Reply To: Slow Recovery from Coronary Bypass Surgery

GH — Thanks for your reply. Agree that one person’s unusual experience could be anecdotal rather than evidentiary. The RNs/PTs in my large cardiac surgery unit thought my delay in regaining the ability to stand/walk was very unusual — until I finally started improving (rapidly), they wanted me to plan on going to an acute rehab facility rather than home. The only factor I can identify that might explain my unusual experience is the GBS, particularly the GBS residuals — except for the GBS, I was in unusually good shape compared to most bypass patients going into the surgery.

Seems there might be value for other GBS survivors (particularly those with residuals) in knowing about my experience (if it was, in fact, attributable to the GBS). At a minimum, if other GBS survivors who undergo cardiac bypass (or other multi-hour surgery) are likely to have a similar experience, knowing about my experience would relieve a lot of the stress/panic they might otherwise experience in the immediate post-surgery days. Also, GBS survivors who have more extensive residuals than I do might have their neural systems be severely compromised by the lengthy surgery — something the docs involved might not be prepared for. And, it might cause them to consider alternative approaches to the current problem — i.e., stenting rather than bypass for coronary artery disease.