Mended Hearts Open Forum

Hi, so my 75 year-old dad is recommended to get a quad bypass by his cardiologist. My dad has no symptoms but had some incidental findings and they found out via an angiogram last week that he has extensive blockages in all of his major coronary arteries. He miraculously survived all this time thanks to the collateral system. This really comes as a big shock to us.

We will be talking with the cardiac surgeon this week and will be asking him a whole bunch of questions to make our decision, but I am hoping to hear the experience of others regarding the post-op recovery. Has anyone had such a procedure done around or after age 75? Can you share your experience of what you had to do for rehab, any complications and to get back to your normal self?

From what I understand, it is a daunting procedure and a daunting recovery process even for a young and relatively healthy person. My dad has many comorbidities and does not really have a healthy lifestyle to begin with and we are really afraid that, even after making it through the surgery, at his age he won't be able to recover and may end up having way worse quality of life in his final years.

Thank you so much for any thought!

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Brylan Luke
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Do as much prehabilitation as possible, especially with multiple daily spirometer use.  The research on prehab clearlty shows that patients do a lot better during and after surgery when they do various breathing exercises BEFORE surgery--I am baffled as to why physicians do not tell their patients this.  Do a quick search on PubMed, and you will see the benefits of spiometer us BEFORE open-heart surgery (and after, which is common knowledge).  Keith

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keith corodimas
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My dad had a double bypass at 78.  We all felt the same. It was not an easy rehab however he is noe 86 and plays golf twice a week.

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Randy Waclawczyk
Round Rock TX
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carlo pinini
Engineer
TDLS
Miami FL
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Hello Brylan,

In many ways my situation was similar to your dad's.  2 years ago, at 72 of age, I went into the hospital and had an ablation procedure for atrial fibrillation and flutter. Easy procedure!  As I was getting ready to leave the hospital, the next day, I started experiencing the same symptoms that I had been experiencing before the ablation so they did an EKG and then an angiogram.  I had 95-99% blockages!!!  I had previously had normal EKGs and a normal stress test pre-operatively.  Go figure!  They kept me in the hospital for 4 days, because I had been on a blood thinner, and then did the CABGX4.  Due to a couple of issues and complications I was in the hospital for 3 weeks.

They probably saved my life!!  I was certainly headed for a heart attack that I might not have survived and I had no idea.

I'm thinking that if they did an angiogram on you father that they certainly suspected that there were significant problems and it is good that they found these blockages before he had a heart attack.

Post op healing was not easy but each day the pain decreases and you feel stronger and eventually get to a better place than you were before. Cardiac rehab is amazing!  The staff is so dedicated and caring and you learn so much.  It is possible to learn to have a healthier lifestyle from the experience. You can make significant life changes even in you 70's.  Mended Hearts is also a real plus.  He should look to see if there is a local chapter for him to join.  We actually started a chapter in my area as there had not been one.

Your father should look at this as a blessing that they found this out now and that there is something that they can do to correct and repair the problem.

Good luck on his journey to a healthier life.  He is very lucky to have you looking out for him.  That support is very important.




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Bob Javer
Natick, MA
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Original Message:
Sent: 08-09-2022 08:21
From: carlo pinini
Subject: recovery post CABG for an advanced age patient?

Thanks for helping with this. Very useful and interesting.

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carlo pinini
Engineer
TDLS
Miami FL
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cardiac rehab before if possible - and after

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Charles Crow
cardiac Rehab nurse
Ascension
Birmingham
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