If you're researching information related to heart surgery and recovery, you've likely come across mentions of heart pillows (also known as chest or cough pillows). For years, these pillows have been standard issue in many hospitals for patients recovering from heart surgery or sternotomies. The traditional thinking was that heart pillows could provide comfort and support when patients needed to cough, sneeze, or manage pain.
Complications after heart surgery aren't just bad news for patients—they also impact hospitals. Wound complications in a patient can be devastating financially for hospitals, especially when handling Medicare and co-morbid patients.
The cost to hospitals can range from $13,000 to $100,000 per complication. Then add on the financial penalties that hospitals face for having excessive readmissions according to the 2010 Affordable Care Act. It’s evident that there is a great need to reduce the chances of complications following a patient’s surgery.
As a healthcare professional, you know that postoperative care after heart surgery is one of the most important factors driving the success and time it takes for your patients to recover.
The Heart Hugger Sternum Support Harness can help your patients not only recover quicker but provide those caring for them with more confidence as well.
There’s perhaps nothing more concerning than the prospect of heart surgery, and the recovery period afterward. But having the right information can ease your mind, and speed your recovery.
When a loved one has had heart surgery, it can be a frightening time for both the patient and for you. There are a lot of things that your loved one will simply not be able to do for a while. There are also many types of support your loved one will need to get through the heart surgery recovery period. It's important to be there for your loved one so that this time goes smoothly.
Here are specific ways your loved one can use your help post-surgery.
The number of heart-related surgeries has increased in recent years. However, the recovery time and risk of potential postoperative complications remain the same. Healthcare professionals are increasingly turning to sternum support devices to reduce some of the risks of complications. This relatively simple device helps patients to recover quicker and experience fewer issues.
Widely utilized for cardiac patients, heart pillows are a tool that is commonly used. Although they may be comforting for cardiac patients, there is no concrete evidence proving that the device helps them heal. Operating almost like a placebo, these devices cost hospitals an awful lot of money to give to cardiac patients.
Heart pillows are a common tool widely used for cardiac patients. They can be comforting, but there is no evidence that they actually help cardiac patients to heal. They also cost hospitals a lot of money for something that is a placebo. As a matter of fact, these pillows can lead to infections when they are taken to different places and exposed to a lot of surfaces. They also can't act as any constant support, as the patient has to hold one in place.
When you think about what makes you you, what is it that first comes to mind? Is it your physical features, like the specific shade of your eyes that you've never seen mimicked anywhere else? Is it a special skill? Is it some complex combination of the books you've read, the songs you've heard, the people you've met, and the things you've done? Whatever comes to mind when you think about yourself as an individual, it's likely not the simple yet incredibly important act of breathing.
Breathing is an important part of every life, yet it is often overlooked as an automatic and unnoticed detail--but after surgery, that can all change.
No matter what kind of chest operation you're having, a postoperative bra can help make the healing process easier, faster, and more comfortable. Read on to find out precisely what this simple but powerful garment can do for you!