St Vincents Private Hospitals

Your recovery from Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery

After your Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery is finished, you will be moved to intensive care where you will be closely monitored for 1-2 days before being transferred to the ward. At first, you will be connected to a number of tubes and wires that help you breathe and manage the pain. These will slowly be removed as you improve. You are likely to be in hospital between 5-7 days depending on the extent of the surgery and your health coming into the operation. 

Your doctor may recommend that you attend a cardiac rehabilitation program to help with your general recovery from surgery. Here you will benefit from a team of trained healthcare professionals including doctors, nurses, dieticians, physiotherapists, and social workers that will all guide you through the recovery period. This dedicated team will help evaluate your personal needs, including any emotional support you may require after surgery, as well as talk to you about the tools and strategies that aim to get you back to a healthy and active lifestyle. These include:
 

• Any risk factors – such as smoking, diet and anxiety or depression
• Medication requirements
• What to expect at each stage of your recovery
• How your family and friends can support your rehabilitation
• How to meet your personal recovery goals
• How to move around and protect your breastbone after surgery
• How to avoid the risk of another cardiac event

What to look out for at home

With any cardiac event, it is very common to experience emotional instability as you leave hospital and come to terms with what has happened. Many patients feel a sense of anxiety about what the future may hold. Talk to your healthcare team and others who have experienced similar circumstances for additional comfort and reassurance. There are also some common physical side effects after Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery that may include a loss of appetite, constipation, swelling, chest pain, tiredness and difficulty sleeping as well as mood swings. These should subside over the next six weeks. Talk to your doctor if you experience:

• Persistent chest pain 
• Irregular heartbeat or palpitations
• Fever
• Rapid weight change (over 2kg in 24 hours)
• Dizziness, fainting or extreme fatigue
• Worsening shortness of breath 
• Nausea and vomiting
• Wound infection
• Clicking or movement of the breastbone
• Weight loss or appetite change

Average Recovery Timeline

Week 1

• Patients will be transferred to the ward after a period in intensive care
• Sitting up is encouraged, walking will begin as it is safe to do so – usually a week after surgery, and managing stairs after 5 or 6 days
• Most patients are likely to return home at the end of the week, with an individualised rehabilitation program
• You may experience some pain or numbness around the incisions

Weeks 4-6

• Any painful symptoms should have improved
• Talk to your doctor about a return to driving after the 6^th week
• Light gardening can progress to more vigorous activity

A full recovery can take up to 3 months, at which stage patients are encouraged to resume all usual activities. Always check with your treating doctor before trying anything new.

Lifestyle changes

After cardiac bypass surgery it is still necessary to make lifestyle adjustments to address the underlying heart condition and help slow the progression of disease. As part of the cardiac rehabilitation program, patients will have access to dietary guidance and advice on the importance of regular exercise and maintaining a healthy weight. Patients are strongly advised not to smoke, and to adhere to any medication as prescribed by your doctor.