Post Op Recovery

[HussDot]

Recently had triple bypass and not sure how to balance the recovery process. How easy should I be taking it in order to allow the body to recover? How much should I exercise to return to some level of fitness and normality?

[080311]

Hello HussDot

Welcome to the forum, when you say you have had bypass surgery recently how recent?

For the first 8-10 weeks no lifting anything heavier than half a kettle of water, no arms above your head, and no pulling or pushing movements. In that time start gentle walking helping to build up your stamina. See if you can get on the cardio rehab sessions, see if they are up and running again in your area. These will point you in the right direction. If not look at the BHF website there are lots of tips to help with your recovery.

Listen to your body, when it says I am tired you need to rest. When we have open heart surgery it’s a major op and we have had a huge dose of anesthetiser along with some very exotic drugs! This takes longer to work it’s way out of our system than we think.

Remember to keep doing your breathing exercises and the coughing one I called them huffing and puffing! They really do help remember our lungs collapse when we are on bypass and now they need a little help to fill all those little pockets out again.

Best wishes Pauline

[HussDot in reply to 080311]

I had surgery on 3rd December. Regrettably I was on holiday in Turkey and suffered a heart attack resulting in emergency surgery. (Fantastic service and care!)

I was quite fit before the op and resumed moderate walking after being discharged. Feeling OK I started slowly and gradually upped the length and pace of my walks. Last week, the day after a 5K walk I was innocently sitting around and felt some palpitations (panic!) It soon passed but I did speak with the surgeon who told me to take it easy and not rush things - palpitations occur during recovery and should pass but if they persist then he would need to investigate further.

Generally all calm now but I have now backed off from any regular exercise other than accompanying her indoors to the shops. Now very occasionally, never when I'm active only while relaxing, I get moderate palpitations. I am now concerned that I have ever-reacted and perhaps should resume moderate exercise.

[080311 in reply to HussDot]

Reading your post that’s pushing it, to start with it’s very gentle exercise! What are you 6/7 weeks post op.You have to let your body heal our hearts don’t like being messed with so need to be nursed back.

Hope your palpitations stop, and your recovery can begin and regain your stamina.

Best wishes Pauline

[HussDot in reply to 080311]

Thank you for your response!

[Hidden]

Dear HussDot,

In your short and simple post you have asked some of the most difficult questions that we all have faced.

Without being flippant “ how long is that piece of string really? “ .

What I mean is that we are so individual that as much as we would have gone through similar procedures our recovery can be so different.

The main thing is that you are through one of the most amazing operations that we as humans can go through.

I likened it to Alice { or in my case Kevin } falling down the rabbit hole.

All of my senses were bashed /pulled and my dignity thrown completely out of the window.

Then I had to make sense of it, start the rehab and slowly {in my case } rebuild back up, both mentally and physically.

Take it slow, follow all the advice given you, join a rehab group if offered { if not chase it up }

But most of all take time for you, your amazing, your a survivor and now and then you need us to tell you so.

Take care , we will be following your recovery journey with interest

[HussDot in reply to Hidden]

Thank you for your kind words.

[Chappychap]

The cardio rehab course I attended (back in the face to face era) encouraged me to get stuck into a fairly serious exercise programme about 18 weeks after the bypass operation. Obviously we were still mindful of not straining our chest muscles with too much resistance training, but we were told to get our breathing and heart rates well up into "proper exercise" territory and to keep it there for a minimum of 150 minutes per week.

You could get more guidance on an on-line cardio rehab course, or by phoning one of the very helpful and experienced cardio nurses at the BHF.

Good luck!

[HussDot in reply to Chappychap]

Thank You.

[New_valve]

I had a bypass and replacement valve in mid Nov. Until today I have only been walking, slowly building up the distance to 800m. My rehab nurse has, if anything, slowed me down - emphasising the need for gradual recovery and paying attention to the exhaustion I felt post op.

[HussDot in reply to New_valve]

Thank you.

[Max1019]

I amen to all the above.

I am still not quite back to normal yet and my bypass was in October 19. (COVID did interrupt the exercise programme). We all heal at different rates and getting the support from the cardio rehab teams is invaluable. Emotionally it takes time as well, we often hit different ‘walls’ and have to be patient and yet determined.

Be kind to yourself, you’re worth it.

[Thonglor]

I too had triple by-pass on December3, together with a new tissue Aortic valve. I live in Bangkok, Thailand and am 82 years old. My experience is that the rehab people came around after 3 or 4 days to start me walking, just a few steps inside the hospital with a walker at first, steadily increasing to around 400 metres in 6 minutes, until I was discharged. They stressed that my speed of recovery depended to a large extent on my efforts to starting to get moving. I was discharged after 12 days and am now up to walking for about 3kms. (in 40 minutes) round the swimming pool in our condo in the mornings, and another 2/3kms in a local park in the evenings. I went for a scheduled check-up yesterday and was complaining that my upper body muscles have gone completely to flab (not that I was ever Mr. Universe) and the surgeon suggested starting with half kilo weights, lifting only in front of my torso and not above my head (although he did not seem worried about me raising my arms above my head without weights) and taking it from there. Based on that it looks like a long process before my upper body muscles will re-appear. My big concern is still feeling a bit wobbly, so unwilling to navigate the uneven streets of Bangkok which in many places are a minefield even for the stable pedestrian, which I am definitely not yet.

[Runningman55]

Hi after my bypass on discharge I was given a walking programme that built up gently over the weeks. Key word being gently. Clear that first few weeks had to be flat and then gradually introduce slopes. Noticed it when did! Progressed to cardiac rehab which was over phone due to Covid. When graduated from rehab they were happy for me to progress to couch to 5k programme. I had been active runner beforehand and was keen to get back to it. Reach out for support and listen to your body. You are still in early days, it gets better with time. Keep well.

[MountainGoat52]

I was told two things... first I needed to listen to my body; second my recovery would depend upon how fit I was before my op, but I needed to be patient as it would take time. It turned out to good advice.

I was fit pre-op, but after my op I was shocked how much it knocked me back. My main exercise had been hill walking, but now even small gradients were challenging. Thankfully my abilities returned quite quickly. From walking a faltering mile 10 days after my op, I achieved 10 miles non-stop at 2 months and was back walking small hills a month after that. At six months I was back on the big hills and I haven't looked back since.

My very best wishes for your recovery. 😀

Gerald

[HussDot in reply to MountainGoat52]

Thank you!

[LilLondon]

I had my bypass on Oct 13th & wish I’d taken my recovery more gradually. I’m 54 & fit before the op so started walking as soon as I came home. This has been fab & I’m upto an average of 7000 steps a day. My mistake was going back to energetic cleaning too soon, stripping beds , clearing cupboards, ironing etc I still have chest pains & really sensitive skin on my chest. Sleep also a prob but again I think I stopped meds too soon. I was too keen to get back to the old me. After rehab I now get thats it’s a new me! Please take your time & be kind to yourself.

[HussDot in reply to LilLondon]

Thank You!

[Rogo23]

Apart from the initial 6-8 weeks of being really really careful over lifting and stretching, it's a entirely personal personal experience.Some bounce back with a really depressing ease others have a longer period, the average seems to be between 6-8 months before you start to feel normal, I am now back in sort of full time work 7months after a cabgx4, still not fully fit and healthy.

If I push too hard then the breathlessness strikes and the next day I am fatigued.

Ignore what friends say,we will all have been told about what's is name ( who insert incredible physical feat here)the week after his surgery.

Your own body will tell you what it needs, but as a general guide aim to walk briskly for one hour at least five times a week, the distance is not important. Because the amount of effort needed to walk will decrease as you get fitter, so as you improve so will the distance you walk.

Take care during this phase and it will pay dividends later.

Good luck.

[HussDot in reply to Rogo23]

Thank You!

[Riojeembo]

I was 72 years old and playing golf six weeks after my triple.

[Hidden]

Hi HussDot

I'm coming up on 3rd anniversary triple bypass surgery. I discovered that if you get back to your normal routine, like grocery shopping, doing laundry, regular cooking and cleaning, the quicker the aches and pains go away.

As far as exercise goes, I tried to recover too fast and suffered a stroke at Rehab class 3 months after surgery. I was walking too far, at too fast a pace.

I had to recover from bypass surgery and now recover from a stroke and that was the hardest thing I've ever done.

The only thing I would tell anyone is to listen to your body, it will tell you when to ease up.

You have the rest of your life to recover. Make it a journey that doesn't hurt you.

Best Wishes!

Enjoy Your Days, They are a Gift!

Dusty68.

[HussDot in reply to Hidden]

Thank you.