Hi everyone, I was wondering 🤔 if anyone else has been in my position and gone back to playing tennis at 10 weeks post Bypass and if so did they suffer any ill effects? I'm chomping at the bit to get back to playing social tennis 🎾 as it plays such an important role in my life. However come Monday it will only be 10 weeks since I had Bypass surgery (LAD + Diagonal) and the current advice states minimum of 3 months before playing. I probably shouldn't have but I have have been down to my local club and carried out some practice services + banged the ball against the practice wall without feeling any ill effects, discomfort around the chest area operation scar. I know this sounds like a 1st 🌎 world problem to those people on the forum who are suffering some life threatening conditions. So, I apologise for the minor nature of my post but I would really like to hear from anyone else who has taken up sports prematurely following Bypass surgery and how they've fared. Best regards to everyone, Denis
Ten weeks since Bypass surgery and l... - British Heart Fou...
Ten weeks since Bypass surgery and looking to play 🎾 tennis next week?
I am just past the 4 month mark and only just starting to get back to some of the more active parts of my pre op life.
My rehab did advice strongly anything that could put stress on the chest/sternum which was a big frustration to me.
They stated that the bones would have fused back together but it still strengthening. Strenuous movements etc could put stress on the sternum and it not heal correctly.
However, I would say a little of what you love should be ok. Many are now saying to me you will know your body and when you are ready. But I'm not a trained professional.
That's interesting Carig, they pretty much said the same to me when I attended my one to one Cardio Rehabilitation appointment last week. I suppose I should heed their advice 🤔. Good luck with your recovery. Regards, Denis
Probably best not to enter for too many world-class tournaments for the next couple of months. Please do be careful. Slow but sure is the way forward.
At 72 years of age Rufus the only 🌎 world class contests I'll be entering are the World Championship of Tiddly Winks!😂 Best regards Denis
Personally I think it is reckless to start any physical routine without firstly having a medical check up.
I understand your desire to get back to doing something you obviously love but it can wait until you get the all clear from a medical professional.
I had a by pass and you need to remember they cut open your chest and put the ribs together with wire, it wasn't minor surgery.
Why risk any set back just for a game of tennis?
Just my humble opinion!
Hi Heather, I did say I'd had my one to one with my local Cardio Rehabilitation Team last Thursday. They recommended leaving it for another couple of weeks. My question was, had anyone started playing a little earlier than recommended and if so had they suffered a setback? Best regards, Denis
I do appreciate your question but it doesn't change my answer.
Even if someone admitted doing this and had no set backs it doesn't mean you won't.
Surely being told to wait by the cardio rehab team is the ultimate answer?
Playing tennis requires lifting your arms over your head and some strenuous movements which would be a no no.
I'd like to think no-one would say this is okay especially after the experts have said wait a while.
Obviously you will do what you think is right.
Thanks Heather x.
I was told 13 weeks to do any activity that might put a strain on my sternum. Even after 13 weeks I took it very carefully and only got back into hill walking with the lightest of backpacks, slowly increasing the weight I carried. I had no problems whatsoever.
By contrast, a friend got back into his pre-op activities after a few weeks. He ended up back in hospital for another op to put his sternum back together. He wasn't so reckless the second time around!
Wow that's a precautionary tale 😳! I'm not so reckless to start back so early. My recovery has been going so well and it just seemed so close to getting back to normal that I took a risk 😅. However, after all the kind responses I've had I'm going to hold back on the tennis for the time being. Best regards, Denis
Hi Denis,
To quote a cliche... it is much better to be safe than sorry. I think we all have to realise that OHS is a big thing. Unfortunately, when you are used to being active, it is somehow harder to accept.
I had a bit of a "near miss" myself. I was very fit before my op and so I didn't think much of it when a couple of days after my op I was asked whether I would like to get out of bed and sit in a chair. Not thinking I sat straight up and swung my legs over the side of the bed... well, I've never seen so many nurses move so quickly in all my life! Thankfully it didn't do me any damage, but it could have done.
Be patient until you have a few more post-op weeks on the clock. Then build up slowly. I was back on some small hills not long after the 13 weeks and another 13 weeks on I was enjoying the delights of the Scottish Southern Uplands where I was clearly back to my old form and I've progressed much further since.
Keep positive - you will get back on the court soon. All the best,
Gerald
Hi Gerald , glad you're making a good recovery. I was up and about quite quickly following my operation once all the tubes were out. Took to roaming about the ward /corridors nursing staff threatened to lock me in my room 🙃! But I'm now going to take it easy and hope no damage done. Best regards, 👌 Denis
After they realised I was fit enough to get up and about, I was actually encouraged to go walkabout. I soon realised that I was probably the fittest patient on the unit. Most were confined to bed. It really makes you grateful.
