epags
Well-Known Member
WARNING! Do not shoot a world record whatever. That will mostly likely cause a heart attack!
Shooting after heart surgery
- Thread starter wldcat
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Frank in the Laurels
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...myself, I gave myself time before letting a few big rounds go...not worth taking the chance for no good reason.
When you say "had a couple bypasses put in," I assume you really do mean bypasses and not stents. Bypass surgery involves actually opening up the chest by splitting the strernum, then wiring the two halves back together at the end of the procedure. It also often involves some broken ribs. Stent insertion, which several others referred to, is a noninvasive procedure done through a femoral catheter and doesn't disrupt the structure of the chest. The two should not be confused.
So the CV surgeon who did the bypass is the only one you should be taking advice from; not the PT and not the cardiologist.
Unfortunately, most surgeons who do not hunt with high power rifles will assume there is much more recoil from the rifle than there often is.
I would ask your surgeon (if you indeed did have bypass surgery) if she or he is a hunter or shooter. If not, ask if they can connect you with a hunting surgeon to talk to.
Also, consider this: hunting involves a lot more than shooting, such as carrying the rifle long distances, getting down on the ground and back up, field dressing the game animal, and carrying it out.
highfinblue
Well-Known Member
My dad was not a normal human, but in '91 he had triple bypass surgery and was back bird hunting just a couple months later. I am certainly not telling you to try that, but he was a determined individual. I will also say he was in excellent physical condition. His heart problems were stress related, but up until he died just a few years ago he walked miles, at least two, up to six a day and weighed 172 pounds his entire adult life. He hounded the doctor until he released him to hunt, but he also worked like mad to get back into hunting shape and doing all the physical therapy they asked of him.
Interesting comments so far. Non-cardiac surgeon here…..
- While most doctors trend to the liberal side of things, most surgeons trend conservative. This is true on both coasts and in both cities & rural areas.
- Your cardiologist is NOT the one to ask. Ask the cardiothoracic surgeon. Cardiologists are thinkers (and incredibly smart). Cardiothoracic surgeons are the one who crack your sternum, sew the miniature vascular structures, and bailing-wire the whole thing back together. Ask him.
- I won't give you specific medical advice, but I know what I'd do….. living in Idaho, I'd personally worry more about the terrain, ATVs, horses, or whatever else you have planned to get where these fabulous critters live. Using your arm to pull yourself up into the truck on some random nasty hillside might be worse for your chest than shooting. I tend to Maverick my own hunting actions a bit too much, but I'd "find a way", assuming I felt well. More or less, I live to hunt. Heavy recoiling rifle - no way. Really light recoiling rifle like a heavy barrel .243? Can't see that doing anything bad (to you), depending on the exact circumstances. XP-100, or similar, yeah, maybe, and the added challenge could be fun.
- Don't neglect the altitude. Lots of Idaho mule deer country is above 8000-9000 feet in elevation. If you live at sea level, the change might be significant. Your surgeon might have something to say about that.
- Bottom line - talk to YOUR surgeon. It's a question worthy of an extra visit. Then, do what he says.
- While most doctors trend to the liberal side of things, most surgeons trend conservative. This is true on both coasts and in both cities & rural areas.
- Your cardiologist is NOT the one to ask. Ask the cardiothoracic surgeon. Cardiologists are thinkers (and incredibly smart). Cardiothoracic surgeons are the one who crack your sternum, sew the miniature vascular structures, and bailing-wire the whole thing back together. Ask him.
- I won't give you specific medical advice, but I know what I'd do….. living in Idaho, I'd personally worry more about the terrain, ATVs, horses, or whatever else you have planned to get where these fabulous critters live. Using your arm to pull yourself up into the truck on some random nasty hillside might be worse for your chest than shooting. I tend to Maverick my own hunting actions a bit too much, but I'd "find a way", assuming I felt well. More or less, I live to hunt. Heavy recoiling rifle - no way. Really light recoiling rifle like a heavy barrel .243? Can't see that doing anything bad (to you), depending on the exact circumstances. XP-100, or similar, yeah, maybe, and the added challenge could be fun.
- Don't neglect the altitude. Lots of Idaho mule deer country is above 8000-9000 feet in elevation. If you live at sea level, the change might be significant. Your surgeon might have something to say about that.
- Bottom line - talk to YOUR surgeon. It's a question worthy of an extra visit. Then, do what he says.
I have a brother in law who had a four way bypass and other work done and he loved to hunt. He ended up down sizing a couple of rifles , one was down sized to a 243 and the other was a 6.5-06 and absolutely loved it. No issues with recoil, light weight and ended up with a couple of elk under his belt and several deer. Just a thought of a few calibers. Congratulations on your new health, and good luck in the woods
wldcat
Well-Known Member
Two weeks post surgery yesterday, been a roller coaster!!! So there's no confusion yes it was open heart surgery with two bypasses on left anterior descending artery a cardiac maze and an atriclip. I've been very surprised with how easy recovery has been (probably because I'm so young) until yesterday!!!!! Wow did it hurt yesterday, possibly slept wrong or moved wrong yesterday morning???? Had to take pain pills to sleep last night, but now I feel great again today…
definitely have to take this one day at a time!!! I want to thank this community again for all the great advice and stories about personal experiences, it really does help the mental aspect of this healing process as well!! I have an appointment with the surgeon in October and we will discuss hunting during that appointment. A good point was brought up about altitude that is also going to be a problem, I do live at sea level and my lungs are probably taking this recovery the hardest. I have got to where I can walk a mile uphill which is good but I don't have enough air to talk while I'm walking….. depending on how my lungs heal I might be very limited on what I can do when I get up in elevation. I have put more thought into firing a rifle and I truly believe if I bring my 6.5 ss I could shoot it all day long. It weighs about 11 lbs has a decent muzzle brake and has less recoil then an ar-15. I think I'll look into attempting to measure the actual free recoil and that might help the surgeon with his recommendation. Thank you all again this has definitely been a trying time for my family , but I am on the mend now and the dr's say once I'm healthy I'll feel better than before!
