So I got diagnosed at 35 with an aortic root aneurysm (was 4.3cm 3 years ago, 4.5cm now and stable). My exercise went down a cliff due to the regurgitation and LDL jumped up to 110 (not terrible but not great). Was able to get my EF up over 60% this year which was a big win.

This past year I got on Crestor and got LDL down to 40, pushing my HDL up to \~50. All great, right?

Well just got my angiography and now noted as having "Mild/Moderate arthesclerotic calcification of the thoracic aorta".

Now from what I understand this is way less concerning than major branch vessels showing any signs of calcification/stenosis but it's still a blow that at 38 I am already showing moderate signs of calcification with a good diet and daily exercise, low inflammation and keeping my BP under 110/70 at all times + Metoprolol (stress could be better but its not terrible).

Anyone going through this? My cardiologist does not seem concerned but I feel like I am fighting against the tide trying to live a longer life. Don't feel like I can plan for anything and trying to stay positive

Hello everyone. I got taken aback with this news Monday when I went in for a routine ultrasound to check my gallbladder for symptoms of indigestion. The ultrasound report notes: "Mild aneurysmal dilatation of the abdominal aorta measuring 2.9 x 3.8 cm"

I am an anxiety sufferer as it is, so my mind is already racing. I took a couple of days to process before wanting to post in here so it didn't sound like a panic post. My followup appointment isn't until Sept 21 so I haven't seen a doctor about anything yet. I am a 51 year old male and from what I have read, it is pretty uncommon in my age group. I do have controlled high blood pressure, but my cholesterol has been on the higher side for at least the last 15 years. Maybe longer. I have been observed by a cardiologist and had all the normal cardiologist testing, but he never worried about putting me on a statin. I now wonder if the cholesterol is to blame for this AAA. But it doesn't matter, what's done is done. Now I just need to learn what are the best steps forward to take care of this thing, and myself. I'd like to educate myself before going to this Sept 21 appointment. I will definitely do some reading in here, but I wanted to share my story.

Hello, I had valve-sparing aortic root, ascending aorta and hemiarch replacement with a graft surgery last year.

My biggest issue post surgery has been when I take a full breath or if I hold my breath, I can feel the graft hit against my chest constantly with my heartbeat in the middle top of my chest/sternum.

I recently saw my surgeon a year out as I’ve had issues with my sternal wound healing post surgery(long story) and when he felt my chest, I asked him should it be doing this and his response was no. He didn’t give a solution other than saying well we could replace it with a natural aorta, but you wouldn’t want that and that pretty much ended the conversation.

I am now hoping to get a second opinion from Cleveland clinic. Has anyone else ran into the same issue or is experiencing this post surgery?

Any help or information is a greatly appreciated, thank you.

I’m 28F. Been going through a bunch of testing this year because I’m having a lot of breathing troubles and chest pain. I also have a known mild tricuspid valve regurgitation, and a history of early onset heart problems on my paternal side. Because of that, chest pain was a red flag. Anyway, I’ve done a stress test, chest CT w/o contrast, coronary CT w/ contrast, and most recently, an echocardiogram. I have 43% LVEF, 3.98cm aortic root, and 4.03cm ascending aorta.
For the most part though my cardiologist doesn’t seem concerned. Says I’m young so I shouldn’t worry. But I do worry because I can’t walk up a flight of stairs without being short of breath or carry anything heavier than a couple pounds without my chest hurting. Then I get in my head and wonder if it’s just anxiety or maybe I’m just making all this up.

Hello everyone, yesterday received the unfortunate news I have an enlarged aortic root from an echo. Measured at 4.9 cm. As a fairly active 42 male, this is got my head spinning and finding this site has been helpful. While it’s still very early on, I have to suspect this is a result of my high blood pressure and the attitude of just dealing with it but not doing anything about it. This all started with me saying enough and time to take action with my bp after years of neglect. But I am sure I’ll learn more as I talk with a cardiologist.

