I had emergency heart bypass surgery about 14 weeks ago. I have spent the “classic” 12 weeks off work, focused on recovery etc. Eating and sleeping is fine, and more or less adjusted to meds ok now. I also do the BHF cardiac rehab level 4 a few times a week, and try to walk about 5 times a week.
But it seems to be taking me a long time to get over the surgery itself. Some days I still just feel really tired, and I still have periods when my chest muscles are sore or numb, and similarly my left leg where they harvested the vein. At 14 weeks, some days I still feel tired and messed up, aches and pains.
I’d be interested in hearing others’ thoughts on recovery time.
Thanks very much!
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PV74
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Hi there are no set recovery time. You age, fitness prior procedure and your general health will be a factor. After my triple bypass I would say after sixteen weeks I felt back to about 75% fitness and wellness. Even now 18months on there are times when I feel a little fatigued. I am 63 and happy with my overall health.
Slowly slowly is the key. Some will have better results than others depending on you goals on what you want. Me happy to be here
Good well balanced reply from gilreid. You'll see from reading all the other replies to your post that recovery times and experiences vary widely. You'll hear well meaning but overly optimistic comments about your recovery especially from those close to you. Getting back to work in 12 weeks would be a great achievement but I'm glad that I didn't have to make that deadline! I'm retired and I estimated a year for recovery. I was about right! 🙂 It'll be three years in June since my op and I've regressed with all this lockdown business. I need to get back to walking 5 times a week like you are doing! Keep it up and good luck.
Thank you Alec - yes, I have to admit I don't always *feel* like going out for a walk, but I cannot think of one occasion I have regretted it afterwards. And thank you for sharing, it's very helpful to hear the experience of others. All the best, PV
But then became very fatigued and muscles went on strike.
I had experience of recovering from a stroke. A huge difference is being able to get professional help. My physio lady for stroke was really wizzard and she could see many things that were not right and she then set me exercises etc to suit. Then came covid.
having heart surgery last May the physio etc simply was not available. And that slows recovery. I reckon twelve months is about the mark.
I do need to keep doing walks, say one mile, otherwise my leg muscles just give in. This is time consuming as i would really want use my energy on chores, gardenning etc.
I also do the breathing exercises every day. Thats less than ten minutes and does not make me ache.
Thank you Colin, it's so helpful to hear your experience, and interesting to hear about the physio. I discussed with my GP about going for some physio last week and so will try and get that arranged in the next few days (all PPE'd up!). All the best, PV
Hi PV74.Good to hear your making progress. I’m 7.5 months pre op after triple bypass. I feel pretty good at the moment, I’ve had a few issues with my leg where the vein came out and it’s still far from perfect. But generally I’m sleeping really well, eating is good, I try to get in as much walking as I can. Sometimes I think I over do it but I soon know about it. I’m a little bit out of breath lately but generally as the time goes by I think you will see things changing for the better. Chest for me, I’m still quite sore but just really glad to still be here!!!!!!
Thank you Paul, really helpful to hear your experience, and glad to hear about your sleep, eating and walking. You mentioned a sore chest, is that muscular, and is there anything in particular you do to help that? All the best, PV
Hi Pv74.I’m still fairly sore on my left hand side which I think is more nerves. I might get the odd aches and pain when sneezing!!!! I did read a document someone put on this site about tapping the area of your chest everyday which I think is to stimulate the nerves.
But i do feel that things are getting better as time progresses. I’m not the most patient of people but it’s taught me to learn to be patient!!!
Can’t really add to what’s already been said, we’re all different and will recover differently. I’m 22 weeks post quad bypass, and just completed the couch to 5k programme today (Friday) which I started 12 weeks after surgery with my surgeon’s blessing. Still feel tired, chest is still very sore, leg is numb but I think it’s relative, for me the running has helped with my recovery, but as I say we are all built different and taking medical advice before any physical activity is a must. Good luck and hope you feel better soon...
Hi Quadroveinia, thank you so much for sharing your experience. Wow - amazing that you have done the couch to 5k. I would love to get back to running again (I was out on a run in Dec when I had cardiac arrest while doing some stretches) but I can't quite bring myself to do it quite yet with the chest musculoskeletal pain and discomfort I have. Amazing you were able to start that with sore chest and leg numbness, really well done. My cardiac rehab has suggested bouts of 30 seconds of jogging while I'm out on a walk, but I'm still a little apprehensive .... ! Thanks again for sharing, really helpful.
