How to take care of a Person after Coronary Bypass Surgery?

The recovery process after a coronary artery bypass graft surgery can be time taking and the pace of recovery can vary from one patient to another. After the surgery, the patient is generally able to sit on a chair after a day or two and also start walking. After 5-6 days he/she can take the stairs and within 12- weeks there is a full recovery.

During this time you can do continue to do some breathing exercises for 4 to 6 weeks that you might have learned at the hospital. You can clean every day and take shower as recommended by the doctor or once the stitches are dissolved. Avoid swimming, or soaking in a hot tub, or take baths until your incision is completely healed. Follow a heart-healthy diet.

What is a Coronary Bypass Surgery?

A bypass surgery redirects the blood around partially or fully blocked arteries in the heart. During the procedure, the doctor takes a healthy blood vessel from the patient's arm, leg, or leg and connects it to above and below the blocked heart arteries. It provides a new pathway; to improve the blood flow through your heart muscles.

Bypass surgery is one of the complicated and expensive ones. The cost of surgery, doctor fees, and modern healthcare treatments can cost a fortune. While most of the basic health insurance plans in Indian might cover a bypass surgery but it is still recommended to buy a critical illness insurance policy. Buying medical insurance is one of the best ways to meet cardiac care expenses. 

As heart bypass surgery can be difficult and is prone to complications, post-surgery patients care is important. You need to be extremely careful about the things listed below

• Keeping the Surgical Wound from Infections

  The wound for the open heart can be placed for germ infection. Thus, patients need to clean the wound with antiseptic and keep it dry.

• Maintain a Light Diet

  If you or anyone in your family has recently undergone bypass surgery, their diet would play a crucial role in recovery. After the surgery and medications, the patient is likely to lose appetite. Therefore, it is important to feed them with foods with healing benefits. And food that has no oil, spices and is mostly boiled. This has to be continued for a few days until the doctor suggests a normal diet.  

• Overall well-being and Emotional well-being

  After a by-pass surgery, the patient needs to stay away from any mental stress as it can further worsen their condition. Any stress can lead to increased blood pressure that can be highly dangerous for a heart-patient. Once the surgery is done try to cheer them up and maintain a positive environment in your house. If the family members can motivate the patient then there is nothing like it.

• Avoid Physical Activities

  If you or someone in your family has undergone an open-heart surgery then the person should avoid any physical activity as it can increase the heart rate. All of this can worsen the situation and make it difficult for the patient to recover after the bypass surgery. Thus, you or your family members should monitor every physical activity that is done by the patient. For example, if you find them standing for more than 15 minutes then ensure that they lie down and take rest. Also, it is not suggested to lift any weight that is more than 2-4 kgs.

• Rest and Sleep well

  After an open-heart or bypass surgery, adequate sleep is important for a speedy recovery. Sleeping or resting plays an active role in healing the body. Pain from the surgery and medications can disturb the sleeping pattern. While it might be difficult for the patient to sleep, it becomes equally important to get a sound sleep. At that time some light and soothing music, dim lights, and meditation can help.

  Your recovery and health will depend on regularly taking medicines that prevent blood clots, lower cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure, control thyroid and diabetes.  You can follow a healthy-lifestyle including the following

  • Follow a healthy-eating plan
  • Stop smoking
  • Exercise regularly
  • Achieve and maintain a healthy weight
  • Manage stress

How does a cardiac health insurance plan work?

You can buy a cardiac health plan or a critical illness policy to get coverage for cardiac treatments. So, the next time when you find yourself in a state of flux, this is how your insurance policy is going to cover up

It will pay for hospitalization expenses

• You can file a health insurance claim for inpatient hospitalization expenses including room cost, nursing and boarding charges, doctor/ surgeon fees, anesthetist, specialist fees, Intensive-care-unit, diagnostic tests, and medicines
• Pre-Hospitalization and post-hospitalization expenses are recompensed
• Emergency transportation through ambulance is paid as well
• Day-care treatment expenses can also be recompensed
• Pre-Existing illnesses can also be claimed after the completion of the waiting period

Covers High-Severity Conditions

A cardiac health plan mostly covers- First Heart Attack - of Specified Severity, Open Chest Coronary Artery Bypass Graft, Open Heart Replacement or Repair of Heart Valves.

It also covers Heart Transplant, Primary Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension, Balloon Valvotomy, Carotid Artery Surgery, Cardiac Arrhythmia surgery, Insertion of the pacemaker, etc.

Just like a basic health insurance plan the policy covers all the treatment-related costs that are mentioned in the policy wordings.

Bottom-line

Even after the bypass surgery, you need to make some lifestyle changes.  You need to take certain medications as a routine to keep your blood cholesterol levels normal, improved heart functioning and medicines to avoid a blood clot. As the treatment can be costly, therefore a critical illness policy or cardiac health plan is recommended so that you do not have to deal with financial stress while there is a lot already happening on the emotional front.