When it comes to healing after heart surgery, sternum stabilization is the name of the game for your patients. Stabilizing and protecting the area of the incision, as well as the chest and lungs, is critical for quick, comfortable healing--but it's a multiple-step process. Today, our experts want to highlight three of the most important steps toward sternum stabilization.
Anyone who's ever had to let their body heal before (which is just about all of us) can attest that the healing process is important--and that is never more true than when it comes to cardiac rehab. Healing is a journey, and with a device like Heart Hugger, that journey can be easier, quicker, and more painless than ever.
One of the most important parts of healing for cardiac rehab is sternum support. Providing safe, comfortable protection to the body and the incision, sternum support garments help to speed healing and improve patient comfort.
How?
Although heart attacks are a problem for both genders, heart attacks in women are unique: there are different signs, different symptoms, and different options for rehabilitation after surgery (like postoperative bras instead of general sternum support devices).
As a healthcare provider, you know the importance of treating your patients and helping them stay out of the hospital. So as important as your care in the hospital is, it can be equally as important to provide your patients with sufficient recovery support and attention. When your patient has gone through sternum surgery, it can be especially daunting to think about recovery. Sternum surgery is incredibly invasive, leaving the patient with a long ways to go toward full recovery. By giving your patient a way of controlling their own recovery, you enable them to feel more confident about the entire process.
It is a fact; postoperative complications do happen. Though there may not be a standard list of complications, as a doctor or nurse you are no doubt aware of the challenges. So when it comes to combating these complications, where do doctors and nurses have to turn? Sternum surgery is incredibly invasive, and leaves the sternum weakened, no matter the skill and precision of the surgeon. With that in mind, it becomes paramount to give patients a means of support in their recovery. HeartHugger offers just that type of support.
If you could provide your patients with the chance of a decreased risk of complications after the invasive surgery the is a sternotomy, would you? HeartHugger's sternum support harnesses are built to do just that. They not only offer postoperative support, but they also put care back in the hands of the recovering patient.
After surgery, healing is the top priority, and it has to be a team effort between mind and body. However, sometimes the body needs a little help, and that's where a postoperative bra comes in.
Postoperative bras are garments created to offer support and comfort to a patient's entire chest after surgery--whether it's heart surgery, a mastectomy, or cosmetic reconstruction. This means that all postoperative bras are a little bit different; they must meet the varying needs of a wide variety of patients. However, the key to using a postoperative bra to speed healing and make a patient comfortable is to find the right garment for each patient's unique needs and recovery goals.
Our Postoperative Bra experts know how important it is to match the right garment to the right patient. Here's a quick look at what to consider!
A significant part of successful heart surgery rehabilitation is taking the proper amount of time to recover. Going into your heart surgery, know that you will not be fully healed for at least six to seven weeks. During this time it will be vital that you rest and nurture your body.
Preparing for heart surgery is just as important as setting yourself up for a successful recovery. Once you leave the hospital, it will be up to you to make sure your body is healthy. Heart surgery recovery does not need to be overcomplicated if you take the right steps. Here are three things to know.
Following surgery, it will take up to a week before you can leave the hospital. After four or five days of rest, you should be able to walk around and go up and down stairs. Patients do not leave the hospital with pain medication any stronger than Motrin or Tylenol so by the time you can go home, you will still be sore but not in an excruciating amount of pain.
Preparing for heart surgery is just as important as setting yourself up for a successful recovery. Once you leave the hospital, it will be up to you to make sure your body is healthy. Heart surgery recovery does not need to be overcomplicated if you take the right steps. Here are three things to know.
Following surgery, it will take up to a week before you can leave the hospital. After four or five days of rest, you should be able to walk around and go up and down stairs. Patients do not leave the hospital with pain medication any stronger than Motrin or Tylenol so by the time you can go home, you will still be sore but not in an excruciating amount of pain.
"Complications" is one word you never want to hear--especially when it comes to recovery after heart surgery. The truth is that complications can be a concern, but when you're armed with the right information, a good healing plan, and a little bit of support, it's much easier to avoid problems like sternal dehiscence.
Healing is always a journey, which means that it can be a long and winding road sometimes. The good news is that you've got allies on your side. Your doctors and nurses will always give you clear instructions for at-home care, details on what you can and can't do, and explanations for what to expect.