You’re welcome. I’m now planning my next ‘challenge’ to focus recovery on musculoskeletal area. I completely understand your apprehension and would definitely keep with your cardio rehab team advice, they know best. I have kept my CR team in the loop the whole time. I think the key difference between us is you sadly had the cardiac arrest, mine was an elective procedure so there is a key difference to factor into recovery. Good luck and you will make a full recovery. Go at your own pace, and as has been said to me every step of the way.... be kind to yourself!
Hi- I’m now almost 2 years post bypass & I agree with others it takes time. I returned to work after 3 months but even now find I can sometimes hit a wall- may be the meds of course. My chest even now tingles/ feels numb in places- but I run / walk & generally feel my heart is in good condition so unless I look in a mirror it’s not always on my mind whereas in year 1 it was a lot more. So it’s definitely not a race- gradually over time you think about it less & recover more & more. Good luck
Hi P V 74. You are doing well. I'm 16 weeks and making good progress. I can walk well nearly every day. I can do all household tasks. I get tired but sleep great. Had 1st cardio rehab ( face to face) on Thursday but I found the your of exercise very hard. You can do it at your own pace. Have had a Heart Scan on 1st April and been referred back to a Cardiologist. Awaiting an appointment. I had a white spot come up on my scar 4 weeks ago and low and behold it has disappeared. It looked like something was in it but No. Good luck with recovery and stay safe x x
I’m 18 months post surgery and still ‘not there’ yet. Have difficulty in lifting and carrying and pain. It’s hard on the emotions when so many recover like the text book and you don’t. I think we all crave normality after something so drastic , yet alone COVID as well. I’ve had to learn to take a day at a time and hold things lightly alongside pushing gp to make sure there’s no underlying problems with the recovery. Keep going for it but as a friend said, be gentle with yourself.
Hi Corn24, thank you so much for sharing your experience. Yes, I agree, reading 'you'll probably be healed in 12 weeks' in all the literature doesn't help when you are still experiencing difficulties after that. As you say, it is about taking each day at a time and being patient - I'm trying to learn that, and to appreciate the simple things. Thank you again, and all the best in your recovery. Cheers, PV
Hi pv74 don't want to put dampener on things but I'm over 3yrs since triple bypass 1 graft is blocked and left leg is sore most day's totally out of breath and all i get told is medical therapy so on large selection of pills 💊 🤮
Hi duncs, thank you so much for sharing your experience. I am very sorry to hear that you are still experiencing difficulties 3 yrs after surgery. I really hope your GP/cardiologist is guiding you about the blocked graft, and that you are still able to do some of the things you enjoy? I confess, at times I am finding the emotional/mental side of recovery quite tough, but trying really hard to enjoy the extra time I nearly didn't have. I really wish you well, all the best, PV
Well I had five stents 2017. A quintuple bypass (CABG x 5) March 2019. The scar on my leg is around 30 inches long, from ankle to groin. 12 weeks after the bypass I was riding my 900 cc motorbike.
In the last two years I’ve painted the outside of my bungalow, and done lots of work inside including re-routing the water supply, renewing the en-suit including laying floor tiles and I’m just going to do the main bathroom.
I still get aches and pains and I’m careful what I lift. I’ve bought a little four wheel platform from B&Q for moving anything I think is to heavy (like the boxes of wine I still drink 😂).
My leg is fine, still get a little numbness around ankle. Chest is ok apart from odd twinges and tingles occasionally.
Still get days when I feel a bit tired but I’m 67 years so going to get some of that anyway.
But that’s me. It’s already been said “everyone is different “.
I think we learn to adapt to our own situations.
At least I’m alive and here to give my lovely wife grief 😂
Best of luck 👍
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My name is Bond, James Bond and I take my Asprin shaken not stirred 🍸
Hi 007, thanks so much for sharing your experience. Wow, it sounds as though you have made a very good recovery, and good to hear you are still giving your lovely wife grief (!). Thank you for sharing, all the best, PV
Thanks, it was great...I was told I could ride twelve weeks after surgery so on the morning on that day I got up early and before breakfast I got my Triumph Bonneville out.
I told my wife I’ll take it easy and just go around the village and be back in ten minutes. My wife said she would wait outside the house till I got back to make sure I was ok.
Opppsss,😳 some time later I remembered my wife was waiting for me so I stopped in the next village and phoned her.
It’s hard to sound apologetic with a big smile on my face 😆
She said “go and play but don’t over do it”.
At the age of 65 I was like a teenager again. BRILLIANT.
Fantastic. Really lifted my spirits reading this. Also on a Triumph Bonnie - T100 and missing it too much. I had to take early retirement because of this condition, so looking forward to spending a bit of time on myself when I feel better. Good luck to you and keep the rubber side down!
