Heart bypass
A coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) isn't a cure for heart disease, so it's important to adopt a healthy lifestyle and continue taking any prescribed medication after the operation to reduce your risk of getting heart problems in the future.
There are a number of lifestyle changes you can make after having a coronary artery bypass graftto help reduce your risk of further heart problems. These are described below.
An unhealthy diet can increase your chances of developing heart problems after acoronary artery bypass graft. To reduce this risk, you should ensure your diet is low in saturated fat and salt, but high in fibre and omega-3 (a fatty acid that can help reduce your cholesterol levels).
Examples of foods you should try to avoid include:
Instead, you should try to eat:
Also, cut down on the amount of salt you add to your food and check the nutrition labels on food when shopping to find products with the lowest levels of salt.
Read moreabout healthy eating , eating less saturated fat and tips for a lower-salt diet .
Once you've fully recovered from the effects of surgery, you should exercise regularly to reduce your risk of developing further heart problems.
Adults should do at least 150 minutes (2 hours and 30 minutes) of moderate-intensity aerobic activity every week. Moderate-intensity means anactivity that's strenuous enough to leave you slightly breathless.
Examples ofmoderate-intensity aerobic activities include:
If you find it difficult to achieve 150 minutes of activity a week, start at a level you feel comfortable with (for example, around 10 minutes of light exercise a day) and gradually increase the duration and intensity of your activity as your fitness starts to improve.
To find out whether you need to lose weight you can use the BMI healthy weight calculator .
The best way to lose weight is to make sure you have a healthy diet and exercise regularly. You may find it helpful to follow a structured weight loss programme, such as the free NHS weight loss plan .
Smoking can significantly increase your risk of developing heart problems because it narrows your arteries and raises your blood pressure.
If you want to stop smoking , your GP will be able to refer you to the NHS Smokefree service, which will provide you with dedicated help and advice about the best ways to give up smoking.
You can also call the Smoking Helpline. Specially trained helpline staff will offer you free expert advice and encouragement.
If you're committed to giving up smoking but don't want to be referred to a stop smoking service, your GP should be able to prescribe medication to help with withdrawal symptoms you may experience after giving up.
If you drink alcohol, don't exceed the recommended limits.
Oneunit of alcohol is roughly half a pint of normal-strength lager or a single measure (25ml) of spirits. A smallglass of wine (125ml) contains about one-and-a-half units of alcohol.
Regularly exceeding the recommended alcohol limitscan raise your blood pressure and cholesterol level, increasing your risk of heart problems.
This will help prevent further damage to your coronary arteries and should reduce your risk of problems such as heart attacks.
Examples of statins include:
In most cases, treatment with statins will be recommended for life.
Depending on the specific reason why you had acoronary artery bypass graft, you may also be prescribed some other medications, such as Beta-blockers and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors.
A coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) is a surgical procedure used to treat coronary heart disease. It diverts blood around narrowed or clogged parts of the major arteries to improve blood flow and oxygen supply to the heart.
It's a good idea to be well prepared before going into hospital to have a coronary arterybypass graft (CABG). You may find the advice below useful: get informed find out as much as you can about what your operation involves, arrange help to help you at home after coming home from hospital, sort out transport to take you home, etc.
Coronary artery bypass graft surgery usually lasts three to six hours. However, it may take longer depending on how many blood vessels are being grafted. Blood vessels can be taken from your leg (saphenous vein), inside your chest (internal mammary artery) or your arm (radial artery).
You'll usually need to stay in hospital for around seven days after having a coronary artery bypass graft (CABG), so medical staff can closely monitor your recovery. During this time, you may be attached to various tubes, drips and drains that provide you with fluids and allow blood and urine to drain away.
As with all types of surgery, a coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) carries risks of complications. Some of the main complications associated with acoronary artery bypass graft are irregular heartbeat, infection, reduced kidney function, brain problems and heart attacks.
After you've been discharged from hospital, you may experience some side effects as a result of the operation. These can include: loss of appetite, Constipation, back pain, tiredness and difficulty sleeping, feeling upset or having mood swings
A coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) isn't a cure for heart disease, so it's important to adopt a healthy lifestyle and continue taking any prescribed medication after the operation to reduce your risk of getting heart problems in the future.
If you have coronary heart disease and the arteries around your heart are severely narrowed, it may be possible to have a procedure called a coronary angioplasty instead of a coronary artery bypass graft (CABG).
Chauffeur Alec Keep, aged 66 when interviewed, had a heart bypass in March 2007 in Papworth Hospital, after he had two heart attacks.