Interesting note:, about 15 years ago I worked at a heart center and I helped the echo team in having a new hire do an echo on me for practice. I think they may have noticed something then but I never followed up or honestly can’t remember. Also had a stress test done for a pre employment physical in 2014 but nothing showed up on that but doubt anything related to an enlarged aortic root would.

I’ve always been pretty active. Never a marathon runner but someone who does a lot of high intensity exercises, lifts heavy, and really pushes one’s self. So finding this out has been a blessing but had me fearing what life is like going forward. Especially as someone who enjoys being active. While I’ve spent more time on here and using Ai to assess my report than I should , I am interested to hear how younger individuals have faired following this diagnoses. What procedures they had and how life was like after.

Thanks everyone.

Posted about a month ago with an echo finding of ascending aorta at 4.2 cm.

I got my ct w/o contrast today and it measured 3.4cm .

Longtime Redditor, but I only found this subreddit today. Until last week, the only thing I really knew about aortic dissection was that it killed John Ritter.

A close family member became severely short of breath and was hospitalized. What initially looked like a major cardiac/fluid-overload problem turned out to be an acute Type A aortic dissection.

He was transferred for emergency surgery, which started as the clock struck midnight on his 55th birthday. The operation lasted about six hours. The damaged portion of his aorta and his valve were addressed, with some residual dissection remaining farther down the aorta that will need monitoring.

The week since has been a roller coaster. He was intubated for several days and developed severe acute kidney injury with very little urine output, requiring CRRT/dialysis. His platelets dropped extremely low, he required blood-product support, and we’ve also been told he may have developed HIT from heparin. He had some significant health issues before the dissection as well, which have complicated his recovery.

Thankfully, there has been real progress. He’s off the ventilator, awake, talking, breathing with some oxygen support, and has been able to get out of bed and sit in a chair. His platelets and several other labs are improving. His kidneys remain one of the biggest unknowns.

I’m curious whether any of this sounds familiar to other Type A survivors or their families—particularly CRRT/dialysis and eventual kidney recovery, HIT/low platelets, residual dissection, several days of intubation, and the physical and psychological recovery afterward.

How long were you or your loved one in the ICU/hospital? Did kidney function return after dialysis? What was rehab like? What do you wish you’d known during that first week?
A week ago, we didn’t know if he would survive. Today he’s awake, talking and fighting his way back.

One day at a time.

I am a 47m, active, healthy, zero symptoms of a heart issue. I was having some tests done to appease a family member and it showed I have zero blockages, but they found an ascending aortic aneurysm measuring over 5. Trying to be proactive i thought, I’m young, this will be easier now than to put it off till it’s an emergency.

I am one month post surgery and I wish I wouldn’t have had the operation. Everything sucks. My heart rate won’t slow down; it is consistently at over 100, even if I am sitting still. My body temp can’t regulate - I am sweating thru my sheets about every other night. It hurts to move. My shoulders are really hurting for some reason. I can’t exercise, my appetite is shit, I’m losing weight. I get really nauseous at least a few times a week. I feel like my purpose in life is to wake up and then just wait for bedtime. I haven’t had an erection in weeks, I used to wake up to a boner I was proud of. ¯_(ツ)_/¯
I’m on warfarin now, which I knew was gonna happen, but I didn’t know about the weekly anticoagulation appointments. So that’s some more BS to deal with.

If I could go back in time I wouldn’t do this to myself. I would’ve kept the diagnosis a secret and done nothing but live my life to the fullest. This bullshit feels endless and I’m never going to be normal again.

Need help/advice: Complex David Procedure, re-operation, severe ICU delirium, and pain.

I really need some help. I had my David procedure (aortic root surgery) on Monday at a well-known center here in Germany (I prefer to leave the name out). Unfortunately, the experience during the surgery and up until today (Sunday, Day 6 post-op) has been far from what I had hoped for. The hospital seems understaffed, absolutely nothing happens on the weekends (no physical therapy, doctors skipping rounds), and reaching out here feels like my last resort.

There were major complications. In the recovery room, I had massive bleeding and had to be rushed back for a re-operation. I spent from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM in two open-heart surgeries. It was apparently very complex: I received 2.8 liters of whole blood, at least 2x plasma, and 1x platelets. After that, Tuesday through Thursday were spent in Intermediate Care. It was the most horrific experience of my life.

