Recovery for a patient that just went through heart surgery becomes very important, as it is the way to get back to normal following the procedure. Having heart surgery is a necessity that one must face in order to get healthy, and the postoperative recovery time is an important thing to keep in mind following a major surgery. Since it is unavoidable, it is in the patient’s best interest to make the recovery period as smooth as possible. This is done by sticking to the doctor’s orders as well as avoiding any unnecessary complications.
There are certainly common sense items to avoid immediately following heart surgery. One of these may be to avoid lifting a refrigerator over your head for a little while. Another may be to avoid playing tackle football for a little while during the healing process. Other ways to make your recovery easier may not be so obvious. There are a lot of subtleties that come to mind when making sure a patient is both comfortable and on the way to a speedy recovery.
Things to remember following heart surgery include:
- Don’t Lift Anything Heavy- Again, we feel this goes without saying, but you never know. While you’re only trying to get back to normal, you must understand that this will be a process and not an overnight miracle. So take it easy with the lifting for a little while and listen to your doctor’s orders.
- Pay Attention to your Wound- A large part of recovering from open heart surgery is making sure your wound stays closed and dry. Preventing sternal wound dehiscence is key in preventing infection and further complications. There are many ways of doing this, however, the Heart Hugger is designed to offer much needed postoperative chest support during your recovery process.
- Get your Rest- It is very important that you are getting enough rest and sleep following your procedure. While postoperative chest support, proper respiratory splinting, and sternal stability are all important, you’ll want to make sure you’re taking it easy for a little while. This gives your body the opportunity to heal and will help make the recovery process smoother.
If you have open heart procedure coming up, make sure to ensure a speedy recovery when the surgery is done.
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