Getting ready for heart surgery can be nerve-wracking--but that's completely normal. As a patient, the best thing you can do is prep, prep, prep so that you know exactly what's going to happen, what you can expect, and what's going to be expected of you. Here are a few things to keep in mind during the whole process.
Sternal precautions are a considerable part of the recovery and healing process after heart surgery. However, many patients have a lot of questions about sternal precautions--and that's great. To help patients take an active role in their healing and understand what they need to do, we're explaining exactly what sternal precautions are, why they're essential, and how you can stick with them.
The period after heart surgery is important for every patient. The healing period looks different for every patient and for each surgery type, but there are a few things that you can expect during this time.
Whether by devouring a book with a passionate eye for plot, rushing out of a movie theater to write a review for some lackluster storyline, or simply enjoying a favorite family narrative, we have all found it to be true: every tale has a beginning, a middle, and an end. Of course, books and movies aren't the only things to experience this uniformity--we see the same pattern in life. One such example lies in undertaking the journey that is heart surgery.
Heart patients endure the beginning of the tale, the surgery itself, and then the middle, the healing process, and finally, the end--the recovery. Today, like any good writer, medical science has started to focus on that middle section, finding ways to minimize complications so that the story itself is smoother--and sternum stabilization is just one revolutionary answer.
There usually tends to be a lot of anxiety around the idea of open heart surgery, and typically that is because patients such as yourself aren't sure of what to expect. We wanted to put your nerves at rest as much as we can, so we're going to ease your mind by giving you a glimpse of what your day could look like when you go in for open heart surgery.
Open heart surgery is a major medical procedure that can be intimidating for patients and their loved ones alike. Whether it's a coronary artery bypass, valve repair or replacement, or another cardiac procedure, the prospect of open heart surgery often brings a mix of hope and anxiety.
There are a lot of components to consider when it comes to healing after open heart surgery, but one of the most important components is the treatment of the sternum. In truth, the sternum is actually a broken bone at the beginning of the healing process. But is it treated as such? Are there extra considerations? Here's a closer look.
Everyone goes through cycles of health, but certain symptoms point to larger problems. If you recently discovered that you or a loved one is at risk of having or has coronary artery disease, you likely walked out of the doctor’s office with a lot of mixed feelings and confusion. What is coronary artery disease? How could it affect you or your loved one going forward? What needs to change in your life or the life of your loved one to minimize the risks?
The patients who undergo heart surgery are susceptible to a host of complications that can set in during their stay in the hospital. When any of these happen, it can cause enormous problems for the hospital. To keep that from happening, there are a few steps you can take for patients and hospital safety.
The care that you provide to patients goes a long way toward their recovery. Healing isn't just a physical tasks: it's also one that is guided by our emotions and stress levels.