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What is Rehabilitation after Cardiac Surgery?

By Medical Expert Team

Aug 18 , 2017 | 1 min read

Most of the patient communities and doctors are not aware of the concept of “Rehabilitation” after cardiac surgery or any other major surgery.

Dr. Manish Meswani says having worked for more than 10 years overseas, it is necessary to let people know that rehabilitation centers are important when it comes to patient management. There should be separate rehabilitation consultants like doctors, rehabilitation nurses, rehabilitation therapists that are important to manage the health of the patient. Unfortunately, the family is the only rehabilitation that our patients end up getting.

To explain more clearly, I always end up telling my patients that cardiac surgery is not like a cancer surgery because a part of your body is not being taken out. Rather we act as plumbers who provide additional blood pipes to your thirsty heart. The only thing you need after a cardiac surgery is rehabilitation. It is possible that 30% of patients tend to go in depression post cardiac surgery so family plays an important role in getting them out of the situation. Sometimes family is too protective about the patient, then it is not a good family support, it can create more problems for the patients than before.

Few Tips Post Cardiac Surgery

Do not lift weights more than 5 kg for 3 months
Avoid Two wheeler driving
Use western toilets for convenience
Avoid sitting on the floor

There is a chance that you will not feel hungry for at least a month so leave the constant worry about not eating. Most of the patients ask me not about medicines rather what food should be eaten. My advice is that you will be on anti-cholesterol medications lifelong; you need to have a moderate amount of calorie intake (including fats) as your body needs to recover all the calories it has lost. After about 3 months, start adopting a strict diet regime like avoiding unnecessary oils. Most importantly, develop a walking regime. Dr. Meswani makes his patients walk and climb stairs from the second day of surgery. You can expect all this from rehabilitation, and yes you are not a special person who has undergone a bypass surgery so talk and mingle socially; speak loudly as it makes you exercise your lungs as well.