Tripple heart bypass

[222Minty1]

Hi all had Tripple bypass 5 months ago and recovery appears to be going really well on the cardio side.

i am exercising with 7.5 kilo weights following the post procedure rehab exercises

what I want to know is when can I start to do press ups and even pull ups?

I am obviously concerned and do not want to harm the sternum which at this point feels good.

Thanks

[Lowerfield_no_more]

We are all different. And some of the of the defining features of how quickly we can recover and heal from any major surgical interventions are age, sex, genetics and physical condition. So although people on here may be able to provide you with their experiences, they may not immediately translate into your situation. But as you are 5 months in and clearly doing well my suggestion is to slowly and cautiously integrate your new exercises into your existing regime, monitor how it it going, listen to your body and if it tells you are overdoing it wind it back, but otherwise slowly ramp it up.

[222Minty1 in reply to Lowerfield_no_more]

Thank you.

That is very similar to what the rehab team said.

They did not want to go into what you can do and when.

Things are going well though

[Thesnowman51]

Hi Minty, I wonder if you did cardio rehab classes post op? As they have trained nurses and physios- they would be able to answer your questions. If you didn’t get those you can probably still ask for them. The good bit is self motivation and determination, well done

[222Minty1 in reply to Thesnowman51]

Thank you

[maggie80]

Hi, You shouldn't be picking any thing heavy up. You could damage the clips on your breastbone. Ask somebody about it.

[Stanno]

I'm 6 months past bypass and did press ups against a wall as part of my cardiac rehab, but making sure my arms were tucked under my torso rather than military style. There's no reason why you can't work your way from pressing against a wall at first to pressing against a lower surface such as a window sill or worktop, then a chair or step, til you're ok on the floor. Listen to your body.

[222Minty1 in reply to Stanno]

Thank you .

I will start at about 45degrees and see how it goes with elbows tucked to the side of the body rather than military style

Thank you v much for posting

[Smits1980]

I’ve got a different take on it. My rehab team had a very particular view on putting pressure on the heart. They said that was to be avoided forever, and so no crunches or planks or indeed press-ups (which also work the abs) because of how you breath when you conduct these exercises. I had a quadruple bypass in June 2023 and have, in the past month, just started doing unassisted dips and chins (I’ve been doing assisted ones for about 6 months or so). Before the op I lifted a lot of weights and loved chins, dips and pull ups. I’ve really enjoyed doing them but even after all this time I can really feel discomfort right across my chest and stomach after I have done them. Assume it’s a level of tension and stretch that these broken bones and muscles have not experienced. It’s going great but it has taken a long time to get here!

[cabgpatch]

I'm a bit ahead of you, nearly 10 months since a triple bypass. Your sternum should have fused at around 3 months, and assuming nothing is amiss, it shouldn't be going anywhere, especially as it was wired back together. You may be able to feel the wire loops, I know I can!

I have been using around 7 kg weights (they're adjustable and I never weighed the bar!) for a couple of months and have been doing 30 situps for around the same length of time. I have found them pretty easy to do, but then my abs are in good shape from the swimming I also do. When I started doing situps again, I started very slowly, and concentrating on how I was feeling, working up to what is now more than I was doing pre-op.

I am naturally cautious and would suggest that you get specific advice from a professional like I did if you have the slightest concern. We are just sharing experiences, not medical advice.

Paul

[222Minty1 in reply to cabgpatch]

Thank you for replying.

It's nice to know that I'm not in effect stepping off a ledge. I am also naturally cautious so will slowly build.

Perhaps I will work with some light free weights on a bench before moving on to a press up .

👌

[Snowflake01]

Hi, as said above, every one of us is different and only you will know when you will feel ready for more strenuous exercises on the sternum.

I used light weights in the gym including wall press ups for my cardio rehab (3-6 months post CABGx4), which helped enormously build strength and confidence in my chest 💪. I'm now 9-10 months post op, feeling strong enough to do a lot of day to day things from pre op and doing plenty of running. Think I could probably do press ups or pull ups if that way inclined though I'm sticking with a low strain approach. I'm trying to avoid any excess stress on the sternum for at least 12 months, but I do tend to forget that it's been split open at times, which isn't necessarily a good thing! 🙄

I was fit and active prior to the op and not carrying excess weight and know my own limitations (I think 🙂). Wouldn't want to advise really, just saying how I'm feeling now - and just remember not to push anything unnecessarily!! Use the professionals to provide the right guidance (I know I'm repeating what been already said) 👍