Have you recently had a bypass surgeryWondering what precautions should be followed after surgery? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Times Now Digital spoke to Dr Bipinchandra Bhamre, Consultant Cardiac Surgeon, Sir HN Reliance Foundation Hospital and Research Centre, Mumbai, who explained the steps to be followed after bypass surgery. To get well soon, it is essential to follow these suggestions given in the article below.

Bypass surgery for the heart, medically known as coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), is a procedure to restore blood flow to the heart when its arteries become narrowed or blocked. Often resulting from atherosclerosis, this condition can prevent oxygen-rich blood from reaching vital areas of the heart muscle, leading to chest pain or even more serious cardiovascular events. Therefore, one may need bypass surgery.

What sets bypass surgery apart is not only its immediate goal of increasing blood circulation, but also its transformative potential for patients’ overall health. Many individuals report an overall improvement in their quality of life after surgery and are able to return to activities without any difficulty.

This is a month of “penance” while you are recovering from bypass surgery. You will stay inside the hospital for the first 7 days, out of which 3 days will be in ICU. Gradually as you recover in the ICU, the ventilator and other tubes to monitor your vital organs are removed one by one. Most of the ICUs are following fast track protocols to recover patients.

You start moving around 24 hours after surgery, sitting on the edge of the bed and then sitting on a chair and then 2 days after surgery you start walking. Pain due to fresh stitches is natural, it reduces by 50% after 2 days and then by 10% on the 4th day.

While you are in the hospital, doctors, staff nurses, physios and other team members look after you. At the time of discharge, the patient and family are instructed to follow the recovery plan.

Usually the wound requires a dressing for 2 to 3 weeks until all the stitches are removed. Some other steps to follow are listed below.

• Quit smoking and other forms of tobacco
• Say goodbye to alcohol when you recover
• Focus on a nutritious diet by including a variety of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains while reducing your intake of sugar, salt, and saturated fat.
• Maintain your body weight: Most of the excess weight gain after surgery is water, we need to limit water intake for a few weeks during recovery.
• Engage in regular physical activity as exercise plays an important role in managing diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure which are risk factors for heart disease. After doctor’s permission, do light exercise for at least 30 minutes.

Respect the recovery time after bypass surgery so that you heal well and become stronger with each passing day.

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