After peripheral artery bypass surgery, plan on being in the hospital for about 3 to 8 days. The length of your stay depends on the type of bypass you have, your health, and how you respond to surgery.
Potassium supplements help replace potassium your body as lost. This can happen if you take a water pill (diuretic), or because of a medical condition. Read on for tips on how to take potassium, as well as safety advice.
Beta-blockers decrease your heart's workload and help it beat more regularly. This can reduce chest pain. It may also lower your blood pressure.
Risk factors are things that make you more likely to have a disease or condition. Find out about risks you might have for high blood pressure and which ones you can change.
If you are having symptoms, certain medications can ease them. Other medications help prevent problems that may occur due to valve disease. Your doctor can discuss what medications might be right for you. Here are some types of medications that may be prescribed and what they do.
Learn how to care for yourself as you recover at home after a thoracotomy. This includes information on when and how to go back to your usual activities.
Thoracotomy is surgery used to diagnose and treat certain lung problems. Learn about what to expect before and after the surgery.
Mitral valve prolapse is the most common heart valve problem. It's usually not serious. With this problem, the valve bulges slightly back into the atrium when it closes. This may allow a tiny amount of blood to leak.
Aortic insufficiency means your aortic valve has problems closing. Blood leaks back through the valve. Extra blood may cause the ventricle to stretch. A stretched ventricle doesn't squeeze as well. In time, the heart won't move blood the way it should.
Aortic stenosis means your aortic valve has a problem opening. The left ventricle has to work harder to push the blood through the valve. In some cases, this extra work will make the muscle of the ventricle thicken. This type of stenosis can quickly get worse.