Reply #69: My mother did, in the 1970s. It was a very well-practiced and...

[Fridays Child]

...successful procedure then, and it's, no doubt, gotten even better, since that time. She had a Teflon-coated ball and cage valve (think of the top of a snorkel) installed in her heart and, in a quiet environment, you could hear the faint ticking of the valve.

My mom was on a ventilator for the first day post-surgery. It allowed her to breathe on her own and it counted her breaths. When she was taking at least 23 breaths per minute, they took her off the machine. There were more wires and tubes running in and out of her than I've ever seen. And she was as pale as a ghost. The ICU nurses talked to her about what they were doing, even when she was fresh out of surgery and totally comatose. But they were using her formal name, so I told them the nickname she preferred. Also, she was stark naked and very cold. I asked them to cover her, and they put a blanket over her. Evidently, it's easier for them to maintain all of the wires and tubes, if the patient is nude, but they did honor my request.

So my best advice is to stay with your mom, as much as you can, from the moment she's out of surgery until she's out of CCU or ICU (screw visiting hours), and don't be afraid to ask questions and make requests.

She'll be fine. You'll see.