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Recovery after Quadruple Heart Bypass Surgery - Fluid around lungs

My father had quadruple heart by-pass surgery a month and 1/2 ago. He still hasn't fully recovered. He has been a diabetic since he turned 52.  He is now 67 years old. He has repeatedly had fluid around his lung that has been drained off by his heart doctor, but it keeps coming back. He has trouble breathing and every time this procedure is done, he has more and more liquid drained from his lung. The first time it was 1200 ccs. The second time 2800 ccs. He had it drained again today, and my mother told me that there was even more fluid. My father says that he has trouble breathing and feels like he is drowning in all this fluid. My father has had alot happen in a year's time. He had total right knee replacement surgery in April 06, eye surgery on his one and only eye in April 07 - the other eye is a glass eye due to an old coal mine accident 39 years ago - and a month or so ago this quadruple heart bypass surgery. My thinking is that he is too weak to get rid of this fluid on his own. The doctor said that the next time this happens, my dad will be admitted into the hospital for a couple of days for a procedure where the doctor will drain off the fluid again then put some sort of sealent around the lung so it won't fill up again? (I'm not sure if I'm wording this properly.) I guess, my question is why didn't the doctor do this before now? Is it a risky procedure? Why is the fluid amount getting larger and larger every time?  Thanks for your time, Sherry Berry!
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Avatar universal
HI! MY DAD IS GOING THROUGH THE SAME THING HE IS 70YR OLD AND HAS HAD 2 HEART ATTACKS, BOTH LEGS AMPUTED AND KIDNEY FAILURE. HE KEEPS GETTING FLUID ON HIS RIGHT LUNG , THAT MAKE IT DIFFCULT TO BREATHE. HE WAS SUPPOSE TO GET THE SAME PROCEDURE DONE WITH THE TALC , BUT THE DOCTORS FEEL HIS HEART CAN NOT TAKE THE SURGERY. I TOOK HIM TO GET A 2ND OPINION AND THE DOCTORS ARE SAYING THE SAME. EVERY OTHER MONTH I GOT TO TAKE HIM TO THE ER TO HAVE FLUID DRAIN.I HOPE YOUR SITUATION GET BETTER
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Avatar universal
DID YOU GET KIDNEY PROBLEMS FROM THE QUAD BYPASS
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I had a dble. bypass on may 5, 2011. On may 24, 2011, I had the lung surgery where they used the talc to seal the area around my left lung, thereby solving the fluid build-up around my left lung. This was after 2 pleural effusions. The surgery did work and I no longer have have fluid build-up around my left lung. I live in orlando, fl. and the surgeries were done by Florida Hospital South. There is hope and help out there, and while I would not diss any surgeon,(they mostly perform miracles, as near as I can tell) the doctors at this hospital are superb at what they do.  
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Avatar universal
I had quad bypass on Nov 22.  I had a quick, good recovery - enough to go back to work part time and drive in 2/12 weeks.  (I work a desk job and only go in for about 3 -4 hours a day)  Started rehab at 3 weeks.  Had fluid on left lung at discharge, back in hospital for shortness of breath at 4 weeks (did get out in time for Christmas).  Drained oodles of fluid from around lung.  Now getting short of breath again.  I guess the fluid is coming back.  
I am discouraged to see the number of times people have had to have the fluid drained off.  I've been told that it can be done outpatient, but that doesn't make me much happier.
The only good things I can say are that I have lost a bunch of weight, and, with the new diet, have almost come completely off insulin.
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Avatar universal
Hi,
I have had the same problem with water retention after by-pass and it has been going on for almost 6 years now. I'm 57 and am now on 120mg of Morphine daily. And this doesn't stop the pain. I had the Thoracic surgery with absolutely NO help. Just unbearable pain for the rest of my life. If you find help for this problem . . .PLEASE let me know. I can't.
