How Can You Recover Faster From Heart Surgery?

Following the surgery, your only task is to take precautions and take care—and let your body do the rest itself.

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After the surgery, when you’re in the hospital – likely for 4-8 days, if without any complication – you will be in deep pain and very tired. As the days will pass, you will feel less drowsy as the sedation will wear off. And this is where your battle with emotions start. You will feel overwhelmed by everything that has happened or happening to your body. You might even question if going for the bypass surgery was a good decision in the first place. Hold tight.

While in the hospital, the nurses will take care of you. You will be asked to walk. The doctors will come and brief you and your family. It’s very (very) important that you listen to every word and try to work around their advice as much as possible.

After you are home, the first 10 days will be crucial. One of the biggest challenges for patients post such big surgeries is to fight off infections. Your chest and leg wounds will be delicate. So, you need to be careful about your movement and rest position. Stay absolutely at peace, meet less people and maintain the distance and if possible, ask you friends and relatives to meet you after a week only.

Since still fresh, these wounds can attract inflections. So, you need to keep them clean; apply the ointment that the doctors have prescribed and directed. Keep the bed sheets clean. Wear clean clothes. Avoid meeting many people. In short, do as much as possible to keep yourself clean.

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Not to scare you but you DON’T want infection after bypass surgery. Else you will be back with the doctors and in the hospital. If the infection spirals, there might be a need to perform another surgery on you. Pneumonia is the most common type of infection.

In the first 10 days, keep checking your body temperature thrice every day. It’s the simplest way to identify the case of infection. Anywhere between 97 and 99 degrees F is normal. If the temperature is between 99 and 102 degrees, you should inform your doctor. He/she will do the normal check-up and prescribe some medicine to control the situation. And if the temperature is above 102 degrees F, you need to rush to the emergency room immediately; it’s serious.

In the first 10 days, also check your blood pressure thrice every day. It’s a simple indication that your heart is working well (or not). For heart patient, the normal diastolic range is 60-90; and the normal systolic range is 90-120. Any reading beyond these calls in for alertness. You should report to your doctor immediately.

Also, keep an eye on the pulse rate. It should be between 60 and 100 beats per minutes.

In the first 10-14 days, you need to check these numbers regularly and make sure everything is normal.

After a week or two, you will likely visit your surgeon for an evaluation. Visit and tell her/him if you’re experiencing any problem. If you think a medicine is leaving any side-effect, inform them about that; they will change the prescription.

In 2-3 weeks from your bypass surgery, your wounds will dry up. Of course, you will see the marks. BUT there would be no openings.

Now, after the first visit to your doctor, until the next appointment, which will be 6-8 weeks from then, things will become slightly easier. But you still have to be careful because there could still be chances of catching the infection. So, take all the precautions. If needed, consult your doctor.

Be strict about your diet. Take shower EVERY DAY. Wear clean clothes. Be careful of what you touch and where you go. You want to stay clean.

You will continue feeling the pain in your chest area, back and shoulder. Sometimes it will get bad—particularly when you’re coughing and sneezing (so, avoid catching a cold). This is where you can take painkillers when the pain is continuous and unbearable. BUT don’t rely on painkillers too much; they are addictive and have side-effects.

The pain will be there for 8-10 weeks since the bypass surgery. However, once you cross the 14-week mark, that pain will magically disappear. (Really, it happens!) Throughout these weeks, you will feel weak. You will have a few highs and many lows. Your true battle will be in your head. It’s common for patients to fall to depression, which makes things worse for them. So, try to keep yourself happy and relaxed. Watch TV, be around babies, and just minimize your stress.

Also, your doctors will likely ask you to exercise every day. They will give you a regimen of exercises you can do. Follow it devotedly. Walk for at least 30 minutes every day. This is VERY important. Take small breaks but do the walk. It will not only help you gain back your physical energy but also help you psychologically and emotionally.

Walking, in fact, now, should be a part of your every day for as long as you live.

These are a few things that will help you in the process of recovering from heart surgery.

· Keep an eye on infection

· Don’t panic

· Report to the doctor if things don’t feel right (you would know)

· Walk and involve in light exercise, as advised by the doctor

· Eat proper diet; avoid everything unhealthy

· Keep yourself relaxed and happy (the MOST IMPORTANT ONE)

· Don’t get frustrated with the pain

· Remember, it’s just a matter of a few weeks until you’re back to your old life. So, don’t lose hope for a good health.

Good luck!