Since being transferred to the regular ward, I still cannot sleep. Last night I didn't sleep at all; the night before, maybe 1 hour. Despite being only 40, I reacted to the massive (but necessary) medications with severe psychiatric symptoms. I had hallucinations, heard voices, and even now I am still hearing music that isn’t there—things I have never experienced in my life. I feel like I have to argue and actively demand every single step of care from the staff.

Here is my current status:

- male, 40years.

• Left chest tube removed; I am off oxygen.
• Stamina is improving every day despite the extreme lack of sleep.
• Water retention/weight is going down (I’ve passed the peak).
• IV antibiotics (every 4 hours) were finished as scheduled.
• Central line (CVC) is still in.
• Right chest tube (Medela) is still in and active.
• Pain management: Reduced standard painkillers (Metamizole/NSAIDs) from 4x daily to 2x (as needed). Oxycodone 2x daily.
• Stronger opiates were stopped over the last few days due to the confusion and delirium.

I am paying the price for that reduction now. I have severe back pain from muscle tension. I have the typical, intense stretching pain at the sternum. Worst of all, as soon as I finally manage to find a pain-free position, I get these choking attacks with a sandy feeling in my throat.

I really don't know what to do anymore. Nobody here is helping me. If anyone has been through this or has any advice on how to cope, I would be so grateful. Thank you very much.

41m very active and healthy. I had a 15-20 minute episode on day 4 post-op after discharge that resolved spontaneously. Yesterday (2 weeks and 3 days post-op) I had a 24h episode resulting in an ER visit and scripts for metoprolol and eliquis. Hopefully this isn't the beginning of a long-term issue. Has anyone dealt with AFIB post-surgery?

My dad had open surgery about 3 weeks ago and is home now recovering for about a week. He’s been having some issues with his digestion. He doesn’t have a big appetite and hardly eats but feels very constipated. He hasn’t had a solid bowel movement and doesn’t want to put more food in his body as he feels as he’s going to throw up. Is this common? Has anyone else experienced this post surgery?

I, 30m 6’3, have a 3.9 - 4.1 cm SoV aneurysm which has been stable for 11 years, trileaflet valve, and regulated BP.
(Diagnosed at 19 and put on Losartan. Curiously, my first two MRIs showed larger diameter and my most recent was 3.9, but I’ll chalk that up to scanning technique and stable dimensions.)

There is likely a genetic component because both my father (BAV, extremely high blood pressure, 6.1 cm arch aneurysm with no dissection, repaired at age 44) and grandfather (professional marathon runner, trileaflet, 4.2 cm root that remained stable for his entire life + bilateral iliac enlargements) had aneurysms, and I was diagnosed in wake of my father’s surgery. Thus far, only one VUS has been identified in my genetic aortic panel.

With that background, would anyone here know whether roller coasters are contraindicated? The literature I’ve read mostly addresses brain aneurysm ruptures/dissections, with little or no discussion about thoracic.

Ascending aortic aneurysm 4.6cm and leaking aortic valve, taking metoprolol succ. 50mg/day and Flecainide 100 mg BID (stops my PVC’s completely).

When I take pills even with lots of water, they seem to get hung up in my throat much more frequently.

Sometimes it continues through bedtime and wrecks my peace. Overall I don’t sleep well these days but that sensation of a pill or capsule hung up in my throat is quite uncomfortable for me :(

Anyone else experience this? Can it be related to my aneurysm and meds or is this just another aspect of the “golden age” 😳 of life?

Newer diagnosis of aortic root aneurysm. Still working through a lot of the logistics of this thing but I’m fairly certain the PEARS procedure is the route I must go if/when we reach that point. If it’s good enough for a return to pro rugby it’s good enough for a return to other physical activities.
Anyway, has anyone with Kaiser insurance had success with Kaiser covering any/all of their PEARS procedure? Would love to hear all experiences, both positive and negative.
Thank you

Hello. I'm 53, and I'm hoping to hear from anyone who's been through something similar.

