Heart bypass surgery is one of the most common types of surgeries performed across the country. It is done when the arteries that carry blood from the heart to the rest of the body get blocked, which happens when a waxy substance called plaque builds up inside the arteries. While minor blockages can be tackled via stenting and angioplasty, severe blockages will require bypass surgery. The first phase of heart surgery recovery can take up to 6 to 8 weeks. When you get discharged from the hospital, you'll be told about some safety measures to help you heal physically and feel better.
Have you been recommended to undergo heart bypass surgery or recently undergone the surgery? Here, Dr Mayuresh Pradhan, Consultant Cardiovascular Thoracic and Heart Transplant Surgeon, Wockhardt Hospitals, Mira Road, tells you about what to expect at after the surgery as well as shares the important tips that you need to follow post the surgery that will help improve your quality of life.
Dr Pradhan recommends patients who had recently undergo heart bypass surgery to follow these self-care tips at home:
In heart bypass surgery, the surgeon will remove a blood vessel from another part of your body, like your chest, leg, or arm. Then one end of it will be attached to your aorta, a large artery that comes out of your heart, and the other end to an artery below the blockage. This creates a new route for blood to travel to your heart, allowing blood and oxygen to flow to your heart again. Most operations take between 3 to 6 hours.
Also known as coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), this procedure can help lower your risk for a heart attack and other problems. In most cases, patients achieve great results and live symptom-free for a decade or more. Once they recover, they will be able to get back to their regular activities.
However, a patient still needs to follow a healthy diet, exercise, and probably medicine to prevent another blockage.
