Post-Surgery Considerations

General Promotion

You have had heart surgery and after that you go back to your home life. You may feel safer in the hospital, so you may be worried about problems you may encounter at home. However, the place where you will recover the fastest in the post-operative period is your home.

As your recovery accelerates, your return time to activities you previously enjoyed will also shorten. You will feel better and stronger every day after the surgery. Be patient for this.

Many people become irritable, nervous, or depressed after heart surgery. If you have the same feelings, keep in mind that this is a temporary and normal situation. Sharing your feelings with your loved ones will help you get through this period comfortably and quickly. Pay Attention to Your Life Habits!

In order to recover faster and avoid any health problems after surgery, you need to pay attention to some points in your life habits:

Eat Frequent and Small Portions

It is perfectly normal to have a lack of appetite in the first weeks. For the first month, eat frequently and in small portions. If you don't have diabetes or high blood pressure, you can eat anything in moderation.

Take Care to Drink Plenty of Water

After the first month, always pay attention to the nutrition that your dietitian recommends and that is suitable for heart health.

Control Your Movements

For the first 2 months, you should control your movements. This is because your breastbone was cut during the surgery. Because your wrong actions can delay or even prevent the union of this bone.

For this, spend your first day at home resting. But do this by sitting on the sofa with your feet on a pouf rather than lying in bed.

Other things to watch out for are:

Do not reach for objects above shoulder level.

When bending, bend from your knee, not from your waist.

When getting up from a seat, use your leg muscles instead of your arms.

To get out of bed, slide over the edge of the bed while lying on your back. Bend your knees slightly and slowly bend to the side. Using your elbow, carefully push your body up so that your arm is on the opposite side of your body. Meanwhile, slowly swing both legs towards the floor. Sit for a while. This way you can prevent your head from spinning.

You can climb a floor once a day in the first 2 weeks, and then gradually increase the stairs.

Also, be careful not to lift more than 5 kilos for at least 1 month.

Take your medicines on time

Take your medications regularly and on time. If you forget to take a dose, do not take 2 doses the next time. Walk Every Day

Try to walk regularly every day, except in very hot and very cold weather. Let your hiking trail be flat, not sloped. Make sure to have a companion with you for the first month.

During walks, set your pace to a pace where you can talk comfortably with your companion without breathing. Add 5 minutes each week to 15-minute walks in the first weeks. At the end of 2 months, you should be able to walk for 45 minutes without stopping.

Weigh Every Morning

Weigh yourself on the same scale and in similar clothing every morning. If there is more than 1-1.5 kilos of play per day, be sure to inform your cardiac rehabilitation nurse.

Use Your Chest Corset for 2 Months

Use your chest corset for 2 months. Join the front of your corset with your hands, especially when coughing and sneezing. Always wear your embolism prevention socks during the day. You can take off your socks at night when you go to bed. But don't forget to wear it before getting out of bed in the morning.

Take a Bath Every Day

Shower regularly using an unscented soap every day. Wash with warm water, avoid hot water. While taking a shower, make sure that the water comes from your back. Do not fill the tub until your wounds have completely healed and your crusts have disappeared (which usually takes 2-4 weeks). It will be helpful to have someone with you for help while taking a shower for the first month.

Do not drive for the first 2 months

Do not drive for the first 2 months. Sit in the back seat during this time. Avoid long journeys and stretch your feet for journeys longer than 1 hour. Always put on your socks before you go on a trip.

Continue Breathing Exercises

Use the brea

thing exercise device provided to you at home. With this device, do 6-7 blows every day and 10-15 blows each time. Rest between blows. Be careful, blowing too often can cause dizziness and blackouts.

Call your cardiac rehabilitation nurse or doctor if you have shortness of breath that comes at rest or does not come and goes with exertion, wakes you from sleep, and forces you to sit down and breathe.

Post-Surgery Questions

Am I Loading Myself Too Much?

Any of the following during any job you do indicates that you are overloading yourself:

Dizziness, lightheadedness, drowsiness

Nausea and vomiting

Cold sweats

Shortness of br

eath that makes it difficult for you to speak

Extreme weakness and fatigue

Palpitation

Pain or pressure in the chest, back, neck, jaw, arm, and teeth

What Housework Can I Do?

Watering flowers

Dusting

Simple repair

Preparing the dinner table

Washing di

shes

simple cooking

What Housework Should I Avoid?

Sweeping, rubbing

Changing the bedspread

Dustbin or furniture removal

land

scaping

What Social Activities Can I Do?

Knitting, painting

Playing cards

Walking with friends

Shopping

Go t

o cinema

Activities to Avoid

2 months after the operation, you can do all kinds of activities suitable for your age. If you are on blood-thinning medication, you should avoid activities that could cause you to fall and injure yourself for life, such as skiing and football.

Be Careful During Sexual Intercourse !

You can start sexual activity 2 weeks after the operation. However, avoid positions that put a strain on your arms and chest. Consult your doctor in the presence of any of the following symptoms.

Fast heartbeat and shortness of breath lasting longer than 5 minutes after intercourse

Chest pain during or after intercourse

Feeling of extreme tiredness the day after intercourse

What to Do Against Which Problem?

Pain

Y

ou may have pain in your chest, back, and shoulders. Therefore, when you are discharged, use your prescription pain medication as recommended by your doctor. A gentle back massage will relax your sore muscles in the back and shoulders and relax you. You may also benefit from a warm shower.

Infection

Che

ck your wounds regularly every day. Call your cardiac rehabilitation nurse if you have redness, swelling, discharge and bad odor in the wound areas, as well as malaise, chills, sweating and a fever exceeding 38.3 degrees.

Palpitation

Notify your cardiac rehabilitation nurse of the presence of irregular and rapid (more than 120 resting heartbeats per minute).

Edema

Edema (swelling) may occur in your feet and legs. To prevent this, you should not hang your feet and lift them above heart level while resting. Also, don't forget to wear your s

ocks.

Insomnia

You may experience insomnia for a while after the surgery. Make sure to sleep on your back for the first month. You do not need to lie in a sitting position. Avoid naps (nap) during the day. Before going to bed, do an activity that will calm you down, such as reading a book, solving puzzles, listening to music, and a very light snack. Do not take any other

painkiller than the one prescribed for you during the day.

Constipation

Eat more vegetables, fruits and fiber foods. Eat dried plums. If these measures prove insufficient, consult your doctor.