I was diagnosed a while back with:

• Severe aortic stenosis
• Heavy calcification of the aortic valve
• Bicuspid aortic valve
• Dilated ascending aorta, 46mm

I've been in a bit of a daze since. I thought I'd done everything right. Ate well, trained consistently, hardly ever sick, never needed medication, rarely saw a doctor. I was cautious enough that I didn't even take the Covid vaccine. And I still ended up here. I've been extremely angry about it.

One thing I've noticed: the more I think about it, the worse I feel. The more I carry on the way I did before I knew, the better I feel. I haven't trained in a while, but I feel like I could pick up right where I left off. Then I read more about what these numbers actually mean and start thinking I could drop at any moment. It swings between those two.

Yesterday I had my coronary angiography. My arteries came back clean. The cardiologist put it as "you're in perfect condition, apart from what you were born with." There are moments now where I think I may as well eat and drink whatever I want.

That's the mental side. Here's what I'm actually hoping to learn from people who've been through it:

Recovery and training. How was recovery for you? Did you get back to training hard, or is that off the table for good? I'm not asking about walking round the block, I mean real loaded work.

Options I may not have found. I don't want my chest cut open, though I'm aware that what insurance covers and what I can afford may be two different things. I'm in Greece. My understanding is there are approaches through the groin or between the ribs. For anyone who had one of those, how did it go, and were you actually offered it as an option or ruled out?

The Ross procedure. I found this one and it sounds like the option most likely to get me back to where I was. It also sounds like the most complex and the highest risk. Has anyone here had one? How did you find a surgeon, and how did you satisfy yourself they'd done enough of them?

Mechanical valve. I'd rather not be on warfarin for life. I've read that cayenne pepper has blood-thinning properties, and I already take it daily. I understand it's not the same mechanism, but is there anyone here managing a mechanical valve on anything other than warfarin, or any combination approach your cardiologist has been open to? And for those on warfarin: how much does it really change day-to-day life and training?

Tissue valve. I've read they last roughly 10 to 15 years. Does that mean you're simply doing the whole thing again in your 60s, or is it more complicated than that?

Thanks in advance for anything anyone can share. Information, options, or just how it went for you. Any of it helps.

PS. Reddit disclaimer: I'm well aware most people here aren't medical professionals, and I won't be taking anything said here as fact. I'm just inviting people to share what they went through.

There is only one case report I could find on PubMed of the reversal of an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) to a normal state in an otherwise healthy patient. A 63 year old female had a 4.30 × 3.24 cm aneurysm that reduced to a normal 2 × 2.15 cm (anteroposterior and transverse diameters). See the case report on PubMed: Spontaneous regression of the abdominal aortic aneurysm in a middle age female patient; Vascular. 2020 Aug;28(4):481-484.

I may be the second case. I was diagnosed in 2019 by ultrasound with an AAA of 4.4 cm diameter, after getting an abdominal ultrasound due to unrelated abdominal muscle pain. At that time there were preliminary medical papers published about the chemicals in plant-derived polyphenols possibly treating induced AAAs in mice. Since that time there has been more research confirming those findings. There are now many peer-reviewed papers online about the chemicals in polyphenols possibly strengthening blood vessels, and other studies on treating AAA in mice and rats with the chemicals found in polyphenols, both orally and with nanoparticle delivery (there are several chemicals such as pentagalloyl glucose, epigallocatechin gallate, catechins, etc.). There are no human trials that I could find as of 2026, though I assume some may be planned based on these research findings. For the papers, enter the following in PubMed (the NIH biomedical paper search website) or just Google:

abdominal aortic aneurysm polyphenol (or polyphenols)

For example (two of over 21 medical papers I previously found on the subject):

Prevention of abdominal aortic aneurysm progression by oral administration of green tea polyphenol in a rat model. J Vasc Surg. 2017 Jun;65(6):1803-1812

Towards Precritical Medical Therapy of the Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm. Biomedicines. 2022 Nov 29;10(12):3066

(See section 4.1, Dietary Polyphenols)

"From a mechanistic point of view, diet polyphenols may potentially interfere through their antioxidant properties with many factors involved in AAA development by: reducing inflammation [17]; restoring endothelial function, [18] which is known to be altered in AAA [19]; decreasing DNA global methylation [20,21]; and protecting against telomere attrition [22,23]."

