If there are sudden pains and tightness in the chest area, treatment should be started as soon as possible in order to eliminate a vital risk with early intervention. People who are offered heart surgery as a part of the treatment should not delay the surgery and the surgery should be performed as soon as possible.
What is done during the Preparation Period for Heart Surgery?
It is necessary to perform the necessary analyzes of the patient who will undergo the surgery, sufficiently before the surgery. hospital admission is required. These tests are routine and include tests such as blood, urine tests, electrocardiogram (ECG), X-ray film. For valve patients, it is necessary to control and, if necessary, treat the teeth before surgery. If not done before, coronary angiogram must be done before surgery.
After the tests are ready, sometimes the patient may come directly to the hospital the same day for surgery. However, the general practice is to admit the patient to the hospital one day before the surgery.
What are the Causes of Heart Surgery?
Although only one of the reasons requiring heart surgery does not develop cardiovascular diseases alone, heart disease may cause diseases that require surgery: Some of these are;
- Diabetes,
- Imbalanced diet,
- Sedentary lifestyle (sedentary life),
- Excessive weight (obesity),
- High blood lipids (hyperlipidemia),
- High blood pressure (hypertension).
The patient can also reduce the risk of heart attack by making some changes in his daily life. The risk of heart attack can be minimized by getting rid of habits that negatively affect health, such as smoking, consumption of foods that will increase blood fat, and high weight.
What are Heart Surgery? Which Tests Are Performed Before Surgery?
Among heart surgeries;
- Heart valve surgery,
- Bypass surgery,
- Aortic aneurysm surgery,
- In arteries and balls Surgery for mar-related diseases,
- Congenital heart valve diseases,
- Surgeries for the treatment of diseases such as murmur can be counted.
Detailed information about bypass surgery What is Bypass?
What to Do Before Heart Surgery?
Before the surgery, the patient is informed about the type of surgery to be performed, its details, the healing process and possible complications (undesirable events during the healing process). The physician answers the questions of the patient and their relatives. The nurse who will take care of the patient determines the needs of the patient and ensures that the hospital process is comfortable and comfortable in general and medical terms. Before the operation, the anesthesiologist examines the patient and evaluates the test results and determines the conditions to be considered during the operation. This information may vary depending on the type of surgery and the general condition of the patient.
Coronary bypass or valve surgery usually takes 3-6 hours. The duration may vary depending on the procedures to be performed during the surgery. This time before the operation can only be estimated.
Patient relatives wait for the completion of the operation in certain places reserved for them. The surgical team should be able to easily reach the patient's relatives when necessary.
Is There Any Pain After Heart Surgery?
One of the questions asked by most of the patients who will undergo heart surgery is "Will there be pain after heart surgery?" is the question. After open heart surgeries, which are the fearful dreams of patients and expected to be quite painful, it is generally seen that the operation does not require such a difficult recovery process.
Cutting the rib cage and the healing process of the ribs It causes more pain after lp surgeries compared to other operations. However, when the recommendations given by the physician are taken into consideration, this process can be easily overcome. After the surgery, pressure and burning in the incision sites, some pain in the shoulder, neck, back and chest area may be felt. It is beneficial to use painkillers recommended by the physician, especially in the first two weeks.
Usually, drugs containing acetaminophen and ibuprofen are sufficient to relieve pain. However, in some patients, if these drugs are not sufficient, stronger painkillers containing oxycodone may need to be prescribed. In the first days after the operation, pain and irritation may be felt in the throat due to the breathing tube used during the operation. These discomforts are usually mild and disappear within a few days. Severe pain usually occurs after surgical incisions, sutures, and strain on the rib. In order to prevent this, especially in the first weeks, gentle movements should be made and rest as much as possible.
What Should Be Considered After Heart Surgery?
If a chest corset is recommended for a healthy repair of the ribs after heart surgery; it is necessary to pay attention to the postures during sitting, lying and walking, and to avoid sudden movements. It is especially important for recovery to take care not to lie on your side and not to lift heavy things. A period of 6-8 weeks is usually sufficient for the repair of the rib bone.
However, due to slow bone formation in the elderly, this process may take longer. In this process, a healthy and balanced diet is very important for the healing of both bones and incisions. Care should be taken to consume foods containing calcium such as milk, yogurt, cheese. In addition, the implementation of a low-fat and salt-free diet will support heart health. The sutures used to close the incisions after the operation usually need to be removed 7-10 days after the operation. When you are discharged from the hospital for this procedure, the necessary information will be given by the healthcare team performing your surgery.
A movement in your rib cage during the post-surgery period If you feel t or hear a sound coming from this area, you should immediately go to a health institution and get checked. Smoking and alcohol use are very harmful due to their damage to the heart and cardiovascular system, as well as their negative effects on the healing process. Therefore, it is very important for people who have the habit of smoking and drinking alcohol to quit these habits after heart surgery. In addition, due to the negative impact on heart health, obesity patients and individuals with excess weight should start a diet and reach their ideal weight by applying to a dietitian in order to lose weight in a healthy way after the recovery process.
Sexual life is one of the issues that individuals who have had heart surgery are worried about. In consultation with the physician, sexual activity can be performed approximately 4-6 weeks after the operation, without putting weight on one arm or shoulder, without forcing the rib cage. In addition, patients can return to their work life after about 1-2 months, depending on the way they work. Physically working patients should consult their physicians before starting work.
If you are preparing for heart surgery and are worried about the recovery process and pain after the surgery, you can consult your doctor for more detailed information about the process. You can get through this process in a healthy way by focusing on your treatment without worrying unduly, and you can regain your heart health and continue your life in a healthier way.
What Happens in the Recovery Process?
Intensive care process: The patient is taken to the intensive care unit immediately after the heart surgery and they are followed closely for 1-3 days. Here, the effect of anesthesia, general condition of the patient, cardiac functions and surgery-specific follow-ups are performed. When the patient regains all body functions and his general condition improves in a balanced way, he is taken to the patient room in the service. All patients have a high risk of infection after surgery. Intensive care doctor and nurse inform patient relatives. If the patient stays in the intensive care unit for a long time, the patient They can be seen under the supervision of a nurse for a limited time. Generally, if vein grafts or grafts are prepared, there may be one or more incisions in the feet. Pain may also be felt in these areas. But medication will be given to relieve the pain. Due to this misdirection of feeling and consciousness, the senses can become distorted and the mind clouded. This situation becomes especially evident at night.
After the patient moves to his/her quieter room, he/she recovers completely within a few days. It is important that the relatives of the patient do not worry and follow the recommendations of the healthcare team. As the patient rests and enters a normal sleep pace, his fatigue disappears and he feels more vigorous.
Recovery Process: After the heart surgery, there is a recovery period waiting for the patient. In this process, the patient should pay attention to all his movements, eating and drinking, lifestyle in daily life and take care of his health. It is recommended that the patient use a chest corset throughout the process. About five days after the end of the operation, the patient can take a shower and return to his normal life. The recovery process will be accelerated when the patient avoids fatty and salty foods at all meals after heart surgery. Lifestyle and sleeping position are as important as the foods eaten in the healing process. It is not recommended to lie on the back for the first month after the operation.
The patient should get the approval of his doctor after 8-10 weeks after the operation in order to engage in physical activities such as driving.
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