The first few days you're in hospital being given opiate painkillers and time passes in a dream-like, hallucinatory daze. After five or six days, all being well, you're discharged home.
What was the recovery period like?
The first month at home is fairly challenging. Not especially painful, just pretty uncomfortable. Even the simplest tasks like dressing, showering, or changing the compression stocking on your leg (from where they harvest the veins), takes forever and a fair amount of gritted teeth and bad language!
How long did it take you to return to work?
The NHS is pretty clear on this, for a sedentary desk job you can be back in six to eight weeks. For a more physical job it can be a little longer, but if all goes to plan then by twelve weeks after surgery you should be fit enough to do press ups or carry sacks of cement. However, being fit to return work isn't the same as being fully recovered. Open heart surgery is a serious procedure with a lot of physical trauma and some people take six to twelve months before they're completely healed. You can read what the NHS has to say here,
Can you get back to things like spinning, or hill walking, both things that make up a large part of my life?
Absolutely, yes! You won't just "get back" to these physical activities, there's every chance you'll be far fitter and stronger than before your operation! I had bypass surgery nearly five years ago and I still feel ten or even twenty years younger, my wife and I are the first couple on the dance floor and the last to leave! You also have age on your side. Age is the biggest single surgery risk factor followed by co-morbidities. The average age open heart surgery patient is 68 and in poor physical shape, so you're well placed to quickly bounce back.
Couple of extra things that I'd say.
The most critical part of your recovery is deep breathing exercises (five or more times a day) and a daily walk that should reach at least a mile after six weeks. Our lungs collapse when the chest cavity is breached, and stay collapsed for the six or seven hours of the operation. Fully reflating all the tiny pockets of micro-collapse is a massive job taking a couple of months. But it's this that primarily determines how we judge our recovery. Here's some useful NHS information on these all important breathing exercises,
The hospital should arrange a cardio-rehab course to commence about six weeks after surgery. This is really critical, you only have two tools in your tool box to prevent future heart attacks and strokes, life style changes and medication. Unfortunately stents and bypass surgery won't actually cure us, they just give is us a second chance. Cardio rehab explains in great detail exactly how medication and life style changes can work together to keep us safe.
Finally, you'll be given a pamphlet by the hospital when you're discharged. Most hospitals use a similar format and it contains lots of great information. Here are a couple of examples,
Open heart surgery is a serious procedure, and the recovery isn't always a walk in the park. But when it works as planned the benefits can be transformational, giving you many more active vigorous years. For me the risks were well worth the tremendous outcome, I hope you'll feel the same way.
Hi there, I am now just 7 weeks post op, so still fairly early days, but agree with all your responses this far.I am 53, so like you fairly young in this area. I collapsed at work without any prior symptoms and was kept in until the op was done...talk about bolt out of the blue! You don't say, but hopefully you have had a gentler diagnosis?
Nitty gritty... I was discharged 4 days after the op... they know best...codeine gave me constipation, which was more discomfort than the surgery, so I stopped that after about a week, just full amount of paracetamol...I gradually reduced, and no longer needed pain relief by week 6.
If you are on codeine take the laxative...trust me!
I was told by the cardio nurses that I could stop wearing the surgical stockings after 4 weeks... what a relief that was.
With the nice weather I was keen to get out when I was home... walked too far a few times which knocked me back...slept for a day ... you'll learn to listen to your body.
The big takeaway from this forum is how different we all are... read around, and you should find your own path to recovery... age is on our side.
Hi Butcherboy, everything that has been said is great advice. A couple of points, no lifting more than half a kettle for a month. No lifting arms above your head for a few weeks. I was allowed to drive after 6 weeks. Gentle walking, gradually up to 30 minutes at a time. All this I am sure will be covered when you leave hospital. Grab the offer of rehab, it was the most helpful to my recovery. I am post CABG x 4 nearly 2 years ago. I was sitting in a chair the day after my surgery. Be kind to yourself, don’t expect too much too soon. For me the mental aspect of the surgery was far worse than the physical certainly in terms of worry. My surgeon and his team will forever be my heroes. Take care and let us know how you are doing. Judi
Yes, Butcher Boy is a mere amateur at only 3 bypasses, Like you I am four.
On a serious note BB, you are much younger than me. I was relatively fit as I walked a lot. Personally the operation didn't phase me too much as there are lots of tests, x rays etc that take up time and the Doctors are at the top of their game. Coming home after four days I found I was emotional and tried to do too much after the first week, so it was then one step forward and two back. I found I was taking the maximum dose of paracetemol for the pain for the first 6 weeks which then stopped suddenly.
I found sleeping by myself for 4 weeks was very useful as sleep patterns are different and what position was comfortable one night wasn't the next.. Having access to several chairs during the day was also useful as comfort levels and position changed. I found sitting in the car very good as you can adjust the seat to various positions and have access to music.
I looked forward to meals after the terrible hospital food. At 52 you should recover well but shouldn't do too much and follow the guidelines. It is the mental issues as much as the physical ones that need to be dealt with.
Have access to lots of books,(physically light ones) Tablet, radion, tv or whatever and don't lift heavy things including full kettles.
Surgery is major obviously but the pain relief they give you manages it well so it wasn't bad at all bearing in mind what you go through.