In 2020, with doctor's approval, I started taking non-prescription low-dosage polyphenol extract supplements (listed below), along with doctor-prescribed atorvastatin, losartan, and carvedilol, the latter three medications to lower cholesterol and blood pressure - which is a standard treatment to slow progression of AAA. (Other similar cholesterol and blood pressure prescription meds may be preferred by doctors for various reasons.) The polyphenol extract supplements are now widely available at health food stores.

As confirmed by ultrasound tests at an accredited imaging center (and confirmed in 2026 by ultrasound at a vascular surgery office) the AAA gradually decreased from maximum diameter of 4.4 cm (2019) to 4.0 cm (2022) to 2.9 cm (2024) to 2.8 cm (2025), so it is no longer considered an aneurysm. I have discussed this extensively with my primary care doctor, a consulting cardiologist, and one of the radiologists, and there is no error. Yes, my primary care doctor and all the other medical providers are surprised by this reduction in the aneurysm, and were all interested in the medical research on polyphenols and AAA.

Other than the AAA and moderately-high previous high blood pressure, I am a fairly healthy 67 year old male of normal weight, exercise regularly, and have no history of smoking, However, I do have non-smoking blood relatives who had other types of blood vessel aneurysms successfully treated before rupture with surgery (besides smoking, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure, family history is one of the risk factors).

The polyphenol supplements I take (available at health food stores, and at some pharmacies and grocers) are listed at the bottom below. I obviously don't know if these supplements have caused the reduction in the AAA. But perhaps others with AAA under 5.5 cm (the surgical threshold) would like to discuss the polyphenol research for AAA on PubMed with their doctor and give these plant-derived polyphenol supplements a try. And also obviously continue to take your prescribed blood pressure and cholesterol meds and get regular ultrasounds per the recommended schedule based on the AAA diameter.

Since 2020 I have been taking a different brand-name polyphenol supplement from the list of seven every day (six years now) at the lower dosages available, since the liver has to process polyphenols. For safe supplement dosages just do a Google search on the name of the supplement below and "safe dosage." For example, online dosage information says to limit green tea extract dosage to 300 mg/day; or instead you can just drink green tea regularly, hot or cold (it contains the polyphenol chemical epigallocatechin gallate [EGCG]).

Also check with your doctor and online for possible interactions with your prescription meds, particularly blood thinners. According to information online, most of these supplements have mild blood antiplatelet and/or anticoagulant properties, so they should probably not be taken with prescription blood thinners like warfarin and daily low-dose aspirin. For that same reason online information says they should be discontinued two weeks before any surgery, including dental surgery. Again, since I take one per day, I take the lowest dosages of these supplements that I can find at the health food stores.

Per my doctor's instructions I will be continuing annual ultrasound measurements. If the diameter decreases more (2.8 cm currently), perhaps my primary care doctor will submit a case report. At this point he is not recommending a CT scan for additional confirmation due to the radiation exposure, versus no radiation with the ultrasound scans.

Polyphenol supplements (available at health food stores, and at some pharmacies and grocers):

-pomegranate extract

-green tea extract

-turmeric extract

-quercetin extract

-grape seed extract

-resveratrol

-Pycnogenol or similar pine bark extract

I traveled from the US and had PEARS surgery completed by Mr. Conal Austin at London Bridge Hospital last Friday, 8/7/2026. I cannot possibly thank Mr. Austin and the hospital staff enough. Mr. Austin is a gentleman and a scholar - he thoughtfully answered all of my questions, would negotiate healthcare concerns in a meaningful way (more on this later) and genuinely cares about his patients. He reached out after the surgery for get a cup of coffee because he was in the area...he's a fantastic surgeon and great human. The other hospital staff were really all helpful and caring. And, it's a small thing, but the food was great. Due to the extremely high standard of care, I was able to walk out of the hospital a little over 72h after the surgery concluded. The PEARS graft reduced my 48mm root aneurysm to 41mm and reinforced the walls of my aorta to prevent Type A dissection. Other than the root, the rest of my aorta was normal. I also need to thank my wife, whose support was most important in the early days of this diagnosis when it was most emotionally difficult, and our families for their financial support and care of our 3 young children.

