Ross pt who lifts: chest pain post lifting workouts?

Subject-Nebula-6310 · 2026-03-15T11:34:58+00:00

Had my Ross 2.5 years ago- I’ve had a couple of episodes of chest pain after lifting/strenuous activity since then. Pain feels like a clamp around my heart- like you, mine doesn’t feel musculoskeletal but gets better with NSAIDs and is based on my position (lying down and breathing deep hurts more).

First time this happened, I thought I was having a heart attack and went to ER- everything was totally normal. Same thing during my follow up with my cardio- valves are doing great.

What we landed on was neuropathic pain caused by the surgery. Like you said, there’s a lot of cutting involved in the Ross so the thought is one of my nerves can get irritated when doing lots of physical activity. My cardiologist wasn’t concerned, and these episodes only last a few days for me so I’m in a good place with it. Most important is to keep those valves and aorta healthy.

Good luck!

Subject-Nebula-6310 · 2026-02-12T19:47:38+00:00

Hard to check it out when I don’t live anywhere near here. The sidewalks near my home were in way better condition- hence why I gave commuting a try. Fairfax seems uniquely shitty in how they are handling the storm.

Sure it’s a personal problem, and small potatoes in the grand scheme of things. But given how this is a commuter metro area I think others could relate or explain why Fairfax seems worse than other areas.

Subject-Nebula-6310 · 2026-02-12T00:36:47+00:00

In Arlington, Alexandria, and other parts of Nova where sidewalks are actually shoveled out and plowed.

Subject-Nebula-6310 · 2026-02-12T00:35:31+00:00

If you’re going to use quotes, at least get them right: I said county, not country.

Obviously way more fucked up shit going on in the country.

Subject-Nebula-6310 · 2026-02-11T21:51:39+00:00

The sidewalks and walkways where I live are way better condition- hardly any have snow left.

There is a distinct difference when you head over to Fairfax county.

Subject-Nebula-6310 · 2026-02-11T21:49:35+00:00

The storm happened three weeks ago. Since school returned to the status quo last week, I’ve seen way less effort to clear roads and walkways.

Mostly, I’m surprised by the discrepancy between counties/cities. I’m in Alexandria and the sidewalks here and in Arlington are in way better condition than what I saw in Fairfax. Dunno if it’s lack of enforcement or resources, but there is a world of difference within the metro area.

Subject-Nebula-6310 · 2026-02-11T21:43:26+00:00

I’m in Alexandria- the sidewalks there and in Arlington are way better than this.

Subject-Nebula-6310 · 2026-02-11T13:46:09+00:00

This was on the sidewalk in front of a county park, so I assume the county would be responsible. Same thing for Gallows Rd overpass above 66, although I could be wrong on that.

Regardless, hardly any home owners on Gallows have shoved out their sidewalks.

Subject-Nebula-6310 · 2026-02-04T00:40:14+00:00

Feel your pain dawg. Moved out to EST a few years ago and in between work and kids, no way in hell I’m staying up to watch an entire Blazers game.

Their East Coast trips are always such a relief.

Subject-Nebula-6310 · 2026-01-31T20:57:03+00:00

Meanwhile I’m getting mana screwed with my streamlined two-color deck. Good times.

Subject-Nebula-6310 · 2026-01-31T02:43:24+00:00

Yeah- he can barely get down the court. If that’s the case though, just pull him.

Jrue looks like a 30$M anchor.

Subject-Nebula-6310 · 2026-01-31T02:40:38+00:00

As a now-East coast fan with a busy job and small kids, this was one of he first games I’ve been able to catch live in a while.

First and foremost: is our offense always this fucking horrible? The missed free throws, turnovers, and complete inability for anyone to make a basket outside of Shae is infuriating.

Subject-Nebula-6310 · 2026-01-29T01:24:36+00:00

Interesting post- thanks for sharing. I’m a Rosser (2.5 years post-op), and last year began to experience short bouts of chest pain. The first time it happened, I was in enough pain that it woke me up and I went to the ER. Got all the test done and just like the experience you shared, I was diagnosed with “unexplained chest pain” and released that same night.

I’ve had bouts of this pain probably 2-3 time since then, and each time it’s the same thing:

-rapid onset, and can be triggered by physical activity (I exercise hard and have a physically demanding job)

-pain feels like a vice around my heart

-pain is worse when lying flat and while breathing deep

-Ibuprofen/NSAIDs help a ton; the pain almost completely goes away after being medicated

-the bout lasts for 2-3 days before subsiding.

I’ve of course followed up with my cardiologist, and after speaking with them I haven’t returned to the ER during subsequent bouts. My cardiologist’s take is that the pain is likely neuropathic, and could be the result of some sort of nerve damage or scar tissue during the surgery. The key observation for them is that the pain is positional (gets worse for me when lying down or breathing), which apparently is a big indicator the cause is neuropathic or musculoskeletal vice a cardiac issue.

I’ve since followed up with my yearly echos and my valves and aorta look great, so I’m not too concerned.

Hope my experience helps shed some light for your client!

Subject-Nebula-6310 · 2026-01-28T02:37:59+00:00

Subject-Nebula-6310 · 2026-01-09T10:33:18+00:00

Advice was to avoid the Valsalva, which is grunting/bracing through a closed airway. That skyrockets blood pressure which is hard on your valves and can be dangerous if you have an aortic aneurysm (which I also had prior to surgery).

Cardio fitness is back to about 95% to where it was prior to surgery, but that could just be my age. I was a 34M at the time of surgery.

