Triple by-pass

[axel23]

Less than two weeks ago, I had triple by-pass heart surgery. Would love to hear from people with similar experience regarding recovery & how soon they were back on the bike.

I’m 70+ and bicycles have been part of my life forever. I raced on the University of Oregon cycling team and then gradually transitioned out of amateur racing (entirely in the Pacific NW). I remained an avid rider and want to get back into a regular routine as soon as possible.

The surgery did not come as a surprise. Eight years ago, after declining performance, I had two procedures to implant five stents. That helped until the last year or so. Heart disease – narrowing of the arteries – does not fix itself.

Anyway, you get the picture. My activity since getting home a week ago has been restricted to steadily longer walks – now about a mile a day. I’m planning on riding the trainer as early as this weekend. My cardiologist is encouraging light exercise but there’s nothing like hearing from fellow-cyclists with personal experience.

[biker72]

Did they have to crack your chest or do it via arthroscopy?
There is a huge difference in recovery time.

[axel23]

Yeah, they sawed me open. And it's interesting to google images of the saw they use to get through the sternum.

[rePhil]

Nothing to add, other than wishing you well.

[Ralph]

I had a stent put in about 3 1/2 months ago. I'm 79. Was having some chest pain when riding hard. Didn't notice anything wrong if going easy. Beta blocker and anti coagulant (Brilinta for a year) is a little like having a governor on your bod. Otherwise I'm back to a riding schedule.....riding bike short rides 15-20 miles about 3 times a week, walking every day, and light weights twice a week.

But you know all that.....so good luck getting back on your schedule. I believe we can resume a somewhat normal schedule.....although at a reduced pace. It's amazing what the Docs can do.

I sorta think if you can survive your first heart trouble or attack, they will fix you up pretty good. But they won't do much until you come into ER the first time.

[onsight512]

I hope your recovery goes smoothly. I've had my chest cracked twice, first in 2010 and again last year. No bypasses for me, but I needed aortic valve(s) replaced. I'm 50 years old.

How did they close your breastbone? Is it wired? It is my understanding that there are other ways for the surgeon to close that up, but I was wired shut both times. In 2010, at ten days post-op, I took my bike 'around the block' very gingerly. The walks weren't doing it for me. Knowing it wasn't a good idea, I stayed off the bike for another four weeks to give my breastbone some more time to knit itself back together.
And then I went riding. I am a sometime-commuter and a recreational rider and it took almost no time at all to feel normal on the bike again. Shortly after that I began to push it a bit and it was amazing. I felt great.

As I'm sure you're aware, taking a fall, and displacing your breastbone is a primary concern at this point in time. Be careful on the trainer.

Have fun and enjoy your new upgrade,
Chris

[biker72]

The good news is that you were active before the surgery. This will help a lot.

I had a quintuple bypass done in 1987. I was 49 then so my recovery time would be a little faster than a 70+ year old. Two weeks after surgery I was walking 3 miles a day. Didn't start cycling till I was almost 50.

The doctors will worry you to death about injuring the breastbone. Don't fall, ride a bike, lift anything...etc. I was always one to push the envelope so tried to ride my motorcycle 3 weeks after surgery. Probably not the smartest thing to do because I found out real quick I had some balance problems. Put the bike back in the garage for another 3 weeks before I tried that again...

It would be really nice if your surgeon or internist is an athlete. They have a little different perspective.

[palincss]

Originally Posted by axel23

Less than two weeks ago, I had triple by-pass heart surgery. Would love to hear from people with similar experience regarding recovery & how soon they were back on the bike.

I had mine May 21, 2019 at 76 y/o. I started cardiac rehab as soon as they allowed it, 3X per week, treadmill and exercise bike. That was a real relief: I have some arthritis in my hip, which normally never makes itself known, but all the walking in the rehab program immediately post surgery kicked it off so bad I needed to use a cane to walk. I enjoyed rehab and did well with it.

They let me get back on a real bike out on the road in mid-July. My friends congregated at my house and we all did a 12 mile ride. A couple of days later I did a (flat, slow) 25 mile ride on the bike trails. By Labor Day I did a 40 mile route on the club century.

[robt57]

Originally Posted by biker72

Did they have to crack your chest or do it via arthroscopy?
There is a huge difference in recovery time.

Bypass via scope??? Uncommon, but it would be lapar not arthro I believe. Or something else...

Arthro=joint


Best and speedy recovery wishes !!!

