Heart bypass surgery

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	Atherosclerosis	Heart, front view
Posterior heart arteries

(Page 3)

• Shower and shampoo well.
• You may be asked to wash your whole body below your neck with a special soap. Scrub your chest 2 or 3 times with this soap.
• You also may be asked to take an antibiotic, to guard against infection.

On the day of the surgery:

• You will usually be asked not to drink or eat anything after midnight the night before your surgery. This includes chewing gum and breath mints. Rinse your mouth with water if it feels dry, but be careful not to swallow.
• Take any medications that your doctor told you to take with a small sip of water.

Your doctor or nurse will tell you when to arrive at the hospital.

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After the operation, you will spend 5 to 7 days in the hospital. You will spend the first few hours in an intensive care unit (ICU). You will be moved to a regular or transitional care room usually within 24 hours.

Two to three tubes will be in your chest to drain fluid from around your heart. They are usually removed 1 to 3 days after surgery.

You may have a catheter (flexible tube) in your bladder to drain urine. You may also have intravenous (IV) lines for fluids. You will be attached to machines that monitor your pulse, temperature, and breathing. Nurses will watch your monitors constantly.

You will be encouraged to resume some activity and may begin a cardiac rehabilitation program within a few days.

It takes 4 to 6 weeks to start feeling better after surgery.

Recovery from surgery takes time, and you may not see the full benefits of your surgery for 3 to 6 months. In most people who have heart bypass surgery, the grafts remain open and work well for many years.

This surgery does not prevent the coronary artery blockage from coming back. You can do many things to slow it down. Not smoking, eating a heart-healthy diet, getting regular exercise, and treating high blood pressure, high blood sugar (if you have diabetes), and high cholesterol will all help and are very important.

You may be more likely to have problems with your blood vessels if you have kidney disease or some other medical problems.

Review Date: 06/02/2010
Reviewed By: Shabir Bhimji MD, PhD, Specializing in Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery, Midland , TX. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org).