Recovery After Quadruple Bypass Surgery
A Healthy Heart A Healthy Body
In the U.S. today Heart Bypass surgery has been quite successful. Despite the number of bypass done, bypass surgery is a major procedure.
My husband underwent a Quadruple Bypass on 5/3/12. The surgery took about five hours. He spent a day in a half in the Intensive Care Unit to be closely monitored to make sure everything went well. Then he spent an additional four days in the nursing unit.
During the first week in the hospital he experiences an enormous amount of pain which was manage by pain medication. Even the slightest cough or sneeze brought pain to his chest area. But what should we expect; he just underwent open heart surgery which takes time to heal. Depending on the individual, it take from six weeks to six months to heal. Before we left the hospital he was getting around pretty good.
Once we got him home, the process of recovery began. He got better each and every day and I was amazed with his recovery. He had good days and bad days, but the good out weighed the bad. Keep in mind that it is a gradual process that gets better with time.
The Road To Recovery
The first thing we decided to do is improve his diet. Goodbye to process foods, saturated fats, simple sugars and salts, that got him there in the first place. Hello to fresh vegetables, fruits, whole foods and foods high in Omega-3. All trans fatty acids should be avoided if you want to improve your health. By doing this will help maintain a normal cholesterol triglyceride level which in return help you to maintain a healthy weight.
Smoking not allowed. My husband wasn’t a smoker, so that was a plus. Smoking increases complications and slow recovery from bypass surgery. Drinking should be at a minimal of two glasses a day.
Exercising is a must in order to get are heart back into condition and to improve the circulation.
Tips To Follow
Bypass Surgery can be a good or bad thing. Good because by having it relieved symptoms you once had, decreases the work load of the heart and increases oxygen supply to the heart. It’s bad when you don’t make the necessary life style change to prevent this from ever happening again. It is basically up to you to make that change.
Follow your doctor’s instructions and change your lifestyle to improve your condition.
Take all your prescribed medication as directed. The medications given to you after the surgery are to help you through the recovery of your surgery. Make sure if something doesn’t agree with you; let your doctor know so that he/she makes it comfortable for you.
Exercise is good in building your energy and strength back. The doctor will be giving you instructions in determining what form of exercise to do after surgery.
Don’t be a heart attack victim. Learn prevention before it’s too late. Living by the principal of proper diet and plenty of exercise is the road to health and a long life.
