Cardiac Rehabilitation and Secondary Prevention Service
Taking part in cardiac rehabilitation is an essential part of your journey to recovery. This service, led by a team of specialist nurses working with other members of the multi professional team as required, promotes recovery, reduces disability and prevents further illness. Working with you and your family, we aim to:
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Help you learn more about your condition and treatment
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Advise and help manage your cardiac risk factors
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Help you regain or improve your confidence
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Encourage you to lead an active and healthy lifestyle.
A member of the cardiac rehabilitation team will contact you following discharge from hospital, but in the meantime, you can find further information about the service, and contact details in this information leaflet (right).
Advice to Help your Recovery
As you recover, we strongly recoment the following advice to ensure that your body heals after your surgery:
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Avoid lifting or pushing any object over 10lbs (a full kettle) to allow your breast bone to heal for at least 6-8 weeks or until you have had your review appointment with the surgical team. Do not drive or return to work until the breast bone has healed properly.
- If you live alone you may need help for the first 2 weeks if no one is available speak to the nursing staff on admission with any concerns.
- It is normal to feel aches and pains especially around the chest and shoulders, pain killers may still be required .Everyone experiences pain differently so consult your GP if your pain is not under control.
- A daily walk is strongly encouraged, it is normal to be tired so balance activity with rest.
- It’s normal to not have much appetite as sense of taste may be affected but it will return; eat small regular meals to regain your strength.
- Constipation may be due to pain medication – add fruit and vegetables to your diet, keep up the exercise
- Its normal also to have mood swings – do not become discouraged these should improve gradually over 4-6 weeks ,you may have good and bad days as you get stronger they will resolve. A complication of the operation may be disorientation and sometimes hallucinations .Inform your nurse /doctor/family if this occurs as talking can help make sense of what has happened
- Numbness and tingling especially in the fingers can happen as the nerves running down the arms can be “stretched “ when the surgeon opens your chest .This should resolve in time but always report them to your doctor/nurse so they can be assessed.
- Holidays can be taken if you feel well enough, flights abroad should wait until the review appointment with the surgical team. Please consult your GP and always inform your travel insurance company if in any doubt.