Irregular Beats?

[MikeHeim]

I had mitral valve repair surgery about one month ago and am starting to have some issues with irregular beats. I've felt some palpitations over the past couple days, and when I lay down certain ways it feels like I have some strange heart beats. I had my fiance listen to my chest, and she said it sounds like on every fifth or sixth beat, either there is an extra beat or that there is one loud thud (one or the other). Of course I am going to call my cardiologist tomorrow, but I wanted some piece of mind this evening (if possible). I know that it is somewhat normal to go through periods of palpitations and some some different pains as your heart heals after surgery, but how about arrythmia (sp?)?

Thanks!

[Sagebrush]

Mike I had the same thing happen after my surgery three 1/2 years ago....I really freaked out because I didn't know that it is really common to us valvers. I told my doc about it and she put a holter on me but could never catch the irregular beats.

[BDMc]

I had the same experience for months. Halter showed next to nothing. Eventually they subsided. Still get some when overly tired or if my potasium is low. Good luck. Brian

[Karlynn]

Certainly get it checked out, but you are still very "fresh from surgery" and your heart is still recovering and will let you know from time to time that it didn't like being man-handled. Have you stepped up your physical activity recently?

[MikeHeim]

There were a couple days last week where I probably "overdid" it. One day I walked about three miles (with what I hoped was enough rest stops in the middle). The other day I climbed probably 8-10 flights of stairs (over a three-hour period). I felt OK at the time, my legs just felt a little tired...

[Gemma]

Hi Mike,

Jim had the same thing a while ago - it turned out he needed his dosage of sotalol (beta-blocker) lowering. Of course, when he had a holter monitor done it didn't show up! He still gets the occasional irregular beat if he's very tired but doesn't worry about it so much now.

Gemma.

[Cris N]

Mike,
Certainly you want to get the rhythm checked by the dr to rule out A-fib but those occasional 'extra' beats or 'skipped' beats are probably PVCs - pre-ventricular contractions. PVCs are harmless - everyone has them (sometimes thousands per day) - but to the post-surgical heart patient they can be terrifying. For most people they eventually settle down as the heart continues to heal.

Cris

[sue943]

I had them too. A period on amiodarone put an end to them, I have been fine for the past few months and have been off the 'dreaded drug' for several months.

[tobagotwo]

I agree with Chris and Sagebrush on this one.

You're too early to be too concerned about palpitations. Your heart is remodelling (reshaping itself back toward its original size). I would guess that at this point, it's even still experiencing healing of the last tiny, tertiary nerves at the scar points of the heart incision, although the heart wound itself should be nearly healed.

It's entirely understandable that you are heavily focused on everything your heart does at this point. We all were. At occasional, unguarded moments, we all still are.

You will probably experience some of this on and off for four or five months yet, perhaps even a year. You'll probably have it every once in a while throughout your life. Most people do, VR surgery or not.

The concern is if it lasts for a long time or falls into atrial fibrillation or ventricular "doubles" or "triples," which can go into ventricular fibrillation.

By far, it's most likely that those things are not what's happening here. Discuss it with your cardiologist. He may ask you to wear a Holter monitor overnight, or just let you go after a quick office EKG.

Unless your cardiologist feels there is reason to be concerned, I would suggest that you not push him into a position of feeling that he has to add to your drug burden at this early point. Your heart is not settled yet, and there may be benefits to letting it find its own way, rather than forcing it with prescriptions you may not be able to go off of later.

Perhaps, like Gemma's Jim, you might even be able to use a little less of one of your prescriptions, if you're on several (not the beta blocker - best to stay on that for now).

Best wishes,