Kind regards, Gerald
I'd leave the tennis for a little while longer. They told me, after CBG3, that the breast bone being porous, takes about 12 months to 'knit' properly. The exertion and shaking about of the upper body wont help in rep[air. I know someone who has had the op and ended up with 'clicky ribs' through not taking it easy for long enough and its disconcerting
Sorry, but I think this is FAR too early. There are consequences with your sternum quite apart from the damage you may do yourself swinging a Raquet. Why not get involved in the social side first then at 14/16 weeks reconsider what you should be doing. Do you have an appointment with the cardiologist in the next month or two?
Hi, I should be so lucky! Had my telephone call at 7 weeks .... How's your scar....Seems fine to me... OK goodbye 👋. Had a bash don't seem to have done me any harm but on reflection going to wait another couple of weeks before getting back to it. Best regards, Denis
Thats a relief! Someone on this site reported how a patient tried to do too much too early and the sternum partially separated and then one side grated over the other. It is apparently just about impossible to fix. Its up to you of course, but 16/20 weeks seems to be the optimum time for full recovery which is dependent on age and the scale of the operation and I would guess the type of physical activity. Most of tennis seems to me to be delivered by the upper body/shouder and chest area.
Wow that's drastic 😱! Certainly don't want to risk that. However, the Cardiac Rehabilitation Team did say tennis would be OK 12 weeks time. Best regards, Denis
I would adhere to the advice given. Just because you didn’t appear to have had any post effects from your recent tennis activity doesn’t mean that you haven’t done internal damage or slowed the healing process. Doing something you’ve been advised against and then trying to garner agreement that it’s ok is probably a little bit naughty.
I'm all for garnering agreement Jenny 😂! But on reflection I have decided to give tennis a miss for the next couple of weeks!x
I don't do "tennis" my drugs of choice are hill walking and rowing,not sculling in a canoe but in a proper clinker built boat.The advice that I was given was to give it three months before partaking in regular extension, the shouty nurse explained that while a few movements were "probably, possibly, perhaps" ok repeated movement before fully knitted could cause damage and the was a fairly good chance of a "clicky sternum".
So a bit of a knock against the wall would probably be ok, because it's more or less in the one plane, you are not running to return a volley with the accompanying lunges and twisting, it's the sudden unexpected movement that is the villan in the mix.
I really was desperate to get back on the water, but left it for five months, and when I restarted realised that instead of the happy couple of hours I would normally have,ten minutes and I wanted paracetamol and a bit of a sit down, it's now eighteen months since the cut'n shut and I am happily back to proper rowing, I actually went from Llandudno to deganwy in September that is around eight miles, I did cheat somewhat by picking my tide correctly but still not bad for a quady.
I know that it's frustrating but a bit of time now will pay dividends later.
Good luck with your continuing recovery.
Thanks Rogo, thank God I haven't experienced any clicking yet😅! Having taken account of everyone's imput going to stick to table tennis 🏓 for the next couple of weeks. 👍
I’d say too early for that kind of stress on the chest - I’ve had to pull back on my exercise , I’d returned to swimming a mile in35 mins however started with pains in my chest - been checked out and told it is possibly costochondritis , which I agree as since reducing significantly what I do in the water has stopped - I’m doing more walking again for a while - like me sounds like your itching to get back to”normal” , we can’t rush this - I’m 9 months post op by the way - best wishes
Hi Puffin, thanks for your reply, must admit my chest does seem a little more noticeable this morning after those practice serves Friday. Probably my imagination but to be on the safe side I'm going to stick to table tennis 🏓 for the next couple of weeks. Best regards, Denis
Good move Dennis. Things improve, I just did a 30 miles bike ride this morning and broke loads of my records and that includes before I had any issues! I'm only 10 months post op so you will soon be at it 😁
Too early twelve weeks at best but expect some muscle pain around your chest afterwards that might worry you and make you think there is something wrong.I did an off road bike ride just after 12 weeks and had such pain in my chest I ended up going to A&E to get it checked out. It was all muscular as I suspected so just go carefully
Thanks for passing on your own experience re getting back to normal. Having had such a great 👍 response I'm going to err on the safe side and stick to table tennis 🏓 for the next couple of weeks.
The advice of the Royal College Of Surgeons is that, following open heart surgery, most people will be able to return to office type work after 6-8 weeks, and that most people will be fully recovered after two to three months.
The advice of the NHS is similar, this is what they have to say,
"After about 6 weeks, you may be well enough to do slightly more strenuous activities, such as driving, carrying children, carrying heavier objects (but not very heavy objects, such as bags of compost or cement), vacuuming, mowing the lawn, having sex. The length of time needed off work varies from person to person. If you're recovering well and your job isn't physically strenuous, you can usually go back to work in about 6 to 8 weeks."
"By 6 weeks, you should be able to do most of your normal activities and by 3 months you're likely to be fully recovered."
