If you're reading this, you're likely facing one of life's bigger challenges – preparing for heart surgery. Take a deep breath. While this journey may feel overwhelming right now, you're not alone, and with the right preparation, you can set yourself up for the smoothest possible recovery.
After an invasive procedure like heart surgery, patients are hit with the reality that it’ll take some time before they feel normal again. The weeks, or even months ahead, can seem daunting as patients dread what kind of pain they might experience. However, with a little bit of planning, the good news is that your recovery doesn’t have to be this way.
As a heart surgery patient, you have a lot to think about, so don't let a packing list be something that stresses you out. Instead, use this handy checklist to get ready well ahead of time and feel comfortable, calm, and prepared on the way to the hospital.
Preparing for heart surgery is a journey with multiple steps. Naturally, packing for the hospital should be the quickest and easiest of those steps--but that's easier said than done.
To help you feel more confident about what to pack and what not to pack for your hospital stay, we've compiled this organized checklist. Feel free to change things up depending on what will make you most comfortable, and remember to ask your doctor for any special instructions.
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.
Although it's easy to feel like you need to worry about every little detail when it comes to heart surgery preparation, the truth is that your doctor has done this plenty of times before and is perfectly comfortable being responsible for the important stuff. All you need to do is ask the right questions and make sure you've completed a few simple tasks.
To help narrow your focus, here is a "schedule" of things you need to do before heart surgery:
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.
Medical facilities will always give you a time to report for your scheduled surgery. To make sure things go smoothly, we recommend that you leave plenty of time for yourself to get there.
You'll want to make sure you know exactly where you are supposed to be for check-in. We recommend figuring out the location, which building, and even which office you will need to report to. Many times this can be confusing the day of, so it doesn't hurt to acquaint yourself with the location beforehand.
Having surgery can be stressful, but planning out all the details ahead of time can help ease some worry because you’ll know exactly what to expect. Focus on each segment of the surgery – before, during, and after – so that you and your loved ones are as prepared as possible.
This guide will cover how to prepare for your time at home after the surgery.
Before surgery, be sure to buy your Heart Hugger so that your nurses can put it on you right after surgery. This will then prepare you for using it at home.
It’s a good idea to consider home mobility for after the surgery. For example, are there stairs or other things that can limit your movement? If you have an upstairs bedroom, move or rent a bed for downstairs use.
You want to be prepared for the six to eight-week process after heart surgery. As the patient, if you are properly prepared you can help to speed up your cardiac surgery rehabilitation process. Below are five tips to help in your preparations.
If you have just returned home from the hospital after having CABG surgery, you may need help. You may not be able to perform simple day-to-day activities, such as driving, shopping, or cleaning. Moreover, you may need emotional support as well.
Compile a list of individuals who are willing to help you and try to secure two primary individuals to take care of most of your needs, as well as monitor the number of visitors who come to see you.
Here are the things you can ask your helpers or caregivers to help you with:
