AllBodySurgery.com
open heart surgery?
my grandpa is 74 years old and has to have open heart surgery either this thursday or friday. he had a heart attack today, that is why. he has 6 block and 2 are VERY bad. what are the chances of him making it through?
Public Comments
- It's hard to make a prognosis based on this information, I'm afraid. There are other factors involved, most notibly, his general health condition outside of the cardiac issues. 74 is not especially old for such a surgery, I've taken care of 90+ year olds that had bypass surgery and came though fine. Good luck to your grandpa and my best wishes for you family.
- go with him to the pre-op portion of the surgery and have the nurses talk to your about your concerns.
- Jessica, the biggest risk isn't the surgery, it's the 3 days in CICU (cardiac intensive care unit) after surgery that is the most dangerous. The obstacles facing patients going into OHS is that they generally are in ill health and don't always recover well in CICU. I had a great aunt (she was 84) who died on the 2nd day after OHS. Your family should be asking the doctors about your Grandpa's risk vs. survival ratio not just for surgery, but the entire 3 day block. Another thing to ask is not only the survival rate but the success rate of the surgery -- meaning how sure are they that they can do what they set out to do once they are inside the chest cavity? Believe it or not, sometimes patients live through OHS but the surgery fails. It happened to me.
- I am a cardiovascular intensive care RN. I've seen many people come through the surgery just fine. The main concern is what we call co-morbidities. Does he have diabetes? Lung problems? These can affect how quickly he heals. Also think about the vessels that are affected. He may live longer and pain free after the surgery. All these things need to be thought of. Good luck to you Grandpa.