"Most people make a full recovery within 12 weeks of the operation."
Of course "most people" isn't everyone, if you're taking longer to get back on track then that's okay, and if there's any doubt then you should talk to a health professional.
But the default expectation is that twelve weeks after open heart surgery the operation should be well in the rear view mirror and you'll be ready to resume your previous life. That was certainly my experience, twelve weeks post surgery I'd completed my Cardio Rehab course and was in the gym and well on the path to a complete life-style overhaul.
The hard truth is that open heart surgery doesn't actually cure us. At best it provides relief from the symptoms of angina and gives us a precious second chance for medication and life style changes to take effect. It's medication and life style that will do the real work when it comes to preventing future heart attacks and strokes. In other words your social tennis will be an instrumental part of your long term recovery and future health.
Thanks for your well consider response to my post.. I'm now going to give my tennis a miss for another couple of weeks until the 12 week anniversary of my Bypass. As I had no discomfort raising my arms above my head or carrying out a throwing action (been playing tennis for 40 odd years so there's a lot of muscle memory there) I got a bit ahead of myself last week but after reading 📚 some of the horror stories I'm going to err on the side of caution. Best regards, Denis
Hi Dennis,
Although it must be frustrating glad to you are playing it safe.
I don’t know if it is of interest, but there is a Cardiac Athletes group cardiacathletes.com/ for heart patients who want to return to sport. Their web site is a bit messy (it put me off) but they have a Facebook group with some useful information hidden away. They have a list of a few sports cariologists that I may use to check I am not doing too little or too much.
I was lucky and only needed a stent fitted. Getting back to running I found the temptation was to forget and push myself and do asprint finish. I can only imagine how hard it will be for you when you pick up a tennis racket (or a ping pong paddle?) not to accidently go for it.
I found marshalling races for a while, watching others plough through a muddy field avoided that temptation of semi competitive running as I built back. I’m looking forward to seeing if I can meet or beat my personal best on the park runs though.
Hi 👋 great to hear from someone who feels the pain of not being able to get back into something you love. Hard to explain to someone who doesn't get hobbies like, running, tennis , etc. as to just how much joy they bring into your life. Glad you can still get involved in the sport and good luck with getting back to full fitness. Best regards, Denis
I couldn’t wait to get back to tennis but at aged 78 my post op cardio doctor thought it better if I waited for about 5 months. I started off playing mild singles for half an hour and was really pleased with my performance. But I would go easy at first. I now play doubles twice a week and love it. Really feel relaxed after. Have fun 😸
Hi Polly, I no longer play singles as I much prefer to play doubles. I'm very lucky to be a member of a club were social doubles play sessions are available four or five times a week if you count the evening as well. There's no need to book you just roll up put your peg on the board . Fortunately there's a healthy number of members happy get out and play throughout the year winter and summer so you're never short of a game. The downside is that when I pop down to show my face it's mighty difficult to resist joining in and playing! 😆 Hence my impatience to get back ASAP. Keep up the tennis 🎾 fingers crossed for Emma Raducanu come the Australian Open! x
Denis, not a tennis player but after my quad CABG (which I had at 66 years old and reasonably fit), I was swinging golf clubs at week 8, chipping, half shots etc, and played my first full 18 holes at week 11. No ill effects but my golf hadn’t improved!! I mountain biked to my cardiac rehab classes which my instructors were happy with, I think they started at week 8 also. Again with no ill effects. Best advice I was given by my cardiologist at week 6 was to ‘get on with your life’ so I did! All’s still fine 6 years later. 👍💕
Hi Bags, Thanks so much for your reply. It's really cheered me up. Most responses have urged caution but I didn't heed the cardiologist advice last February. Which was drop everything other than walking. Carried on with tennis + bike + table tennis right up till my Bypass in September. OK I took a risk but if I hadn't done so I don't think at 72 years of age I would have recovered so well if I'd let my fitness levels drop. Great 👍 to hear you're doing so well 6 years on from your op. Best regards, Denis
I would say best to be safe than sorry gentle exercise but tennis is a strenuous start.Make sure you are all knitted together securely.
I’m 76 had my triple 45 years ago and counting I was fit at the time but had to give up all my pursuits, football,squash,football training. I’ve put before about those first intrepid steps outside the house wondering if the stitches will hold if they don’t your stuffed.
Anyway I’m long term you still get little pangs of anguish about little unusual occurrences body wise maybe you wouldn’t think twice about if youd had no surgery.So make sure your body is ready before attempting TENNIS.
Im now back playing Walking Football twice a week to a very tough standard, some of the 55 year olds can arf hit a ball.I hate being goalie. I have 5 bikes and one ride I do up a steepish winding hill surprises me I can still do at my age.So take care and stay safe
Between a Rock and a Hardplace!
Getting the weight off my chest...
Just joined.
Bisoprolol and exercise 
