Coronary heart diseases
Heart Surgery – A Patient’s Perspective
Testimony of a Patient Who Underwent Coronary Bypass Surgery: From the Diagnosis to Recovery and a Return to Normal Life
icardio
24/08/2025
Testimony of a Patient Who Underwent Coronary Bypass Surgery: From the Diagnosis to Recovery and a Return to Normal Life
Testimony of a woman living with a bicuspid aortic valveThe aortic valve is located between the left ventricule and the aorta. It is one of the four valves ot the heart. >> (a two-leaflet aortic valveThe aortic valve is located between the left ventricule and the aorta. It is one of the four valves ot the heart. >>). She shares her life journey, pregnancies, medical follow-up, and hopes — showing that it’s possible to live fully with this congenital heart condition.
Takotsubo syndrome, also known as “broken heart syndrome,” is a stress-induced cardiomyopathy often triggered by an emotional shock. Through this authentic patient story, discover how a traumatic event caused a temporary heart dysfunction, sometimes mistaken for a heart attack. An eye-opening account to better understand this lesser-known condition.
Knowing that a patient with heart failure is at risk of dying in the coming months helps prepare both the patient and their loved ones to express their life goals and plan the appropriate intensity of future care.
Palliative or supportive care complements heart failure treatment from the early stages, helping to improve the patient’s comfort and quality of life throughout their journey. It is provided alongside standard therapies and can be adjusted as the disease progresses, taking into account the person’s needs and priorities.
An individualized action plan is an essential tool for people with advanced heart failure, helping them respond quickly to any worsening of symptoms and avoid hospitalization. Understanding it well and applying it without delay helps better control the disease and maintain quality of life.
Dr. Wilfred Bigelow was one of Canada’s most influential pioneers in cardiac surgery. His bold intuition regarding the use of hypothermia paved the way for procedures that had previously been considered impossible.
So-called “active” care includes all treatments aimed at improving daily quality of life while also extending life expectancy. This essential phase in the management of heart failure relies on two complementary components: medications and non-pharmacological measures.
Heart failure is a progressive chronic disease that requires tailored care at every stage. Understanding the role of palliative and supportive care helps improve quality of life and anticipate needs in advanced stages.
Returning home after heart surgery marks an important step in recovery, but it is completely normal to feel a little worried or unsettled. Many questions may arise. This sense of uncertainty is common… but it fades as the days go by and strength gradually returns.
This site is intended to provide information and make cardiology comprehensible for all patients; it is not a substitute for a doctor. It does, however, enable a better understanding of how the heart works, the many heart diseases that exist, the tests required to reach a diagnosis, and the drugs and other methods used to treat them.
Where the masculine is used herein, it shall be all-gender inclusive.
