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Tyler C. Recipient

RHF after LVAD?

Hello world.

My name is Tyler and I’m 31. I live in Ohio and have had a LVAD for almost 3 months.

Going into surgery I was on several inotropes for RHF,  but was quicklt weened off those post-surgery and otherwise had a speedy recovery in hospital.

Since then I have struggled with what we now suspect is RHF. My right side cannot handle the new flow from the improved left side. Its awful. The symptoms of this include ascites, distention, umbilical hernia, and overalll edema (used to be in my legs preLVAD, now fluid gathers in my belly).

It is frustrating and discouraging, especially since I was looking forward to the LVAD offsetting the heart failure symptom-discomforts I was experiencing in the months leading up to surgery.

Has anyone else experiencing distention that will NOT go away with diruetics? More Bumex helps slightly, but my creatinine jumped to 1.7 last time I had labs. Im now on 2mg of Bumex but slowly gaining weight. 

Being just 3 months out of surgery....did anyone else have severe RHF or similar issues that resolved themselves over time? Can my RHF improve and this swollen belly go away? I feel and look 6 months pregnant all the time - its fluid but its in the tissues - they cant take  a needle and drain it (i pursued that treatment).

Thanks and good luck to all the Heart Vaders (get it? like Darth?) out there