HomeAnswersCardiologyvasovagal phenomenaWhat reduced my heart rate after a knee replacement surgery?

Why did my heart rate drop to 32 after a knee replacement surgery?

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The following is an actual conversation between an iCliniq user and a doctor that has been reviewed and published as a Premium Q&A.

Answered by

Dr. Isaac Gana

Medically reviewed by

Dr. K. Shobana

Published At July 25, 2017
Reviewed AtJanuary 17, 2024

Patient's Query

Hi doctor,

I was in the recovery room after undergoing total knee replacement (TKR), and my heart rate dropped to 38. I felt weak and tired, so the nurse added something to my IV, and I felt fine, and all vitals returned to normal. They took me to my room, and I ate and was resting. My heart rate dropped to 32 beats per minute, and I was nauseated, cold, sweating, and very pale. The emergency team was called, and after 20 minutes, they got all my vital signs back to normal. They wired me with a portable heart monitor to see what was going on. The next day, I was doing knee exercises with the nurse, we walked down the hall and returned to my room, and I was put in a chair to finish my exercises when I passed out. According to my heart monitor, my heart stopped for 30 seconds. I had no idea of what happened. After 30 minutes, the emergency team had all my vitals back to normal. I was taken to ICU. My heart chambers, valves, and arteries were normal. I am 61 years old with a history of stage IIIC colon cancer with six months of chemotherapy. I have no history of blackouts, heart issues, or family history of such. Next day they put in a pacemaker only as a precautionary measure, they cannot explain how or why it happened. Three weeks after, I do not have any problems. Do you think the TKR could have caused this to happen?

Answered by Dr. Isaac Gana

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I have gone through all your explanations in detail. The closest possibility to the cause of your problem is most likely due to the effect of anesthesia. I have seen a few cases similar to this where post-operation there is a severe case of bradycardia without any evidence of heart condition. It is normally called vasovagal syncope. In most cases, we use cardiac pacemakers temporarily. In the coming weeks, you should get better and be off the pacemaker. Wishing you a quick recovery. Best regards.

Same symptoms don't mean you have the same problem. Consult a doctor now!

Dr. Isaac Gana
Dr. Isaac Gana

Cardiology

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