definitely have to take this one day at a time!!! I want to thank this community again for all the great advice and stories about personal experiences, it really does help the mental aspect of this healing process as well!! I have an appointment with the surgeon in October and we will discuss hunting during that appointment. A good point was brought up about altitude that is also going to be a problem, I do live at sea level and my lungs are probably taking this recovery the hardest. I have got to where I can walk a mile uphill which is good but I don't have enough air to talk while I'm walking….. depending on how my lungs heal I might be very limited on what I can do when I get up in elevation. I have put more thought into firing a rifle and I truly believe if I bring my 6.5 ss I could shoot it all day long. It weighs about 11 lbs has a decent muzzle brake and has less recoil then an ar-15. I think I'll look into attempting to measure the actual free recoil and that might help the surgeon with his recommendation. Thank you all again this has definitely been a trying time for my family , but I am on the mend now and the dr's say once I'm healthy I'll feel better than before!To be honest,most of the animals I have killed in the past 10 years could have been shot with a 308 instead of my usual 300 win mag.
Down sizing,maybe not a bad idea!
Down sizing,maybe not a bad idea!
tigerrose01
Well-Known Member
I split my sternum in a head-on collision in 2000...caused by the seatbelt...they didn't find it until 2 weeks later when I went to train some folks to scuba dive in a pool. I spent an hour or so at 12 ft teaching/reviewing underwater sign language, then, when I was leaving the pool, I couldn't even get out of the pool nor breath correctly. Trip 2 the ER revealed the split sternum. That was slow healing because they have no way to position it since every breath makes it move. It was a couple of months before I could shoot again comfortably...and that's without any heart surgery. As others have said, be cautious... You only have one heart and it needs to keep you hunting...If you had open heart surgery I think the concern is your split sternum along with your heart. My wife had open heart surgery in July and Dr restricted her lifting for quite a while. He even said no shooting (he is from TX). From what I understand the sternum takes some time to heal completely. I would ask a point blank question and abide by what is said.
Jeffrey Van Zandt
Well-Known Member
I had a heart attack in 08 in may had a 3 way by pass done in june after a month at home I felt like a new man so in August went on a 10 day moose and boo hunt got both along with a blackie and have not missed a hut yet
Kerryt38
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I had open heart surgery on August 10, 2021. I had valve replacement. I was 52 and in good health besides a birth defect in my valve. I was cleared to go back to work after 6 weeks. If I had a desk job I could have went back to work but I didn't feel well enough to go back until November 7. I did deer hunt a week later and the shooting wasn't a problem. I wouldn't have been able to do it without help. I'm pretty certain that I wouldn't have been able to do it at 8 weeks. I was shooting my 20lb dasher a few times at 6 weeks but I didn't have bypass or stints put in. I also had someone set it up for me. I couldn't wait to shoot and found that I couldn't control my heart rate enough to shoot as accurately as I had before. That scared me more than anything! Lol. Be patient! You'll have lots more years to hunt and shoot if you take care of yourself first!
Doom2
Well-Known Member
I assume you will be going into cardiac rehab in the near future and it will be an adventure. I went through it after receiving a stent but was with plenty of bypass patients. If it were me I would wait until I was finished with the rehab before making a decision regardless of what any "Dr" tells you. You will likely have new medications and you will need to learn how they affect you.
Lee Goodwin
Well-Known Member
I'm a nurse. Working in a heart bay, CABG surgery pts.
It probably isn't worth the risk of taking an animal this soon.
Your sternum is probably wired together and needs time to heal.
I'd be more worried about packing out the meat than recoil from a 6.5 you described.
Go on the hunt.
Maybe pack a rifle.?
Maybe squeeze off a round?
Let the kids pack out the meat.
It probably isn't worth the risk of taking an animal this soon.
Your sternum is probably wired together and needs time to heal.
I'd be more worried about packing out the meat than recoil from a 6.5 you described.
Go on the hunt.
Maybe pack a rifle.?
Maybe squeeze off a round?
Let the kids pack out the meat.
wldcat
Well-Known Member
If I am able to make the trip, and if I am able to pack my 11lb rifle……. I will have 3, 18-20 year olds that already know they are packing out! In all honesty I have no idea if I will go on the trip let alone hunt. It's not very far away and I'm only able to walk a mile so far, and that's only if I'm not talking, I don't have the lung capacity to walk and talk at the same time so I am more worried about the thin air at this point then anything else. Also no cardiac rehab for me, we live in a small remote area and cardiac rehab isn't available here, we are expecting at least a zoom meeting with someone to give me some pointers and at least do a little rehab on my own