Ahhh you ride a Bonnie. Great bike. My first Triumph was a Tiger 100 when I was 16 (it was legal then) and I’m 67 now. I’ve had more triumphs than anything else in my 50 + riding. Unfortunately I sold it last year, not because of my heart, it’s because my knees have given out and because of COVID I won’t get them done for some time.
You’ll have no worries riding I’m sure.
I had my op in March and in September I did the 70 mile run for the Triumph Owners Club 7th anniversary. Only I did over a 100 miles from just above Bournemouth to Hemel Hempstead, to my daughters house, stayed overnight and rode back next day. No worries😃
At the moment, in place of my bike, I have a little two seater Mercedes convertible 3litre V6. Goes like stink. Long may my mid-life crisis continue🤣
Now though I’m thinking of selling that and buying a motorhome (already put a deposit down) to tour the U.K. and Europe.
There is life after heart surgery.
As far as another bike goes? Well I’m keeping my leather jacket!
As Gil says, it depends on age, fitness prior to surgery and your general health. To that I would add personal circumstances. For many the shock of the surgery is quite debilitating. Personally I was fortunate in that the relatively minimally invasive procedure of having stents inserted stopped my HA before any real damage was done. Bypass surgery was offered as a long term solution and I elected to go for it as it made good sense. I had ample time to mentally and physically prepare for what was to come. It also gave me time to work with my GP to get my medication right for me, something which you may need to consider in respect of the tiredness you are suffering.
In physical terms, I was back walking hills in Scotland as soon as I could carry a backpack, a little over 3 months post-op. I tackled the smaller ones first, working my way up to where I had been pre-op at 6 months. The effects of surgery are still with me now almost 3 years later, but I have learned to live with them - numbness at the harvest sites and muscular aches in my chest which thankfully respond to massage. I try to walk at least 4 miles a day, which as you say is time consuming, but beneficial. Some fine days I walk for several hours which is great for the mind. I also do some exercises at least once a week.
Mentally it is really important to keep positive. It has been hard in lockdown, especially as I suffer from SAD, but I am prepared ready to "escape" this coming week. All being well, the Cheviot hills will soon hear the crunch of stones beneath my boots. 😀
I hope that there is an improvement in the issues that you are experiencing. My best wishes for the future.
Hi Gerald, thank you so much for sharing your experience. Amazing that you were up walking hills in Scotland after 3 months, and really interesting to hear that you were back to full fitness after 6 mo. Re the muscular aches in your chest, do you simply do gentle rubbing of the chest area or something more specialist? Thank you for your wishes, and all the best, PV
Hi there - all I do is apply a little pressure and massage with a circular motion. It doesn't take long to ease the ache. I think that the ends of the muscles where they are attached to the sternum were stressed by the operation.
As regards getting back onto the hills, I was walking in the Cheviot hills a couple of days before my op and I am reasonably fit. I love the hills and get out there as much as I can, which of course hasn't been possible over recent months.
Hey pv74 very similar timing to me, bypass in January this year. Definitely not fully recovered from the op yet but I’ve progressed massively since coming out post op. The ache in my chest has gone now even when I sneeze so that’s good, I still have a frozen thumb on my left where they harvested and the scars feel tight from time to time. I currently have a rotator cuff problem in my left shoulder which is a by product of the recovery stress on the body, very frustrating after 12 weeks of being unable to play golf! Excercise wise walking 5-10k every day also using the stationary bike 3/4 times a week, had planned to start on rowing machine etc but the shoulders put a pause on that! My last post was question on what’s sFe for heart rate etc which the answers to were really useful I think. The biggest change I feel now is that I’m really sensitive to energy levels so if I don’t eat regularly and balance the timing of excercise I experience a similar outcome to you, I feel like I just run out of oomph, don’t feel up to doing much of anything and that definitely affects me mentally as well, so I pay close attention to it. It seems to be different for everyone and some people struggle with impact for quite some time but as a nurse said to me, every day will be an improvement! Good luck and keep on going
Hi Lagazzaladra, thanks so much for sharing your experience. Great to hear you are making good progress (5-10k every day, wow well done!), despite the ongoing thumb numbness and scar tightness. Interesting to hear about your rotator cuff problem and what might have caused that? I seem to get sore shoulder muscles if I walk more than about 5k and thought it might be from the rib fracture I had when I was given CPR. Really interesting to hear your story though, and all the best with your recovery, PV
I think it’s important to remember that some people will have a fast smooth recovery and others a slow difficult recovery (with the majority I’m guessing being somewhere in between.)