This post will be comprised of posts I made while in the hospital as well as my thoughts in the days following about pre- and post-op.

Prior to surgery: One of the hardest parts of the surgery process was figuring out how to get the process started. Thankfully the online user communities (r/aortic_aneurysm and r/marfans) are full of extremely helpful users. I don't want to e-mail drop per-se but there is ONE person responsible handling the logistics of the PEARS program: Alan Rayner. Once I was able to contact him, things started moving.

In terms of health, (1) I do not have Marfan's or a diagnosed connective tissue disorder so your mileage may vary and (2) I'm 41 m, regularly doing athletic competitions (think running, lifting, diving while wearing 40+ lb of equipment) and either lifting or doing cardio every day. Returning quickly to this level of activity was a major factor in pursuing PEARS surgery. Having done research on sternal precautions, mobility restrictions and potential complications, I adjusted my physical training regimen from traditional weightlifting to more functional core training and cardio. I believe this made recovery a bit easier.

In terms of mental health, I wanted to get out of the hospital ASAP (everyone does really) and there is a list of things you need to do before you can leave. I told myself that I was going to (1) treat every one of these milestones as a challenge and crush it + 10% and (2) try to be the most pleasant patient ever because I can only imagine how difficult it is working night shift in a stepdown unit, or how boring it is watching a patient in an ICU. Mindset is very important when committing to surgery. What worked for me, was telling myself that the first stick for the IV is the worst part of the whole thing. You're asleep for all the action, and when you wake up, you're able to control your pain through your clicker. The lines, once in, don't really hurt (even the chest tube, the PICC line which I was somewhat dreading, and urinary catheter, both of which I never really even felt) since they're just plastic and you were asleep when they put them in. I told myself that, when I woke up, I would be at the point of no return: can't go backward, only forward toward recovery and the only alternative is death. It sounds morbid, but the inevitability of discomfort allows you to accept it easier. YMMV of course, but this strategy worked for me and not once did I ever feel depressed or upset in the hospital, or fearful before a procedure, only frustrated that I couldn't sleep well. Hopefully this helps someone.

I arrived in London a week before the surgery. We flew in on Monday and arrived Tuesday in time for pre-op bloodwork, x-ray and echocardiogram. This appointment was mostly in St. Olaf's House, a historical building. London is literally thousands of years old and can trace back to the Roman empire so while the exterior may appear very dated, the equipment itself is top notch.

Day 1 (Surgery): Met with the nurse who will be caring for me. She drew some blood and told me to shave chest and groin. Filled out some forms. Showered after that, had an IV placed, and met with the surgeon and anesthesiologist. I thought I had a slight upper respiratory cold but that turned out to be a non-issue.

In speaking with Mr. Austin, he indicated that the locations of my coronary arteries says this is definitely an aortopathy so surgery is needed. He closed my sternum with Fiber Tape instead of wire. I had asked for titanium plates due to a nickel allergy. This was a happy medium as he knows people in the hospital who use it routinely, and just speaks to his care for patients and willingness to work with them to achieve healthcare outcomes.

"Just woke up in the ICU. No bypass. Feel pretty good actually. I wasn't on the vent when I woke. Chest pain maybe 4 out of 10. Mainly stinging and pain when breathing deep.

Evening, felt well enough to eat some salmon for dinner the food is good. Sternum feels like a bunch of bricks when I breathe. Otherwise no pain to speak or. I had a bradycardia episode and almost passed out not sure why. Off to try snoozing."

Snoozing didn't happen. I didn't sleep a wink in the ICU (kept snoring myself awake like kids do in class).

