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| Before Surgery Instructions: |
Most patients are admitted to the hospital the morning of or the day before surgery. The night before surgery, you will be asked to bathe to reduce the amount of germs on your skin. After you are admitted to the hospital, the area to be operated on will be washed, scrubbed with antiseptic, and, if needed, shaved. |
| The Coronary Artery Bypass is performed with general anesthesia, meaning you will be unconscious during the surgery. Because anesthesia is safest on an empty stomach, you will be asked not to eat or drink after midnight the night before surgery. If you do eat or drink anything after midnight, it is important that you tell your anesthesiologist and surgeon. If you smoke, you should stop at least two weeks before your surgery. Smoking before surgery can lead to problems with blood clotting and breathing. |
| Before surgery, you may have an electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG), blood tests, urine tests, and a chest x-ray to give your surgeon the latest information about your health. You will be given something to help you relax (a mild tranquilizer) before you are taken into the operating room. |
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| After Surgery Instructions: |
After surgery, you will be moved to a bed in the cardiac surgical intensive care unit. Staff will monitor your heart rate and blood pressure continuously for the twelve to twenty-four hours following the operation. At this point, family members are allowed visit periodically to see how you're doing. If necessary, you may receive medications through an IV to regulate your circulation and blood pressure. For a short while after the operation, you'll have a breathing tube in place until your doctor is confident that you're awake and capable of breathing comfortably on your own.
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As the anesthesia wears off after the operation, you may probably feel somewhat woozy for a while, and your incision sites (both the chest and leg, if the graft(s) were taken from there) may have soreness. Staff will give you painkillers as you need them. You will likely stay in the hospital at least three to five days, sometimes longer. During this time, staff will give you various tests to assess the progress of your recovery. |
After you're discharged from the hospital, you will probably need to follow up with a physician-supervised program of cardiac rehabilitation. The program will teach key stress management techniques and other important lessons about proper diet and exercise. To prevent a recurrence of blocked arteries, your surgeon will likely recommend that you eat less fat and cholesterol, as well as walking other light exercise to help regain your strength. Doctors also often recommend following a home routine of increasing activity -- doing light housework, going out, visiting friends, climbing stairs, and so forth, with the aim of returning to a normal, healthier life. |
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