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There are a lot of moving parts when it comes to cardiac rehab after surgery. Exercise, education, and counseling are all important aspects--but the most important thing is for patients to actually do cardiac rehab. Unfortunately, there are some myths circling out there that might make your patients hesitate, and that hesitation can impact their health. Here's what you need to know to debunk those myths and help ease your patients' minds.

Open heart surgery is increasingly common, and although the procedure is used to solve many problems, it causes one big issue for all patients: pain. Luckily, with respiratory splinting, that big issue is getting demoted.

Not long ago, the very idea of open heart surgery seemed like a futuristic dream--something that our ancestors would never have been able to create, perform, or survive. These days, open heart surgery is increasingly common, and although the procedure is used to solve many problems, it causes one big issue for all patients: pain. Luckily, with respiratory splinting, that "big issue" is getting demoted.

At the end of the day, what's most important to you as a medical professional is knowing how advances can help your patients get healthy quicker and more comfortably. That's just what one study set out to prove--and the results about postoperative bras could revolutionize healing for cardiac patients.

It is said that pain after a thoracotomy is among the most severe post-surgery pains--and it's likely that your patients would agree. You know just how much of an obstacle to healing pain can be, bringing obstacles and possible complications, but luckily, there are answers. With respiratory splinting, managing post-thoracotomy pain is easier than ever.

After you or a loved one undergoes heart surgery there is an expected cardiac surgery rehabilitation process. Understanding the process can help to make it easier on you and your loved ones. As such there are a few things to know about the recovery process.

It Takes Time

Rehabilitation for any procedure is a process and will take time. On average, cardiac surgery rehabilitation takes about six to eight weeks for individuals to return to normal activity. Depending upon the evasiveness of the procedure, it may take a shorter period of time, but your physician will guide you through the process and let you know.

Expect Changes

Those who have undergone heart surgery have reported certain changes, including:

• decrease in appetite
• trouble sleeping
• periods of sadness

To address all of these things it is important that individuals try to stick to routines and engage in activities that they enjoy.

Following a major procedure will leave one very susceptible to different complications that are associated with open heart surgery. It is our job at Heart Hugger to attempt to prevent as many of these complications as we can. This includes sternal wound dehiscence, any pain experienced by the patient, as well providing as much sternal stability to the wound during the recovery process. While none of these are easy to accomplish, the ultimate goal is to have the speediest recovery possible while also avoiding any unnecessary complications.

Following a major procedure will leave one very susceptible to different complications that are associated with open heart surgery. It is our job at Heart Hugger to attempt to prevent as many of these complications as we can. This includes sternal wound dehiscence, any pain experienced by the patient, as well providing as much sternal stability to the wound during the recovery process. While none of these are easy to accomplish, the ultimate goal is to have the speediest recovery possible while also avoiding any unnecessary complications.

One of the things that is often overlooked when an impending cardiac or thoracic surgery is around the corner, is the recovery time. There is a lot of time spent thinking about the actual surgery and the different things that need to be taken care of leading up to the procedure. The simple fact is, however, that recovery time after the surgery will take substantially more time than the surgery itself.

If you have cardiac or thoracic surgery planned in the near future, then you’re also going to have many questions concerning the procedure. What is the procedure going to be like? How long is the recovery time expected to be for a procedure like this? Your surgeon will be able to answer the majority of these questions, however, having never gone through the procedure themselves, it may prove difficult to explain how it feels to have a surgical wound.