There’s perhaps nothing more concerning than the prospect of heart surgery, and the recovery period afterward. But having the right information can ease your mind, and speed your recovery.
If you are caring for someone after open-heart surgery, or if you are preparing for your own recovery, here are some tips and things you need to know to help you take ownership of the recovery process and help shape the very best outcome.
Heart pillows are a common tool widely used for cardiac patients. They can be comforting, but there is no evidence that they actually help cardiac patients to heal. They also cost hospitals a lot of money for something that is a placebo. As a matter of fact, these pillows can lead to infections when they are taken to different places and exposed to a lot of surfaces. They also can't act as any constant support, as the patient has to hold one in place.
Heart Hugger provides sternum stabilization, allowing patients to avoid potential complications and a safe and early return to normal respiratory levels.
During the heart surgery recovery period, it's critical to protect the sternal closure. The four basic principles to bone fracture management apply to cardiovascular and thoracic surgery.
Patients undergoing heart surgery naturally have many questions about the recovery process. You want to know how long you'll be in the hospital, how to take care of yourself when you arrive at home, and when you can begin normal activities.
Every patient's recovery timeline is different, and yours will depend on how well you're feeling after heart surgery. Here's a look at how an average patient's recovery period may look.
You'll need bed rest in the hospital's intensive care unit immediately after your heart surgery. You may be moved to the general care unit after a day, but it's also common for patients to stay in ICU a little longer.
If you’re looking at information related to heart surgery and recovery, chances are you’ve heard about heart pillows (also known as chest or cough pillows). These are commonly handed out to heart surgery patients, but it’s not often discussed whether these are actually helpful for recovery.
Heart pillows are meant to give patients something to hold to their chest when they need to cough or sneeze or to try and help alleviate some pain.
So the question is: are heart pillows truly a good addition to surgery recovery plans?
You probably never thought you'd have to look up "how to cough and sneeze," but the truth is that these simple, everyday actions can get a little more complicated after heart surgery. Here's everything you need to know, plus a few extra tips to keep you healthy and comfortable.
It can be tempting to avoid a cough or sneeze after heart surgery. The truth is that these actions aren't comfortable. At first, they can even be a little scary.
It's important to remember, though, that your body knows best. Coughing is vital to the healing process because it helps clear the lungs and prevent pneumonia.
Holding back a sneeze can be more uncomfortable (and damaging to your health) than simply sneezing. That's why you should keep right on doing these things; you need to find a way to make them easier, more comfortable, and a little less alarming.
There are all kinds of things to learn, know, and understand before open-heart surgery. Perhaps one of the most important is how long your recovery might take, but the truth is that there's no single answer. Read on to find out how to calculate open-heart surgery recovery time.
When it comes to preparing for open-heart surgery, most patients have a lot of questions, especially about recovery. However, recovery time isn't static; it's different for every patient, and a lot of things need to be factored in before you can get an accurate estimate.
Here are a few things to consider when asking about your recovery time.
Heart surgery is an intensive process. While you can trust your doctors to take good care of you, it's still important to know and understand the complications that might occur. Here is a quick list of complications that may occur after heart surgery, and what you can do to limit your risk.
Here are some potential complications stemming from heart surgery:
The period after heart surgery is important for every patient. The healing period looks different for every patient and for each surgery type, but there are a few things that you can expect during this time.
While everyone's recovery is unique, there are many experiences and situations that are common to nearly everyone.
You may have fatigue after the surgery, but that doesn't always translate into better sleep. You may have trouble getting to sleep and sleeping through the night for a number of reasons. One of the common reasons for this is some pain from the surgery. Taking the medication as prescribed at regular intervals allows you to keep much of the pain away. A Heart Hugger is another solution to help combat pain after heart surgery.
