Self-Care in Cardiac Surgery

In the Name of God, the Beneficent, the Merciful

Aria Specialized and Subspecialty Hospital

Self-Care in Cardiac Surgery

Aria Specialized and Subspecialty Hospital

CCU Ward

 

Open Heart Surgery: It is one of the fast and invasive traditional procedures to control and treat all kinds of serious heart complications. The term open heart surgery actually includes a set of different heart operations, which are named based on the implementation method.

Factors affecting a person’s predisposition to heart surgery: factors such as high blood pressure, smoking, diabetes, family history of heart disease, work pressure, old age, depression, cold weather

Self-care after open heart surgery:

* Bathing: After being discharged from the hospital, the patient can take a bath, but he must refrain from pulling the flannel over the wound. Shampoo and soap can be used while bathing.

* Respiratory activity: it is necessary to take deep breaths to ventilate and maintain the lungs and prevent asthma. So that she/he should take two deep breaths every day for five minutes.

* Referral to a heart surgeon:

• In order to adjust and change your medications if necessary, one week after discharge, first take a chest X-ray and an electrocardiogram, then visit the doctor’s office.
• In case of severe asthma while sleeping, be sure to consult the attending physician.
• In the first week after discharge, see a heart surgeon and, if he/she deems proper, visit a cardiologist in the following weeks.

*Activity Level: Start walking in the morning from the first days after discharge and continue walking until you feel tired (On the first days, it is better to walk at home).

* Avoid getting angry and be careful not to tire yourself by meeting friends and relatives.

* Stop smoking and avoid being with someone who smokes or being in a room with lots of smoke.

* If you cough or sneeze, put your hands on the wound and avoid sudden and strong movement of the chest (wound) or use a pillow.

* If you have a tough job, be sure to consult your doctor in this regard.

* Avoid intercourse for 2 months after surgery.

* Avoid watching exciting programs.

Diet:

• Increase the number of your meals and reduce the size of each meal. (Instead of three meals a day, four to five meals should be consumed in small and equal amounts.)
• Follow a low-salt, low-fat and low-calorie diet. Also, limit the consumption of meat and avoid foods such as eggs, fatty meat, shrimp, coconut, and ice cream.
• Use a high-fiber diet such as vegetables and fruits because it prevents constipation and intestinal discomfort and reduces cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
• Try to use light food (such as soup, salad, low-fat yogurt, cucumber, etc.) for dinner.
• Use more grilled foods (chicken, fish, etc.) and avoid fried foods.
• After eating, rest for two hours and avoid heavy activities.

Warning signs regarding taking drugs:

• If you are using warfarin, report any symptoms such as bleeding from the nose, gums, subcutaneous bleeding, or discoloration of stool and urine (blackening).
• If you are taking digoxin, immediately report any anorexia, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, confusion, restlessness, muscle weakness.
• If Lasix is applied, report lethargy, blurred vision, dizziness when you wake up.

The duration of sick leave after heart surgery is 2 months.

 

Schedule of Daily Activities after Heart Surgery
After Surgery	Activity Type
After 3 weeks	Cooking-light meals
After 4 weeks	Dusting
After 6 weeks	Intercourse
After 6-8 weeks	Vacuum cleaning
After 6-8 weeks	Driving
Light activities after 6 weeks Medium activities after 6 to 12 weeks Heavy activities after 12 weeks	Housework
After 8-12 weeks	Mowing
After 8-12 weeks	Bowling
(light activities) after 6 weeks (medium activities) after 6 to 12 weeks (heavy activities) after 12 weeks	Gardening
After 12 weeks	Drilling
After 12 weeks	Tennis – Golf