A heart surgery needs proper care and attention to recover from it. In addition to a person’s physical recovery, it is also important to take care of their emotional and mental well-being. Therefore, having the right strategy and following the guidelines properly is significant to ensuring the patient’s quick and effective recovery from the surgery.

The heart surgery patient has ample concerns, like, what will be their life after the surgery? How will they handle the recovery process? Every patient has a unique recovery process and by keeping that in mind, this blog aims to offer basic guidance on heart surgery aftercare. To make this post enriching, we have gathered information from Dr. Sujay Shad, the best cardiac surgeon in India. Keep reading to learn more.

Understanding Recovery Time
The duration of the recovery hinges on the type of surgery and one’s overall health. Open-heart surgeries typically necessitate a hospital stay of four to five days, with a subsequent six to eight weeks of at-home recovery to allow the breastbone and chest muscles to heal gradually. Less invasive procedures, such as stent placement or ablation, often require only an overnight hospital stay, followed by up to a month of at-home recovery. However, unforeseen complications can extend this timeline.

Monitoring The Heart Condition
Post-surgery, vigilant monitoring of one’s heart condition is paramount. The medical team will provide instructions to guide one through this process:

Check the Pulse: Monitoring the pulse daily helps gauge one’s heart rate. Notify your doctor if your pulse is irregular, exceeding 110 beats per minute or falling below 60 beats per minute.

Weigh Daily: Sudden weight gain may indicate fluid retention, a potential sign of heart or kidney issues. Report a weight gain of 2 pounds or more in one day or 4 pounds or more in a week to the doctor.

Medication Management: The patient should keep taking the prescribed medicines for diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure. Any changes in the medications should only be made after consulting with the doctor.

Attend Follow-Up Appointments: To monitor the heart condition, it is important to visit for regular appointments after the surgery.

Recognize Warning Signs: If one senses any warning issues, they must contact their doctor. These symptoms can be chest pain, shortness of breath, severe headache, pain in the jaws, arms, or ears, nausea, etc.

Self-Care at Home
The doctor will guide the patient on how they must take care of them at home after the surgery. A few things a patient must take care of at home are:

Incision Care: The incision area should be kept dry to prevent any infection. The patient can use warm water to clean the area and pat it dry.

Start with Light Exercises: After the surgery, first start with light exercises like walking, strength training, and yoga to improve heart and lung functioning.

Take Medications Regularly: Do not skip any medication. Take them regularly and on time as prescribed by the doctor.

Slowly Get Back into Daily Routine
After heart surgery, getting back to one’s regular schedule requires proper attention:

Take Guidance from Doctor: Follow doctor’s guidance specially with things like driving and lifting heavy objects.

Recognise Warning Signs: If the patient experiences fatigue or pain while doing something, they should immediately stop doing that activity and take some rest.

Practice Healing: Heal the body by adopting a healthy diet, engaging in light physical exercises, managing stress, getting enough sleep, and avoiding smoking.

Conclusion
After the heart surgery, healing takes time. It is a slow process that requires patience and attention. At each step, one must follow doctor’s prescriptions and guidance, practice a healthy lifestyle, and get onto the things slowly to have a quick and complete recovery.

If one is looking for heart related surgeries such as CABG, heart transplant, aortic surgery, or heart valve surgery in Delhi, they may consult Dr. Sujay Shad a leading heart surgeon at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital.