# My 82 Year Old Father Needs Heart Surgery **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 23, 2017, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-82-year-old-father-needs-heart-surgery/789699 "2017-06-23T17:58:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2017, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-82-year-old-father-needs-heart-surgery/789699/1 "2017-06-23T17:58:44Z")
He had an echocardiogram and got the results today. He needs a heart valve replaced. First he’ll have a catheterization to check the blood pressure in his heart and clear out any blockage. The second procedure, I’m assuming will be after he recovers from the cath, will be to replace the valve. My step mom is going out of town so he’ll be scheduling the procedure after she gets back (yes, he can wait that long.) All I keep thinking is HE’S 82! WHAT IF HE DOESN’T BOUNCE BACK? :eek::(:eek:☹ _Breathes deeply_ ---
**Author:** ![FloatyGimpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/floatygimpy/32/7750_2.png) [@FloatyGimpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FloatyGimpy)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2017, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-82-year-old-father-needs-heart-surgery/789699/2 "2017-06-23T18:21:35Z")
That sounds very stressful for all involved! Is he otherwise healthy? If so he may bounce back pretty well. Best of luck to you and your family! ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2017, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-82-year-old-father-needs-heart-surgery/789699/3 "2017-06-23T18:24:16Z")
My 84-year-old father went through something similar last year – only he waited until he had a heart attack before having the procedure. He was lucky to survive at all, and he was in pretty tough shape for a few months before he recovered. He had to have 2 stents placed to get him healthy enough to even withstand the valve replacement. What I want to stress here is that the valve replacement _went just fine_ and he recovered relatively quickly once that procedure had been done. Unfortunately, due to his procrastination and subsequent serious illness, he was hospitalized for nearly 2 months and now has some permanent kidney damage. No one can say for certain that all will be well, but if your dad is in reasonably good health despite his age, he has a much better chance of surviving it than my dad did – and my dad is doing great today. 🙂 I well understand your anxiety. I hope it all goes fine, as it did for my dad. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2017, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-82-year-old-father-needs-heart-surgery/789699/4 "2017-06-23T18:24:39Z")
He’s a bit overweight, but he still works and drives and has all his mental faculties. He lost the hearing in his ear suddenly last year and has a hearing aid. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2017, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-82-year-old-father-needs-heart-surgery/789699/5 "2017-06-23T18:26:03Z")
His docs wouldn’t be offering the surgery if they didn’t feel his chances of recovery were good. However, all life is 6 to 5 against, and anyone who’s made it to 82 has had a good run. I do understand your anxiety and hope you don’t have to face the loss of a parent anytime soon, but reality tells us most of us do have to face that one day. Both my parents died in their early 60’s (I was in my mid 30’s) and I miss them to this day, but life goes on. Even when it feels like it shouldn’t. So embrace the time you have with him. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2017, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-82-year-old-father-needs-heart-surgery/789699/6 "2017-06-23T18:40:45Z")
Oh, I do…my work offered a Bring Your Parents to Work Day yesterday (which I thought was beyond cool) and my folks had a great time. ---
**Author:** ![ticker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@ticker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ticker)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2017, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-82-year-old-father-needs-heart-surgery/789699/7 "2017-06-23T19:33:53Z")
My mother had a valve replacement at that age two years ago. I went to stay with my parents straight after she got home to help my dad out as she convalesced. The surgery was a big deal and left her weak for a while, but even in her post-op state it was obviously a great success. She had much more color in her cheeks and a sparkle in her eye we had assumed were lost to the ravages of old age. I hope your father has at least as positive an outcome. ---
**Author:** ![Buttercup\_Smith](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buttercup_smith/32/473_2.png) [@Buttercup\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buttercup_Smith)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2017, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-82-year-old-father-needs-heart-surgery/789699/8 "2017-06-23T19:36:58Z")
My husband had an aortic valve replaced in 2008 and back then it was a chest cracking open heart procedure. Now it can be done without cracking the chest open. He will be just fine. ---
**Author:** ![purplehearingaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@purplehearingaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehearingaid)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2017, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-82-year-old-father-needs-heart-surgery/789699/9 "2017-06-23T19:42:45Z")
> [@Buttercup\_Smith](#): > > My husband had an aortic valve replaced in 2008 and back then it was a chest cracking open heart procedure. Now it can be done without cracking the chest open. He will be just fine. You don’t know that ! I can understand the OP co concerns ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2017, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-82-year-old-father-needs-heart-surgery/789699/10 "2017-06-23T19:48:11Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > His docs wouldn’t be offering the surgery if they didn’t feel his chances of recovery were good. One would hope. Any access to studies as to the reasons such invasive procedures are recommended/performed on geriatrics? As well as cost and life expectancy thereafter? I’m happy to be persuaded as to the error of my anecdote-based opinion that the recommendation of costly treatment largely reflects whether someone will pay for it. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2017, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-82-year-old-father-needs-heart-surgery/789699/11 "2017-06-23T19:49:20Z")