EDIT: Other, as in Thoracoscopy

[Toeclips]

Wow, hope you have a full recovery, bikes will always be a part of your life, stay strong

[pbarry]

JK.
Hope you have a speedy recovery!

[Dino Suegiù]

Originally Posted by biker72

Did they have to crack your chest or do it via arthroscopy?
There is a huge difference in recovery time.

Originally Posted by robt57

Bypass via scope??? Uncommon, but it would be lapar not arthro I believe. Or something else...
Arthro=joint

I suspect biker72 confused "arthroscopy" and "angioplasty".

Angioplasty is the minimally invasive (used to be through the femoral artery at the groin, now is most common through the wrist) procedure used to implant stents. It is relatively straight-forward now. The patient is awake through-out, only located sedated at the site of the incision (since veins have no nerves inside it is very weird to be able to watch a stent being placed at one's heart, on the surgeon's screen as he/she does the procedure, in real time), and is typically at home the next day.

Bypass surgery cannot be performed by angioplasty, or any scope.

Bypass surgery (coronary artery bypass graft, CABG) must be done via open-heart ("on pump"/still heart) or "off heart"/beating heart) and is no recovery picnic, regardless of the overall health of the patient.

I have had both procedures, and comparatively speaking angioplasty is a 20-mile ride while CABG is a 15-round fight...against Mike Tyson, with one's hands literally strapped down. Waking up from (9-hour, 5-bypass,) open-heart surgery I felt like I had been hit by a truck for two whole weeks after the 12-day hospital stay. Walking from one room to just the other the day I returned home was very difficult. It was even hard to breathe following any "exertion". The chest incision is painful, especially trying to sleep.

Recovery is hard, also because the procedure is very long and hard on the body in all aspects. It was very difficult. However: getting one's body moving, safely, as quickly as possible, is of paramount importance. Stasis is a killer.

@ axel23:
Trust your doctors, and your own body, definitely not the internet.
Find a good cardiac recovery program, either heart-only or comprehensive such as Ornish, etc, and see it through.
Maintain lifelong exercise and life-style/diet discipline forever after.
Good luck. You will be OK.

[palincss]

Originally Posted by Dino Suegiù

I have had both procedures, and comparatively speaking angioplasty is a 20-mile ride while CABG is a 15-round fight...against Mike Tyson, with one's hands literally strapped down. Waking up from (9-hour, 5-bypass,) open-heart surgery I felt like I had been hit by a truck for two whole weeks after the 12-day hospital stay. Walking from one room to just the other the day I returned home was very difficult. It was even hard to breathe following any "exertion". The chest incision is painful, especially trying to sleep.

I sure am glad I didn't have any of that. Things went very much better for me. I had the surgery on May 21 and instead of the ICU as planned, they sent me straight down to the step-down unit. They wanted to send me home a couple (i.e., 2) of days later but I had an issue when the removed the catheter and they had to replace it, all made trickier because it was the holiday weekend and the nursing staff was down to a skeleton crew.

They discharged me on Saturday the 25th (of Memorial Day weekend) the 4th day after the surgery. Surprisingly (and happily) pain was never a problem, either in the hospital or after I got home.

[pasadena]

Were you fit your whole life, and still got heart disease?
Curious if diet or genetics caused it or ?

Hope you build strength and are back at it soon
take care

Originally Posted by axel23

Less than two weeks ago, I had triple by-pass heart surgery. Would love to hear from people with similar experience regarding recovery & how soon they were back on the bike.

I’m 70+ and bicycles have been part of my life forever. I raced on the University of Oregon cycling team and then gradually transitioned out of amateur racing (entirely in the Pacific NW). I remained an avid rider and want to get back into a regular routine as soon as possible.

The surgery did not come as a surprise. Eight years ago, after declining performance, I had two procedures to implant five stents. That helped until the last year or so. Heart disease – narrowing of the arteries – does not fix itself.

Anyway, you get the picture. My activity since getting home a week ago has been restricted to steadily longer walks – now about a mile a day. I’m planning on riding the trainer as early as this weekend. My cardiologist is encouraging light exercise but there’s nothing like hearing from fellow-cyclists with personal experience.

[oldpotatoe]

Haven't had any, best wishes for a speedy and healthy recovery..

BUT YIKES..in about 10 posts, 5 instances of you guys having had this done? Complete with 'chest cracking'...OUCH!!

BUT, hang in there Axel..glad you came out the other side...listen to the docs..they know what they are doin'...