Recovery was very quick for me and surprisingly good. You see big improvements every day/week
I returned to work after 12 weeks, you could do it sooner if it's a non physical job but even then I would say take your time.
I was back to cycling as soon as my 12 weeks were up and I have actually set new personal bests on Strava. It's 18 months since now and I have done a few 100 mile rides and I and doing the Rebellion Way in October a 244 mile route over a few days
Hope it all goes well.I remember asking when I was pregnant what childbirth was like, I know a walk in the park compared to heart surgery. All I can say is you could ask twenty people who have had this surgery and they would all day different things, a bit like the childbirth question.
Some people may have had a bad experience and not want to share that .
Some people may not be truthful and some people would say firstly discuss your valid worries and concerns with your surgeon and as many staff as possible, they would not want you to be scared and would I think be able to reassure your valid worries.
ChappyChap has summed it up nicely. In my experience the post-op fuzzy period was quite short. I had my op at 8 a.m. and my wife and son were able to visit me in HDU at 4 p.m. I was quite lucid and chatty apparently though my memory of that day post op is vague. I was moved to the ward the following day and discharged on day 6. It should have been day 5, but the cardiologist was not available to sign me off.
As for pain, I didn't have much at all. I was quite fit before the op (hill walking in the Cheviots just 3 days beforehand) and this certainly stood me in good stead. I was discharged with Codeine, but never needed it. To be honest, I've only had pain from where the blood vessels were harvested in my arm and leg... nothing internally and very little problem with my sternum.
I waited the full 13 weeks for my sternum to heal before I put on a backpack. I also restricted the size of hill for the next few months working my way back up to where I had been at 6 months post op. Now a couple of Munros in a day are fair game and I'm 71 years of age.
Thankfully I had no issues with the mental side of things. Focussing on getting back onto the hills helped enormously. Keeping positive is the key to recovery. I set myself goals and started with little things and worked my way back to where I was before the op.... and beyond.
As for work, being a self-employed Architect I didn't have much time off, though I was working part time by then. The biggest issue was not being able to drive, but with my wife's help that was overcome.
So look to the future. The hills will be there to welcome you when you are ready.
I have little to add really, I had a cabg x 4 two years ago. I am a builder and I do a bit of Snowdonia but I don't hurt no-one and I can stop if I want to 😉.I was back in work after 12 weeks my boss phased it in two hours a day for two weeks then four for another fortnight. He then had me do full days, Monday, Wednesday and Friday for two weeks then back to normal, but limited lifting of excessive weight.
Five months to the day of my operation I was laying two Indian sandstone patios, and back on the hills at weekends, and doing some sailing. Take it slow and careful listen to your body and take the paracetamol.
A couple of things people don't mention,if you have any pull cord light switches in your house,add a extension trust me it makes a difference, and don't open car doors yourself for at least the first month, again I found that out the hard way.
But chappy chap has really covered it with his usual thoroughness I would say that if he gives you advice, pay heed he knows his stuff.
Good luck with the op it a bit of a trauma but it's not as bad as your mind is telling you, and the gear they give you is ichy- ban 🤣🤣
Hi,I had a double cabg in January. Recovery is different for everyone. My physical recovery was and still is very smooth with no complications. If you look after yourself and don't rush things then you will be fine. Going back to work depends on your job I think. I work from home so I took a month off and made sure I was up to going back ( pdychologicslly) before I did. Any kind if hobbies that are strenuous will be advised by your cardio rehab team. You will likely be contacted 6 to 10 weeks post op to invite you to cardio rehab classes. The thing ro remember is to listen to your body and take it easy!! Baby steps all the way. This is a massive operation that affects you physically and emotionally and your body has been through the ringer!!! Lots of healing to do which takes time. I got no info post op so had to find things out myself. Do you have a partner at home? If so then that will help. I found my cardiologist to be brilliant and his advise was gave was at 6 months I would see a difference then a year for the sternum to be fully healed. The emotional recovery can be very difficult. Lots if confusion, upset, low mood and tears!! You may not get this though. I really hope you don't!! Sleeping lying down is not easy or comfortable so you may be sleeping propped up for a good few months. Your chest will feel tight and numb for a long time as will the area they harvested a vein or veins, either your arm or leg. It all settles down eventually and you will be able to do everything you used to do, but in time!! Not right away. Good luck. You will be fine. Xx
All of the above.I went back to a very physical job after 5wks.It was too soon and i struggled and came home exhausted every day.Even at 8wks i was still struggling and i was rather annoyed that on any kind of slope i would breathe heavily.This may not apply to you but older men stuck in bed lose muscle fast.I hated my flabby upper body and hit the weight machines.
I never had any pain at all and never took any meds
The first couple of weeks are hard because you have to sleep on your back.As mentioned a lot of people get depressed, if you are prone to this be aware.
I'm 20wks post op now and strong as an Ox, but wasn't happy with my progress at 8-12.
I'm anaemic and heart patients , older people, (and i'm also hypothyroid) don't absorb vitamins and minerals.
My one bit of advise is keep coming on here and post your progress or otherwise.My only other observations is i had CABG*2 because i though that was better than the suggested quadruple.
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