The new Mechanical-Prosthetic Aortic Valve has been fitted

Natalie's operation, in the Trent Cardiac Centre, went ahead as planned, on Wednesday morning (9th), starting at approximately 08:00 hrs.

I received a telephone call from the Cardiac Surgeon, Mr. Naik, at about 2:20pm to let me know that he had done his work; the new valve is seated OK; and that Natalie was being transferred to the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit. The operation was more complicated and had taken longer than usual for an aortic valve replacement because it was a re-do, as they call it, mechanical-prosthetic replacing failed bioprosthetic. He advised me to wait until the early evening to check-up on her condition. I telephoned the CU at about 19:45 hrs. The nurse allocated to looking after her confirmed that Natalie had woken up from the anaesthetic and that the ventilator tube had been removed. The nurse suggested it wasn't necessary for me to drive to Nottingham last night.

I visited this afternoon. I was very pleased to see that, because of her satisfactory progress and downgrade of risk, Natalie had been transferred from ICU to the High Dependency Unit. A move in the right direction. She is obviously feeling very uncomfortable and in some pain but this is being controlled with morphine, initially, and then less potent drugs, tramadol and paracetamol, backed up with a reduced level of morphine if the other two are not strong enough on occasions. The medical staff are pleased with her condition at this time. She may be transferred back to the normal cardiac ward on Friday or Saturday.

I believe she is coping better this time round than she did in 2006.

She dozed-off (resting her eyes she called it) a couple of times whilst I was with her: it's not surprising given the stress and drugs.

That's all the news for the moment.

Follow-up article: Home from Hospital

© Elliot Sampford 2014