Once the dressing on your chest operation site is removed, and operation wound site is healthy, patient can take a bath after taking advice from the doctor.
If there is an elevator, there is no need to climb stair just for the sake of exercising. If there is no elevator, you can start climbing stair’s as soon you are discharged from the hospital. While climbing, pace yourself. During the first week after discharge, take rest after every 10 – 12 steps and then restart climbing. As your capacity increases there is no restriction on climbing steps, as long as you don’t run out of breath.
It is wise to wait for 2 months after your surgery, before driving on your own. Before starting please consult with your surgical team. This is the amount of time it takes for the healing of your sternum (breast bone), which was cut open during surgery. Any chance injury with the steering wheel can cause damage if driving is started too early.
Yes. You may travel by car as soon as you are discharged. However, for the first few weeks, it is advisable to restrict the driving time to less than two hours. If the drive is going to be longer, then you should take a break every two hours and walk around for a few minutes.
There is no reason for you to ‘speak less’ after surgery. However, during the first few days of your recovery, you might feel short of breath on speaking for a long period of time. If so, your body is telling you to rest, and you may keep silent for some time.
We generally advise patients to wait for at least 1-2 months after surgery before returning to work. However, each individual is different and some people may be able to return sooner. Please consult with your doctor before returning to work.
The blockages which are present in the arteries remain as they were. The ‘graft’ which provides the ‘new blood supply’ is connected below your old blockages, thereby providing adequate blood to the heart muscle.
To perform your surgery, your chest-bone was cut open and stitched together after surgery. It is quite normal to feel some pain or altered sensations in your chest region for a few months after surgery. However, this pain will be different from the pain of ‘angina’ which you might have experienced before surgery.
For the first 3 months after surgery, avoid swimming, driving, sex, breath holding exercise and yoga. This is because your heart at times may be irritable and sensitive. It may lead to heart beat irregularity and may be life threatening.
Questions to Ask Before By-pass Surgery
Bypass surgery is a major procedure and it is extremely important for you to understand what it entails. Here are some questions which you ought to discuss with your surgeon prior to the surgery.
- Will the surgery be done by using arterial grafts or venous grafts?
- Will the surgery be done off-pump, also called ‘beating heart surgery’ or will a cardio-pulmonary bypass machine be used?
- What is the risk involved in the surgery?
- If I do not choose to do surgery, what options do I have, and what are the pros and cons of the alternative options?
- How long will I have to stay in the ICU? How long will my hospital stay be?
- Will I have to be given a blood transfusion during or after the surgery?
