert Einstein and come out as Bo Bo the Chimp. It is more subtle and in a way, more insidious.
You see no one mentions this as a possible side effect. So when you start to notice changes in your mental capabilities it is quite disturbing. There is a simmering, low level of anxiety as it starts to dawn on you that there is something wrong with your brain. You have difficulty concentrating or following the thread of a conversation. You can't remember some one's name or an important date. It is a terrible, depressing feeling to realize that you are just not as smart as you used to be.
So there you sit in the first weeks following your surgery, battered in body and mind, a prime candidate for the crushing depression that often haunts the survivors of open heart surgery.
There is some good news. The impact on your mental capacity while real is relatively short term with noticeable improvements three months out, six out and so on.
Here is what is thought to happen. The combination of prolonged anesthesia and the heart lung machine induce a certain amount of mental confusion and memory loss that is temporary and will diminish over time.
The physical challenge to the body during the process of restoring the body to normal temperature from the cool state it is in while on the pump may deprive the brain of oxygen for a short time. So it is a double whammy. The body and brain are put through an amazing ordeal. It is one of the casual miracles we take for granted in modern society that we come back at all.
If you are presently recovering from open heart surgery and have these symptoms:
- difficulty concentrating
- noticeable changes in mental capabilities
- increased depression
I had heart valve replacement surgery six years ago and still feel dumber than before and the depression remains as well.
ReplyDeleteHave you discussed it with your doctor or anyone else? What did they have to say?
ReplyDeleteI'm still struggling a bit just over a year out from bypass grafts. I do feel like I'm making progress though.
Cheers,
Steve
I had heart valve replacement surgery when i was 38 in 1998, had some post op complications, and not long after had a leaky valve. Eventualy had repeat surgery in 2002 under a different team, (Ross procedure this time), and a very postive experience in comparison. As part of a research project a couple of years ago I mentioned the struggle with memory, and found out only then that memory loss can be related to surgery. I had my check up today, and all is fine. Mentioned the struggle with memory again as it is hard to feel confident professionally, although I am competent, I feel not as acute and in touch with professional knowledge as I used to be. The Doctor acknowledged that younger patients do report it. I find it quite depressing, as it really isn't something I was prepared for, and I feel career wise really quite stuck now, as changing jobs is such an enormous hurdle, and then my knowledge base is possibly weaker than I would like.
ReplyDeleteIt feels like a taboo subject, and that to acknowledge it properly would jeopardise my working career. I am 50, and sometimes wish I could just retire away from the challenges of trying to catch up and keep on top of things.
Still I have managed to date, and life outside work is good...so I also count my blessings.
I'm 34, had 3 open heart surgeries (1 at 17 and 2 at 20) and you have described my feelings to the T! I have the exact same challenges with memory, cognitive thinking, communicating and keeping up at my job with others and I feel at my age I shouldn't be having these issues and I find it very depressing, yet nothing I can do..
DeleteI guess we all count our blessings Anon;
ReplyDeleteYou have articulated the situation amazingly clearly.
I went in for my one and a half year check-up a week or so ago. Physically doing pretty well.
Mentally and psychologically, it is still a work in progress.
All the best to you,
Steve
My dad had aortic valve replacement on Oct 27. He subsequently developed ARDS and was vent dependent for 3-4 weeks. he has been weaned off the vent and now to trach collar. Since he has woken from the Propofol, about 2 1/2 weeks he has been very confused and hallucinates. We are very concerned about his confusion. CO2 levels are WNL and CT of head is unremarkable, no UTI. How long can this last? What are the best interventions to stimulate memory/cognition?
ReplyDeleteHello ccarly22;
ReplyDeleteI a so sorry to hear of your Dad's difficulties. I hope you have had a long chat with his doctors and that they had some suggestions.
For me it took almost a year of rest and scrupulously following my eating and fitness regimens to start feeling back to normal.
It sounds like he is having a much more serious reaction than mine. My best thought is to seek medical advice about his mental state and also check his medications for possible conflicts.
Hopefully some other readers will have some ideas for you as well.
Good luck and best wishes for his speedy recovery.
Regards,
Steve
I had aortic valve replacement on July 9th of this year. Everything went well for me but I should mention that I had a roommate who didn't make it. This affected me a lot and sometimes I feel like I can't breathe or that I can't take in enough oxygen. I keep getting medicine adjusted and everyone tells me I look good but I really wasn't sick before the operation so that really doesn't mean much. I feel like I'm really a different person.
ReplyDeleteI had aortic valve replacement on July 9th. Everything went well but I'm still having some issues with medication. Some times I can't catch my breath and feel afraid. My room mate at the hospital did not survive and that was particularly tough to accept. I'm back at work full time but don't feel like myself yet. I do have some depression issues.
ReplyDelete