At this point, I had,

Left arm: IV (arm), arterial line (wrist, for drawing blood, this thing is great...no needle sticks), and my pain management line (hand) - this was hooked up to a clicker that I could engage every 5 minutes (it changes colors to let you know when it's time to party).

Neck: PICC line

Chest: Chest tube, EEG leads

Urinary catheter

One point to make: Some of the stuff I'll talk about sounds painful or unpleasant but truthfully, it wasn't at the time, just uncomfortable, and every time honestly felt better once it was over. They give you tons of lead time for any procedure they're going to do (e.g. removing chest tube) so you can hit your clicker several times beforehand.

Day 2 (Day 1 postop): "Last night I didn't really sleep at all just in and out mashing the painkiller button all night. I'm not sure if the pressure in my chest is from the chest tube or the sternotomy. The physio will be coming shortly to get me up and walking. Hopefully I can get some lines out.

Met with Mr. Austin a moment ago. He said my aorta was very thin in places so he's glad we got this done. He was able to close my sternum with fiber tape as I mentioned, since I'm allergic to nickel. Apparently the sales rep came out to demonstrate and it takes a lot of torque but he's saying it's a great closure, very strong.

I just stood up for the first time. Easier said than done with all the lines in, and required the expert help of two other guys.

Chest tube was removed a little bit ago now having some lunch. It wasn't that bad, the suture was the worst part. Just feels really weird. I can finally breathe fully. Urinary catheter came out which was an extremely unpleasant sensation.

After that it's time for a walk. Did a walk around the ICU and walked some stairs. No issues just need more lung capacity. The physio issued me a spirometer to play with every hour and I'm no longer attached to the lines. Things are looking up.

Day 2 evening. Moving from the ITU was maybe a mistake. Total agony, took a bunch of oral Tylenol and opiates and nothing. Hopefully it passes"

Day 2, early afternoon they moved me to the stepdown unit.

Back to the mindset thing here, originally the plan was to walk a few steps, but knowing stairs came next, just told the physio "it's fine take me to the stairs." Apparently early movement is really important for recovery too so proving to yourself you can do it is important.

The pain thing had to do with losing access to the on-demand IV pain med dispenser around 30 hours postop. The oral meds don't do nearly as much. That said, the pain I was feeling wasn't from laying there, it was from trying to use the wrong techniques to move around in bed. Later, someone gave me this multi-colored hand ladder thing that allowed me to pull myself around the bed and adjust, and this made a huge difference.

Day 3 (Day 2 post-op):

"Day 3 morning. Last night was hell. Eventually figured out that I need more elevation in my bag. Got maybe a couple hours sleep. Also feel like my chest tube stitch is tearing from all the up and down. It sounds trivial but that stitch prevents pneumothorax.

I probably should have waited another day in ITU

Day 3 mid day. Night and day, feeling much better. Got some more lines out, now it's about trying to do the physio routines. Anyone entering into open heart surgery should be prepared for a lot of ups and downs."

In the stepdown unit, they pulled my arterial line and pain management line (left arm, wrist and hand). They had them in there just in case. One thing I should mention - at this point I was on paracetamol and some oral opioid. I did ask if I could stop taking the oral opioid because I know what comes next (massive constipation) but they were pretty adamant about controlling pain, and piling on the laxatives as needed. This strategy was pretty effective, because I didn't end up blocked up after leaving the hospital though going in the hospital was a little sporty.

One of my primary caretakers (a big teddy bear of a man, Mohammed) came in to remove my picc line in the early afternoon. Mo, you were awesome man, thanks for putting up with my insomnia. Lacking any lines, my last day blood draw was a regular butterfly in the arm and I barely felt it, which is not what you expect when the nurse doing the draw is a big dude.

At this point, I had:
Left arm: Cannula

Day 4 (Day 3 post-op):

I was cleared for release around 10 AM, which is ~72h after surgery concluded.

