Recovering from coronary artery bypass surgery

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. These will be removed as you get better.

It's likely you'll feel some discomfort and grogginess after the procedure, but you'll be given painkillers to help relieve any pain. Tell your doctor or nurse if the pain increases or if you notice any excessive bleeding.

Recovering from acoronary artery bypass graft procedure takes time andeveryone recovers at slightly different speeds. Generally, you should be able to sit in a chair after one day, walk after three days and walk up and down stairs after five or six days.

Most people make a full recovery within 12 weeks of the operation. However, if you experience complications during or after surgery, your recovery time is likely to be longer.

At home

To ease any soreness where the cuts were made, you may need to continue taking painkillers at home for a few weeks. Wearing loose, comfortable clothing that doesn't rub on your wounds can also help.

For the first three to six weeks, you'll probably feel tired a lot of the time. This is because your body is using a lot of energy to heal itself. By six weeks, you should be able to do most of your normal activities andby three months, you're likely to be fully recovered.

Caring for your wound

The metal wires holding your breastbone (sternum) together are permanent. However, the stitches closing your skin will gradually dissolve over the weeks following surgery as your skin heals.

While you're recoveringin hospital, you'll be told about how to care for your wounds at home. It's important to keep the wounds clean and protect them from the sun while they're healing.

You'll have a scar where the surgeon cut down your chest, as well as where the grafted blood vessel (or vessels) was taken from. These will be red at first, but will gradually fade over time.

Activities

The team caring for you in hospital will also usually be able to advise you about any activities you need to avoid as you recover.

Generally, in the first few days after you return home from hospital, you can do light activities such as walking short distances, cooking, playing cards and board games, and lifting light objects.

After about six weeks, youmay 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 and having sex.

The length of time you need 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 six to eight weeks. However, you'll normally need more time off if you experience any complications or your job involves a lot of standing and lifting.

While recovering, it's best to try to build up your activities gradually over time and make sure you take regular rests when you feel tired.

Side effects of surgery

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
• swelling or pins and needles where the blood vessel graft was removed
• muscle painor back pain
• tiredness and difficulty sleeping
• feelingupsetand having mood swings

It's natural to feel a bit low after having bypass surgery. You'll experience good and bad days, but it's important to remember your recovery will take weeks rather than days.

Side effects tend to disappear within four to six weeks of the operation. A full recovery may take a few months or longer, depending on your overall health before the procedure.

If you would like some extra support and advice while you recover, speak with your GP or contact the British Heart Foundation, who can provide you with details of local heart support groups .

When to seek medical advice

Contact your GP for advice as soon as possible if you experience any of the following problems:

• severe or increasing pain in or around the wound
• extreme shortness of breath
• swelling around the wound
• pus coming from the wound
• a high temperature (fever)
• palpitations that make you feel dizzy or faint
• excessive sweating

Call the emergency number or contact your local out-of-hours service if you're unable to contact your GP.

Cardiac rehabilitation

Many hospitals offer a cardiac rehabilitation programme for people who've had heart surgery. The programme, which usually lasts at least six weeks, aims to help you recover from the procedure and get back to everyday life as quickly as possible.

A member of the cardiac rehabilitation team may speak to you about this when you go into hospital to have your operation. You may be invited to join a cardiac rehabilitation programme starting a few weeks after you leave hospital.

The way cardiac rehabilitation programmes are carried out can vary widely throughout the country, but most will cover areas such as exercise, education, relaxation and emotional support.

The British Heart Foundation has more information about cardiac rehabilitation.

Life after a coronary artery bypass graft

When you've fully recovered from your operation, it's important to adopt a healthy lifestyle to reduce your risk of developing further heart problems in the future. For example, you should:

• stop smoking if you smoke
• eat a healthy, balanceddiet
• lose weight if you're overweight or obese
• moderate your alcohol intake
• exercise regularly

You should also continue to take any medications you've been prescribed.

The three main types of blood vessels are veins, arteries and capillaries.

Cholesterol
Cholesterol is a fatty substance made by the body that lives in blood and tissue. It is used to make bile acid, hormones and vitamin D.

Heart
The heart is a muscular organ that pumps blood around the body.

High blood pressure
Hypertension is when the pressure of the blood in your bloodstream is regularly above 140/90 mmHG.

Incision
An incision is a cut made in the body with a surgical instrument during an operation.

Pain
Pain is an unpleasant physical or emotional feeling that your body produces as a warning sign that it has been damaged.