What To Expect After Heart Surgery

Recovery in the Hospital

Depending on the type of heart surgery, you may spend 1 day or more in the hospital's intensive care unit. Then you will be moved to another part of hospital for several days before you go home.

While you're in the hospital, doctors and nurses will closely watch your heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, vital signs, and incision site(s). You may have an intravenous (IV) needle inserted in your arm to give you fluids until you're ready to drink on your own.

You also may be given extra oxygen through a face mask or nasal prongs that fit just inside your nose. These pieces of equipment are removed when you don't need them any more.

Recovery at Home

Each person responds differently to heart surgery. Your recovery at home also will depend on what kind of heart problem and surgery you had. Your doctor will give you specific instructions about how to:

• Care for your healing incisions
• Recognize signs of infection or other complications
• Cope with after-effects of surgery

You also will get information about followup appointments, medicines, and situations when you should call the doctor right away.

After-effects of heart surgery are normal. They may include:

• Muscle pain
• Chest pain
• Swelling (especially if you have an incision in your leg from coronary artery bypass grafting, or CABG)

Other after-effects may include loss of appetite, difficulty sleeping, constipation, and mood swings and depression. After-effects gradually go away.

Recovery time varies with type of heart surgery. Full recovery from traditional open-heart CABG may take 6 to 12 weeks or more. Less recovery time is needed for off-pump heart surgery and minimally invasive heart surgery.

Your doctor will let you know when you can go back to your daily activities, such as working, driving, and physical activity.

Ongoing Care

Care after your surgery may include periodic checkups with your doctor. During these visits, you may have blood tests, an EKG (electrocardiogram), an echocardiography, or a stress test. These tests will show how your heart is working after the surgery.

Your doctor also may talk to you about lifestyle changes and medicines to help you stay healthy. Lifestyle changes may include quitting smoking, making changes in your diet, getting regular physical activity, and lowering and managing stress.

You doctor may refer you to a cardiac rehabilitation (rehab) program. Cardiac rehab includes counseling, education, and exercise training to help you recover. The program also will help you learn how to make choices that can lower your risk for future heart problems.