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Respiratory Splinting: The Answer to Post-thoracotomy Pain

Respiratory Splinting

It is said that pain after a thoracotomy is among the most severe post-surgery pains--and it's likely that your patients would agree. You know just how much of an obstacle to healing pain can be, bringing obstacles and possible complications, but luckily, there are answers. With respiratory splinting, managing post-thoracotomy pain is easier than ever.

A Definitive Checklist for Before and After Heart Surgery

Heart surgery

Undergoing heart surgery creates a host of emotions. The best way to minimize nervousness is to prepare. Recovery is six to eight weeks long, and steps you take before and after will result in a successful recovery.

Preparing for Heart Surgery

  • Coordinate Support: Compile a list of individuals who are willing to help you, including two primary people who will take care of the bulk of your needs. Have them monitor the number of visitors who come to see you.

  • Prepare Your Body: Retaining a regular exercise schedule and booking massage therapy will aid in preparation for surgery as well as improve recovery time.

  • Set Up an Area of Comfort: Post-surgery you will be unable to lie in bed, so establish a recliner or other comfortable furniture before surgery.

3 Sternal Precautions You Need to Follow After Surgery

Sternum Stabilization

After heart surgery, it’s normal to want to return to everyday activities. Your routine will occur with time, but first, your body needs proper rest to heal the sternum after the procedure. To ensure that you recover and advance at the appropriate rate, there are precautions to take for sternum stabilization.

1. Avoid Lifting Heavy Weights

It can be difficult to adjust to limited exercises, but it will help speed up recovery time. If you are used to performing arm exercises, do not lift anything heavier than ten pounds. For the first eight weeks of your recovery, you should only raise one-half or one pound weights to improve sternum stabilization. Ten bicep curls on each side is a gentle start. Make sure to have a pillow or some form of security harness to protect your sternum.

Cardiac Rehab from a Patient's Perspective

cardiac rehab

You have plenty of experience in the field of medicine and healing. You know the ins and outs, the ups and downs--and even though your patients trust you, they just can't see eye-to-eye with you on cardiac rehab, simply because they don't have the same specialized knowledge that you do. Bridging the gap between what you know and what your patients know is important, but sometimes it can be difficult when you're so focused on the healing process itself. That's why it's helpful to take a moment to review cardiac rehab from a patient's perspective.

3 Crucial Steps to Sternum Stabilization

sternum stabilization

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.

A Postoperative Bra Can Help

Postoperative Bra, Cardiac Surgery Rehabilitation

We've all likely heard it at least once it our lives: "All you need to focus on is getting better." It sounds so simple--but, in reality, "getting better" is actually a pretty big concept to focus on, especially after cardiac surgery. Rehabilitation requires lifestyle changes. It requires determination. It requires work. In order to recover from cardiac surgery, you often have to focus on things that we've all spent a lifetime taking for granted, like breathing, moving, eating, and sleeping. Even though "all you need to focus on is getting better," there's still a lot to do--but with a surgical support garment like a Postoperative Bra, you can mark a few things off the list.

Encouraging Patient Healing with Heart Hugger

sternum stabilization

As a medical professional, you know just how important healing is. You also know that healing is a journey--and it can be helpful for your patients to have a little support along the way. That's exactly what Heart Hugger provides, both literally and metaphorically. Heart Hugger is a sternum stabilization garment that provides the support that patients need after surgery, and it is specially designed to offer extra support for the unique needs and goals of a woman's healing journey.

Facilitate Patient Recovery After Coronary Bypass Surgery

cardiac rehab

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.

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