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Amy R. Family Member

1 week post op LVAD

My mom, who is 63 years old, went into the hospital a month and a half ago because of a wound on her leg that wouldn't heal due to her diabetes. They found she had advanced stage CHF. She spent a week at our local hospital before she was sent to a specialized hospital for a bypass surgery. After a week there, they concluded that bypass surgery or stents would not help her. Her heart was functioning at roughly 9%. She received a swan the following week to help measure her heart pressure and was placed in the CICU. They determined she may be a candidate for an LVAD. They finally decided to go on with the surgery despite how weak my mother has become. Friday, 2/19/2016, my mother went in for her LVAD at 5:30 AM. Surgery completed around 1:30 that afternoon and that is when things really have went down hill. She lost a lot of blood during surgery, her right side of her heart is showing failure, every time they try to extubate her ventilator, the right side of her heart starts giving out. She received a chest tube to remove fluid from around her lung and in the process they hit an artery and caused internal bleeding. She underwent surgery at 2 am last night to repair. As of today, she is still sedated and on a ventilator. Tomorrow will be 1 week since her surgery. Has anyone else experienced these types of complications? It seems to be one road block after another.
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Diane P.

I realize I'm in the minority here, but I believe the doctors are too quick to recommend LVADs. The side effects are actually much more life threatening than they would leave you to expect. Yes, my husband lived for three years on an LVAD, but I seriously question just how many of those doctors would choose to have the low quality of life he experienced during those three years. I believe the design of the device is defective and needs to be redesigned. I hope and pray things turn around for your mother. They say the first couple weeks following surgery are the toughest.
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Julie P.

I am so sorry you and your Mom are having such a difficult time post surgery. Where did you have your procedure? i do know from sharing stories that people have overcome many many difficulties post surgery, so please hang in there and keep us posted!
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Annika L.

Hi, my 72 yr old father had his LVAD surgery four days ago and while there wasn't excessive bleeding, he's having a lot of problems with the right side of his heart. Nothing seems to be fixing the arrhythmia that's happening, either. We keep expecting good news and it's complication after complication. I just checked and see your post is several months old. What happened with your mother?