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Avatar universal
PLEASE, PLEASE, Please, don't let your Father have this operation. I had a quintuple by-pass done almost 6 years ago and have been retaining water just as your Dad has all this time. I have had several NEAR heart attacks since because of the pressure this fluid puts on my heart. I too had my chest drained 4 times and after that Thoracic surgery all with-in 6 months of by-pass surgery. Now I take 120 mgs of Morphine Sulfate every day and have taken for 5 years. The pain is so far beyond what anyone could describe or your mind could imagine and I fight it everyday. So now I have water retention (the surgery of opening my side, scrubbing the back of my lung with steel wool like substance until scabs form to adhere my lung to my chest wall didn't help one drop) and pain so far more problematic than just the water retention. The pressure in my chest, on my heart, from the water retention AND the Thoracic surgery is horrific but still no where the problem the pain of my whole upper body now. Not to mention how hard it is to breathe. I am truly disabled now. All because I trusted my Doctors. Lets face it . . .they are a business and are IN business to make money. They make millions each year by the amount of surgery's they preform. That's why they are still practicing. All I ask is "Please God, don't let what happen to me happen to anyone else.  
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Avatar universal
PLEASE, PLEASE, Please, don't let your Father have this operation. I had a quintuple by-pass done almost 6 years ago and have been retaining water just as your Dad has all this time. I have had several NEAR heart attacks since because of the pressure this fluid puts on my heart. I too had my chest drained 4 times and after that Thoracic surgery all with-in 6 months of by-pass surgery. Now I take 120 mgs of Morphine Sulfate every day and have taken for 5 years. The pain is so far beyond what anyone could describe or your mind could imagine and I fight it everyday. So now I have water retention (the surgery of opening my side, scrubbing the back of my lung with steel wool like substance until scabs form to adhere my lung to my chest wall didn't help one drop) and pain so far more problematic than just the water retention. The pressure in my chest, on my heart, from the water retention AND the Thoracic surgery is horrific but still no where the problem the pain of my whole upper body now. Not to mention how hard it is to breathe. I am truly disabled now. All because I trusted my Doctors. Lets face it . . .they are a business and are IN business to make money. They make millions each year by the amount of surgery's they preform. That's why they are still practicing. All I ask is "Please God, don't let what happen to me happen to anyone else.  
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Avatar universal
My 77 year old father had quadruple bypass surgery. Everything went great and he was home after 6 days. Three days later he experienced a sharp pain in his lower left chest area. Rushed to hospital, breathing tube inserted, going downhill fast. Airlifted to large hospital. After 10 days removed from ventilator but still has pneumonia after 21 days in icu. Does not seem to be getting much better. After 6 days off ventilator they finally put feeding tube in stomach because he was not eating. He is sleep deprived and malnourished and very, very weak.
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Avatar universal
My 77 year old father had quadruple bypass surgery. Everything went great and he was home after 6 days. Three days later he experienced a sharp pain in his lower left chest area. Rushed to hospital, breathing tube inserted, going downhill fast. Airlifted to large hospital. After 10 days removed from ventilator but still has pneumonia after 21 days in icu. Does not seem to be getting much better. After 6 days off ventilator they finally put feeding tube in stomach because he was not eating. He is sleep deprived and malnourished and very, very weak.
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Avatar universal
Hmmmm....

Ginko Biloba (Stimulates brain/body blood flow)
Ginseng (Stimulates body blood flow)
Garlic (Stimulates blood flow)
Cayenne Fruit (Thins blood and stimulates blood flow)
Vinpocetine (Stimulates inner brain blood flow)
Coleus Forshokin (Stimulate inner brain blood flow)

The most important is Ginger.  Ginger is an excellent blood thinner when taken in mass doses (please do your own research on what doses he will need)

If I were in that situation the above is what I would be taken... the above is what I am currently taking anyway.

Can't guarantee anything but at the same time what do you have to lose?

Also... other possible treatments are drinking baking soda.


Prevent him from eating vitamin K also as that causes clotting and makes clots worse.
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Avatar universal
Hi, my father in law had a bypass surgery a week back but doctors have discovered a clot in the brain which according to them is critical and is moving him into coma and his platelets have reduced to 50000 so they say they cannot treat him further. Could anyone please advise?
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Avatar universal
my sister just had open heart valve repair surgery and she's into her sixth week of recovery and still having a hard time breathing and fluid build up around her lungs. We don't know what to do to help, the doctors all give the same advice -- walk more-- but she can't since she can't breathe. Any help?? advice? She also just developed a cough. We are so worried about her!
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Avatar universal
I just had a quad bypass, age 58.  I have had about a liter of fluid drawn off the left lung about a week ago and now am cardio rehab.  I now fill the fluid back which does not seem to be in my lung but can feel it which seem to be on the outside.  A cough does nothing and I feel nothing moving in the lung.  I was told this is common but if I lay down my heart hurts and I feel the fluid.  I am some what afraid becuse I just want to get clear and return to work.  All these postings give an idea of what I could face.  I can say I am am afraid of more surgery it is pure torture.  Death seems so far away yet so close.  I am not afraid for myself but my wife.  I would like to pray for all on this page.  Laying here thru the long night waiting for tomorrow in the hopes of seeing the doctor seems like an eternity.  Guess I am trying to catch you Drjeff251.  The pain is great but for me being locked up in my head waiting for the end is hell.  God bless you all.  Siincerely Erobinson
Personally I will continue to wait for the out come for I believe that we are all here by the grace of God with a mission.  thanks for you guys listening to my complains!
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Avatar universal
My mom had a quadruple by-pass surgery last week Wed Dec 16th and had so much fluid following the surgery that they gave her a diuretic that then adversely impacted her kidneys and caused her to need dialysis. Before the dialysis they said that something was causing her to have spasms and would stop her breathing.  She did that twice, "being coded" is what they called it.  After the second one they are now saying my mom who is 78 used to walk daily but was diabetic with hypertension is now brain dead due to the lack of oxygen.  So I just want to say for those who have survived the surgery and are now experiencing some complications.  Thank God that you did not experience what my mom has endured this past week.  
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Avatar universal
In 2002 I had quad bypass surgery.  I am a diabetic, and have been for thirty years.
I had fluid build up around my right lung. After going back into the hospital for IV diuretics, (Lasix), which only lasted about a week each time, they finally inserted a needle between my ribs and drained 2.5 Liters of fluid.
After the draining, my legs started to swell again, like before, so I started taking Triam HTZ, a water pill that I had taken for ten years before, to control Menieres Disease...the Triam HTZ water pills kept the fluid from coming back again, and I have not had it since.
I stopped taking the water pills after a couple months following the surgery.

They said the fluid builds up due to the irritation of the lung area during the surgery.

I am as good as new now.....no heart problems, or inner ear ( Menieres) problems either.


Mike
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Avatar universal
Best wishes to all who have loved ones or are themselves, suffering.

I developed the cough and it has been determined the fluid building up around (not in) the lungs is due to lymphoma.  I am on Lasix to combat fluid build up and have had the talc procedure, but, it didn't seem to work.

They sent me home and will drain lung cavity as needed as an outpatient but, want me to get started on Chemo to stop the cause they believe, of the fluid.

Apparently, many things can cause the fluid. I too have had bypass (single and with a robot) but, no problems from that, I don't think, but only from lymphoma.

I was having the cough and they took my off Lisinopril (sp) for blood pressure and it seemed to improve but then came back until I couldn't talk without coughing.

The Ear, Nose, and Throat Dr. confirmed it wasn't due to sinus and said it was being caused by something in my abdomen or chest and he was right, of course.  It was the lungs trying to cough out the fluid but, since the fluid wasn't in the lungs, only compressing them, I never coughed anything up.      

I could sit and work for hours and not cough but, as soon as I got up and/or started to talk, I would start coughing.  Apparently, anything, even talking, that changes the use of the lung can trigger the attempt to get rid of the fluid with coughing.

While in the hospital (16 days) I could talk and not cough as long as the fluid was drained off.  I could tell it was coming back when I would start coughing again.  It doesn't take much fluid, I don't think to trigger some of the coughing and the more there is, the worse it gets as the lung is restricted more and more in its ability to exchange air which we also use to talk as it passes over the vocal cords.

I start Chemo this week on the Lymphoma and they hope that will take care of the coughing and fluid build up.    

God Bless all and my prayers are with you.
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Avatar universal
I personally, not my dad, brother or uncle, have had TWO proven strokes, one 4 July 03, and one 26 Feb 08. Two MI's one way back in the Army before retiring in 1994, after the first Gulf War Oct 1994. (They only did angioplasty or bypass then, no stents; and at my age chose just the baloon angioplasty).

