Preparation and Hospital Admission Day

Today I was admitted to hospital for aortic valve replacement surgery. After years of monitoring my bicuspid aortic valve and watching the stenosis gradually worsen, the time has come for the operation I've known was inevitable since childhood.

The Lead-Up

As I mentioned in my previous post about getting a new aortic valve, I was born with a bicuspid aortic valve instead of the normal tricuspid valve. Over the years, the progressive stenosis has reached a point where replacement is necessary to maintain proper heart function.

The past few weeks have been filled with pre-operative assessments, consultations with the cardiac surgery team, and various medical tests to ensure everything is ready for tomorrow's admission.

Pre-Operative Preparations

In the weeks leading up to admission, I completed all the required preparations. The hospital bag was packed with comfortable clothing and essentials. Work was handed over to colleagues, meals were prepped and frozen at home, and all the important documents were organized.

Mentally, I felt calm and confident. I'd watched surgical videos, read patient experiences, and spoken with others who'd been through this procedure. While it's natural to feel some anxiety about major heart surgery, knowing this is a routine procedure performed thousands of times each year with excellent outcomes was reassuring.

Hospital Check-In - 13:00

Check-in was prompt and efficient. The cardiac ward staff were welcoming and immediately got to work with the pre-operative assessments:

• Blood pressure: 150/80 - slightly elevated but expected given the circumstances
• Blood tests: Taken for final clotting factors and general health markers
• Chest X-ray: Completed to check heart size and lung condition

Throughout the afternoon, I was visited by various members of the surgical team, each explaining their role in tomorrow's procedure:

• Surgical assistant: Walked through the procedure timeline and what to expect
• Anaesthesiologist: Discussed anaesthesia plan and post-operative pain management
• Surgeon: The most important conversation - explaining the surgical approach

The Surgical Plan

The surgeon brought excellent news. Instead of the full median sternotomy I'd been preparing for, they'll use a partial sternotomy - a smaller incision with only a partial cut of the sternum. This minimally invasive approach means quicker healing and reduced risk of complications.

Evening Preparations

The pre-surgery preparations continued through the evening:

• Dental hygiene: Toothbrush and mouthwash for oral care
• Hair removal: For cleanliness and surgical site preparation
• Microlax: Bowel preparation to keep things comfortable post-surgery
• Isobetadine shower: A thorough shower with isobetadine soap - dark red in colour but washes off without staining
• Xanax: Prescribed to help ensure a good night's sleep before the operation

Pre-Surgery Schedule

• 18:00: Light meal - my last food before surgery
• 22:00: Nothing to eat or drink after this time

I was given a bottle of water to stay hydrated through the evening.

Surgery Day Morning

• 05:00: Wake up for second isobetadine shower
• Blood pressure: 123/78 - back to more normal levels for me
• More Xanax: Additional dose for pre-surgery relaxation
• 08:00: Surgery start time

The Procedure

At 8:00 AM, the team will:

• Connect me to the heart-lung bypass machine
• Remove the diseased bicuspid valve
• Sew in the new prosthetic valve
• Transfer me to ICU for initial recovery

For technical details on traditional valve replacement, see my previous post.

Expected Recovery Timeline

The cardiac team outlined an ambitious recovery plan:

• Day 1 (Post-op): In ICU, start rehabilitation - sit up and eat breakfast
• Days 2-3: Continued ICU care, progressive mobilization
• Days 3-4: Transfer to intermediate care
• Week 1: Move to cardiac ward
• Day 10: Transfer to cardiologist's care
• Days 10-14: Final hospital days under cardiology
• Weeks 2+: Home recovery, gradually increasing activity

Following My Progress

I won't have access to my phone during surgery and initial recovery. The next update will be in a few days once I'm able to write again.

You can follow along by subscribing to the RSS feed or checking back here for updates.

note

This post and future recovery updates are being written with AI assistance (GitHub Copilot) to help me document the experience clearly and efficiently. Working with Copilot on my phone makes it difficult to make corrections myself, so some details may need refinement.

Evening Reflections

It's now evening in the cardiac ward. The nursing staff have been excellent, the ward is quiet and well-run, and I have complete confidence in tomorrow's procedure.

Modern cardiac surgery truly is remarkable. I'm grateful for the skilled team and for living in an era where this life-changing procedure is routine.

See you on the other side!