Going Home

Your level of activity, diet, medication, and do's and don'ts, will be fully reviewed by the healthcare team. Ask them any questions and follow their advice completely. Though everyone looks forward to going home, it is not uncommon to feel apprehensive about leaving the security of the hospital. A better understanding of what to expect when you go home will make it easier for you and your family to make the transition.

Successful heart valve surgery will improve your quality of life and enable you to do activities that were impossible before the surgery. The rate of your recovery will depend on your age, general health, and the condition of your heart. Your ability to follow medical advice, maintain an exercise program, and lead a healthy lifestyle are also important to your success. Gradually, you will begin to feel better and have more strength.

It is important that an echocardiogram be obtained approximately 6 to 12 weeks after your surgery to obtain a baseline performance of your new prosthetic heart valve. This echo will provide baseline data for comparison against any future changes. Should any problems develop with a prosthetic heart valve, an echo test is the best and most readily available method of diagnosing an abnormality. Often a comparison with the baseline echo will be valuable for early diagnosis. If your doctor has not referred you for a baseline echo, be sure to ask if such a test would be desirable for you.