11 angioplasty and stents later; I ended up with a Quadruple Bypass, just 4 weeks ago. I am a Type II insulin dependent diabetic, and I have many of the symptoms you all list above. What do I do, as a worn out, in pain old fart? I walk my rear end off. It hurts, I cough, and yep, did I mention it hurts imensely? If I did not, I would be DEAD. That is actually the option. Walk or die. Exercise burns off fluid, actually helps in many cases even with the Lasix (other names too) treatments. If POSSIBLE, REMEMBER those words, if POSSIBLE, exercise, helps REMOVE more fluid than machines and SITTING. The POOL, the PARK, are my best friends. PUMPS, TISSUES, FAMILY, well they all help, but if I am actually going to SURVIVE ALL OF THIS, it will be through pure determination, and a higher power keeping me walking, swimming and doing. Barring that, it is time to go, for I am not meant ot cough in a bed for my last years. I already did that BEFORE the BYPASS. I was dead for 5 hours on a heart lung machine. Most of us were.

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547368 tn?1440541785
Certainly that would be a question best put to his cardiologist. Usually it is OK, provided the patient feels as though they can tolerate it BUT always check with your physician. You may want to begin a new post with your question. You most likely will obtain better answers. Take care, Tuck
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Avatar universal
my friend is 65 and had a quadruple bypass 4 years ago, he also has high blood pressure, is it possible and is it safe to have sex? He gets breathless when he walks uphill, and has a spray that he carries with him at all times. Hope some one can help. Thankyou
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Avatar universal
My dad had a triple bypass about a year and a half ago and is still having problems to this day...he had the fluid build up and they kept a chest tub ein him the whole time he was in the hospital.....He was in the hospital for almost a month due to different complications with the bypass, they have had to open him up two more times to fix things that have gone wrong, the first time was in the hospital and the wire broke that was wrapped around the sternum to hold it together, when it broke it sent a piece of his rib into his lung and punctured it so they had to fix that....so that caused him to have a large amount of fluid to fill up in his lungs which had to comtinually be drained out with a chest tube......then he went back in about 3 weeks ago because the wire came loose again but they also found that when the wire broke the first time and they wired it back again a piece of his rib was in the wrong place so they said and caused some bone deformation to take place on his back side where the ribs comes around....he is now back in the hospital again as we speak due to a severe subclavian stenosis, which means he has to have surgery again to fix another blockage on what I am guessing is a new vein that they put in when his bypass was done......so now he has to have an angioplasty done and maybe a stent put in, not sure yet......I hope to God your dad doesn't go through what mine has and he is 65....I hope they get all that fluid taken care of and they don't cause him to go through anymore issues then he already has......for me this has been a trying year and still more to go through what makes it all worse is my parents live in AZ and I live in FL....a long way and plane tickets aren't cheap...
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Avatar universal
Hi there, never replied on anything like this before, but I would to say that your dad will be fine, I am 42 and had a quad  bypass myself in May 08, and I am fine, the only pain I know have in around my chest area.  I was advised that i would not be 100% for about 1 year as this is how long it actually takes the body to heal, as it has had major trauma and shock and the inside has to recover too, but please note that I had my bypass in May 08 and I returned to work 13 Aug 08, so it may seem forever now but just get as much rest as possible as this does help.
Good health to one an all.    Tracey
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Avatar universal
My father had 4way Heart by-Pass 5mths ago now and he seems to be doing well so I just want you and everyone else some hope that they will get better but it does take time to heal and get everything going properly again.

                                                                 *Craig*
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Avatar universal
y 62 yr old sister-in-law had 6 bypasses two months ago. While in recovery she had a light stroke. Next her lungs or chest cavity begin to fill with fluid. Its been two months and her husband is still draining her twice daily. Is this because her heart is weak from all the bypasses?
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Avatar universal
My Dad is 66 years old, has had two heartattacks and one stroke (proven).  The first one was at the age of 40 and the second one was in 2006.  The doctors just found evidence of the stroke (alhtough we told them when we thought he had it a year ago) when he went to the hospital a month ago for his blood pressure being so high.  He had to have a  quadruple by-pass on May 22, 2008.  The surgery seemed to go good but later that night he went to sleep and they could not wake him for almost 4 days.  He stayed in the surgical ICU for 10 days and finally came home last friday June 5.  He is also a diabetic and has high blood pressure that is very hard to control.  Yesterday 6/10/08 he was taken back to the hospital because he was not breathing good.  They say there is fluid in his lungs and his heart is not beating properly.  He is really upset and depressed about his condition.  Since his 2006 heart attack, he has been working out at cardio rehab 3 times a week.  I never imagined that we would be having all of these problems.  Keep praying is all that I know to do.
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