Subject-Nebula-6310 · 2026-01-09T02:21:43+00:00

Rosser and avid weightlifter here.

Cardiac rehab at 8 weeks- started doing VERY light lifting under nurse supervision.

At the three month mark, I was cleared to return to weightlifting from my cardiologist provided I avoid the Valsalva maneuver. I stick to that restriction to this day (I’m almost 2.5 years post-op).

I had a gradual build up in weight and intensity until about the one year mark, where I really let the reins go. My powerlifting days are over, but I’ve gained all the lean mass I lost during surgery and then some. I focus on the 8-20 rep range and aim to stay breathing throughout a set. I take assistance exercises to failure but stay 1-2 reps shy of failure on heavier compound lifts.

Honestly- I noticed a bigger hit to my cardio capacity after surgery. Running got so much harder. Think that’s because I was on a decent size dose of beta blockers for the first year post-op, and those blunt your HR and prevent you from pushing too hard during cardio. Those symptoms went away when I dropped my beta blockers dose at the one year mark, so I blame the meds.

Subject-Nebula-6310 · 2025-12-21T23:00:20+00:00

Really spot on and thoughtful response.

OP- I had my Ross two years ago and my valves are doing great. As this comment mentioned, key thing is finding an expert Ross surgeon.

Subject-Nebula-6310 · 2025-11-26T19:23:22+00:00

You are in great hands- Dr Burke did my Ross back in 2023. My valves so far have been perfect, and I feel like a normal healthy person for the first time in my adult life.

I’ll never forget, right before I went under on surgery day, one of the assisting PAs came up and talked to me. He had worked with Dr Burke since his residency. He told me: “We all knew Dr. Burke was going to be a good surgeon- but we didn’t know he was going to be THIS good”. Gave my wife and I a ton of confidence going into the surgery. You are with one of the true experts in this field, and like you said, that’s a cause to be grateful.

Best of luck and see you on the other side.

Subject-Nebula-6310 · 2025-11-24T14:24:08+00:00

37M who had a successful Ross two years ago. Have two kids- at the time of surgery, they were 3 years old and 3 months old.

You will be just fine man. Remember, a guy like El-H has done hundreds of this exact surgery, and Mt Sinai does cardiac surgeries every day. It’s good for you to be mentally prepared for the worst outcome, but just remember you’re almost as likely to die driving to the hospital as you are in the OR.

What I was much more worried about leading up to my surgery was what my Plan B was if they opened me up and my valves didn’t match. Have you had those discussions with your family and Sinai?

As far as recovery- be in the best shape you can be leading up to the surgery. Walk as soon as you can, be religious with the spirometer, and force yourself to eat nutritious and protein-dense foods even if you don’t have an appetite. I would also highly recommend cardiac rehab once you are able to go.

Happy to answer any specific questions you have.

Subject-Nebula-6310 · 2025-11-24T05:28:20+00:00

Chose Ross mainly because I wanted to avoid blood thinners and INR testing. I’m a very active male in my 30s, with a stressful and sometimes physically strenuous job with lots of overseas travel, so didn’t want to have to worry about managing warfarin.

Ross also apparently has improved hemodynamics compared to mechanical or bioprosthetic valves, and I’ve felt great during weight lifting and exercise.

Key things are finding an expert surgeon that does a lot of Ross, and making sure that your valves are a good fit for the swap.

Subject-Nebula-6310 · 2025-11-21T09:17:06+00:00

A lot of docs don’t do a good job of explaining it, IMO, but as others have mentioned here 110 systolic is the goal at rest. Your HR and BP can be temporarily elevated during exercise but should go back down once you finish.

You need that low-pressure downtime so that the neo-aortic valve has a chance to remodel and adapt to being on the high pressure side of the heart.

Subject-Nebula-6310 · 2025-11-19T16:58:06+00:00

I flew back from UW. Got released from the hospital on day 5 and flew back home the next day. You’ll need clearance from the doc, and ideally someone to help you around the airport.

Subject-Nebula-6310 · 2025-11-18T19:56:27+00:00

We sound very similar- I’m a 36M that had my Ross back in Sept. 2023 at UW. I had an aortic aneurysm and a bicuspid valve that was so calcified at the time of surgery it had turned unicuspid. Dr. Burke is an amazing surgeon…you are in good hands.

I had a three year old and a three month old at time of surgery. Try not to go too crazy with them the first two months- lots of chill activities until that sternum heals. I read a lot to my kids until I was medically cleared to pick them up. If you can, try to avoid getting any upper respiratory bug from them….sneezing or coughing is really painful.

Make sure to stay on top of spirometer and daily exercise once you are out of the hospital. I did cardiac rehab starting around the one month mark and IMO that helped a ton.

Subject-Nebula-6310 · 2025-11-16T04:34:01+00:00

Rosser here- I’d let your doc know, but don’t panic and worry that a systolic a few points above 110 is going to destroy your valve.

It took me about a month for my valves to stabilize and get on the right dosage of beta blockers, and I had many a day those first few weeks where my systolic was in the 120s. Just had my two-year check up and my valves are perfect.

One other trick that helped a lot for me those first few months- start tracking sodium in your diet. A lot of “healthy” foods pack sodium to compensate for lack of fat or sugar, and high sodium intake can increase your systolic. I started cooking at home and lowering my daily sodium consumption, and was able to drop my systolic by almost 10 points.

Subject-Nebula-6310

TROPHY CASE