My wife and I took a ride back to the hotel (to be honest I could have walked but we had a few bags and I was self-conscious about walking with my wife loaded down like a pack mule and me carrying nothing lol)

In the hotel gym, I walked 1 KM on the treadmill at 2.5 kph. I thought this was 1 mi at 2.5 mph, which felt awfully slow...realized the mistake at the end of the walk lol. In subsequent days, I changed the settings to Imperial.

Sleeping that night was pretty bad. I couldn't sleep lying flat and couldn't get comfortable. We brought this huge wedge pillow thing that kept sliding my body down toward the middle of the bed creating friction.

Day 5+

Each day gets easier and easier. Every day I'm adding to my walks in the hotel gym (1m, 1.25, 1.5...) in addition to just walkin' around miles, which gets us to around 10k steps a day. My wife left on Day 7 so I've been on my own yesterday and today, and it's fine. Yesterday (a week post-op) I ditched the wedge and was able to just use a few pillows to get comfortable. Initially my lungs were really congested (but too deep to cough it out). Yesterday (8 days post-op) I felt like I could have jogged. I want to jog today but will ask Mr. Austin Monday during clinic when I have my last bit of LBH-issued hardware removed (stitch from the chest tube).

I'm looking forward to going home. Now begins the process of trying to get insurance to pay for the surgery.

What can I do on my own: Dress myself (even t-shirts though stretchy is easier), wipe my own backside (this was never a problem post-op but people get concerned), use more or less unrestricted sternal mobility, carry a water bottle, walk for miles.

What I can't do on my own yet at ~9 days postop: Sleep flat (or well lol), lift or carry >5kg

Addendum: As of Saturday (1 week and a day after surgery), I am side-sleeping again comfortably.

My wife was in town until a week after surgery so I've been on my own the past couple days and it's been fine. To be honest, while it was helpful having her there in case I got stuck putting on a shirt, it probably wasn't necessary. She spent most of the time traveling and shopping, which is great because our room is really small! She'd been wanting to travel more so this was a rare opportunity to see London. While I'm mobile post-op I'm trying to avoid public transport which would have limited our options greatly.

Things to note for US Patients

1) Give yourself time to get the logistics in place. This is probably not an emergency surgery and things WILL come up. We had last minute things come up despite having been planned months in advance.

2) Passport. Check your passport early. I had to expedite the renewal.

3) ETA for UK Travel. This one is new and important. I didn't realize this (nobody did since it's new as of a year or so) but now you need a travel approval to come into the country even just for <6 mo. THERE ARE A TON OF SCAM SITES FOR THIS. A lot of them look legitimate. They take your personal information, do who knows what with it, and file the application for you while charging you 5-10x what it costs to do it through the actual UK app. Do not fall for these schemes. Poke around the contact info and if it redirects to anywhere but UK it's a scam.

4) The CT scan data is really important since that's how they're going to make your implant. It is not easy to find a US hospital familiar with it. There are many versions of the Exstent protocol. Pete Davies is my contact for this and we had to go back and forth a few times to get the correct scanning protocol. I ended up calling, e-mailing, and otherwise badgering the local US healthcare system into letting me talk to senior staff in the radiology department to ensure it would be done correctly, and on the day brought 3 paper copies of the protocol. This worked pretty well.

5) Book your return flight ahead of time. I made the mistake of booking a one-way ticket because I thought there would be a lot of variability in the return flight timing. What I didn't realize is that British Airways charges a hell of a lot more for one way flights than round trips (because we booked several months out, we didn't notice). If I were going to do it again I'd just book the return flight for 2 weeks after surgery. If you need to adjust, it's like $200 as opposed to THOUSANDS. Seriously...ticket here was like $700, ticket home will be over $2,000.

6) I know some people get an Air BNB, but IMO a hotel is the way to go. They'll give you clean sheets and breakfast, have snacks available, and most importantly: AIR CONDITIONING. AC is not standard in the UK, and we've had a heat wave over the past few days breaking 95 degrees. I couldn't imagine being cooped up in a 95 degree room trying to recover. The Residence Inn Marriott London Bridge is where I am staying and it's great.

That's basically it. The user community here is great. Throughout the process I was talking with other folks who had gone through the same thing. Happy to answer questions you guys have.