My MiL and my sister’s FiL have both had serious cardiac procedures in the last two years. Both have recovered well. As QtM says, there are no guarantees, but I hope you will take comfort in the fact that even the elderly can do very well with this type of surgery. ---
**Author:** ![txjim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f07891/32.png) [@txjim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/txjim)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2017, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-82-year-old-father-needs-heart-surgery/789699/12 "2017-06-23T19:55:37Z")
My 88 year-old mother had bypass surgery in February. She’s doing great but the family made sure that she was walking as much as possible afterwards. ---
**Author:** ![Patx2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/73ab20/32.png) [@Patx2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patx2)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2017, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-82-year-old-father-needs-heart-surgery/789699/13 "2017-06-23T20:01:25Z")
> [@purplehearingaid](#): > > You don’t know that ! I can understand the OP co concerns I don’t think the intention was to undermine the OP’s concern at all. I think it was just trying to reassure the OP that much improvement has been made in how the surgery is performed. I send my best wishes for a successful surgery and full recovery to the OP’s dad. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2017, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-82-year-old-father-needs-heart-surgery/789699/14 "2017-06-23T20:55:03Z")
My dad says his doctor thinks his chances for recovery are excellent. How does a heart valve wear out? Is it due to his age or are there other factors? ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2017, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-82-year-old-father-needs-heart-surgery/789699/15 "2017-06-23T21:53:47Z")
> [@ivylass](#): > > All I keep thinking is HE’S 82! WHAT IF HE DOESN’T BOUNCE BACK? Relax. My aunt was that age when she had work done on her heart and recovered just fine. ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2017, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-82-year-old-father-needs-heart-surgery/789699/16 "2017-06-23T22:17:49Z")
> [@ivylass](#): > > My dad says his doctor thinks his chances for recovery are excellent. How does a heart valve wear out? Is it due to his age or are there other factors? Depends on the valve. I have a mechanical valve that I should never have to replace again (I’m 46), whereas a biological valve, given my activity level (fairly athletic), doc said it would last 5-10 years. Best of luck to your dad and the family. I’m sure he will come through this better than ever. I felt the positive difference within days. The fact that the doctors are not in a particular rush to do it should be encouraging. In my case, the doc strongly recommended sooner than later, and I was in surgery within a week. ---
**Author:** ![Okrahoma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90db22/32.png) [@Okrahoma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Okrahoma)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2017, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-82-year-old-father-needs-heart-surgery/789699/17 "2017-06-23T22:23:01Z")
> [@Buttercup\_Smith](#): > > My husband had an aortic valve replaced in 2008 and back then it was a chest cracking open heart procedure. Now it can be done without cracking the chest open. He will be just fine. That depends. I think most valve replacements are still of the “chest cracking open heart” type. If your dad meets the criteria, maybe TAVR (the non-chest-cracking) surgery may be performed. Your surgeon I am sure will discuss it with you. TAVR recovery is a lot easier. ---
**Author:** ![Okrahoma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90db22/32.png) [@Okrahoma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Okrahoma)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2017, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-82-year-old-father-needs-heart-surgery/789699/18 "2017-06-23T22:26:26Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > One would hope. Any access to studies as to the reasons such invasive procedures are recommended/performed on geriatrics? As well as cost and life expectancy thereafter? > > I’m happy to be persuaded as to the error of my anecdote-based opinion that the recommendation of costly treatment largely reflects whether someone will pay for it. Before they did my aortic valve replacement (at the age of 53), I researched how much the AVR reduces life expectancy, compared to others in the same age cohort. Apparently, after 65 or so, studies show that the life expectancy after AVR is increased compared to the age cohort. Before 65, there is a decrease. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2017, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-82-year-old-father-needs-heart-surgery/789699/19 "2017-06-23T22:30:56Z")
> [@ivylass](#): > > My dad says his doctor thinks his chances for recovery are excellent. How does a heart valve wear out? Is it due to his age or are there other factors? It could be any number of things. My mother had rheumatic fever as a child, for example, which caused damage that ultimately led to her valve needing to be replaced. Sometimes there are genetic factors. There could be other types of heart disease that did damage. You would need to discuss it with your father’s cardiologist to get the specifics for him. ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2017, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-82-year-old-father-needs-heart-surgery/789699/20 "2017-06-23T22:35:20Z")
> [@Okrahoma](#): > > Apparently, after 65 or so, studies show that the life expectancy after AVR is increased compared to the age cohort. Before 65, there is a decrease. Heh. I may ask for a refund, then. I was hoping to get at least 20 years out of mine. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-82-year-old-father-needs-heart-surgery/789699.md?page=2)