My fiancé found it hard to hear how he “should” be recovered at 12 weeks, when in reality he was no where near to it.
He had problems whilst in hospital with AF and other heart rhythm issues, then all rehab was cancelled, then he couldn’t see a consultant (and still hasn’t since leaving hospital in Feb 2020!) He’s struggled physically and mentally (and still is.) He has extensive scarring on both legs - groin to ankle on one and groin to knee on the other with some nerve damage.
Everyone’s recovery will be different with different challenges, my fiancé now has great days, good days and the sone bad days, but we are both grateful that he’s still here.
Good luck to everyone currently recovering - try not to compare yourself to others too much 🙂
Hi Chickenlou, thanks so much for sharing your fiancé's experience. I am really trying to focus on the positives, and to appreciate all the things I am able to enjoy having had the surgery ... but as you say, some days that is easier than others. Thank you again for sharing, and all the best to you both, PV
I'm exactly 2 years on from my open heart surgery, twice in the space of 11 days. I thought that around 12 weeks after that i'd made a recovery. But in truth I hadn't really fully recovered. I was 51 and fit at the time of my surgery and spent a month in hospital. Was back in 3 weeks later for a week with pneumonia/sepsis then another week at the end of November/start of December that year(2019) with an as yet undiagnosed respiratory/chest infection (Consultant thinks it may have been an early case of covid). If truth be told my immune system etc hadn't fully recovered and I'd say if I'm honest I probably wasn't really feeling back to normal until last April/May. Even now I don't really sleep as well as I used to and I still get the odd twinge in ribs etc from the surgery. Even worse its took me 2 years to get my golf swing back!!
Hi cjbroon thanks so much for sharing your experience. Gosh it sounds as though it was a difficult time for you, but glad to hear you got through all that and great that your golf swing is back! All the best, PV
This message string is exactly why I just signed up to the BHF message board. Lovely to read the replies from so many supportive people. I had quad CABG and valve repair 17 days ago and was wondering how much I should (or should not) be doing. Last week I started walking twice a day (a 330m lap around the block where I live) and up it to 3 times when I feel up to it.I recently had a couple of painful nights and days lately (chest and left leg) and wondered if I was pushing myself too hard.
The other aspect I am wondering about is I feel pretty low at times but I suspect that is just being stuck at home and not being able to get on the motorbike for a few months!
Hi Colin!You will probably see from most of the post-op literature the docs are super keen on walking, but also say listen to your body. For me, I was doing 2x 500m a day about a week after surgery and increased about 300m a week I think (purely because the pamphlet I got when discharged said aim for 1-2miles pd in week 6.
I had leg and chest pains also at your stage, and still have them but with reduced frequency and intensity. For the chest pains, try to identify whether they are muscular/skeletal or heart related (tricky I know!) but the docs/nurses would prob be concerned with heart pains but for musculoskeletal ive basically been told “tale paracetamol”, “it takes time” etc. I for example tried to see of paracetamol worked with the pain, whether a light massage/change in position alleviated it (in which case likely musculoskeletal i was told!). If it may be your heart you should get medical attention straight away.
I was contacted by my hospital’s cardiac rehab team about 5 or 6 weeks after surgery, and weekly thereafter for 8 weeks - good to be able to speak to them. I used to write down questions as I thought of then during the week.
Feeling low - yes that happens. I have found being really open with my partner has helped a lot - open about how Im feeling, exploring why, what to possibly do about it. Saying “wow today I feel really positive!” Or “sorry but Im really quite emotional right now. I dont know why.” I’ve also found catching up with friends and family over the phone is good - everyone seems to send text messages but its honestly not the same as having a conversation.
This operation was a big adjustment for me - unplanned, realising I’m not invincible and life is precious, adjusting to having to take medication everyday, worrying that I might never be able to recover fully, that I have these big scars on my body etc. I think most important to realise it will take time, but you are probably healing more and more every day and will slowly will be able to so more and more.
Many thanks for the reply. Yes I do also identify when its musculoskeletal- it always has been so far since the op. I think like many of us I just dont give myself enough time and credit for what I can now do. A lesson to be learned. I have been waiting since December when I was diagnosed as having had a heart attack I the past so was glad to get it done to be honest. My problem is that my life plans went out the window! Planned to retire at 63 get a touring bike and travel for a year.... they do say if you want to make God laugh then tell her your plans for the next 3 years 🤣
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Thanks again for sharing, really helpful. 
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