Every 34 seconds, heart diseases kill one person. In 2020, nearly 700,000 people died from heart disease. Moreover, close to half a million heart surgeries are performed every year. For this reason, the American Heart Association instituted February as the American Heart Month.

While countless articles have been dedicated to preventing heart disease, less has been written about recovering post-surgery.

If you survived a heart surgery, how do you speed up recovery and develop healthy heart habits?

Right After Surgery

The first few weeks after surgery should be dedicated to regaining your strength and ensuring that no complications happen. During this time, make sure that you:

• Get plenty of rest

• Closely monitor your heart rate (pulse), blood pressure and EKG

• Weigh yourself regularly and notify your doctor for any sudden weight changes

• Care for your incision and monitor any signs of infection

• Keep your follow-up appointments and be ready with your records and any questions

Developing Health Heart Habits

As you slowly gain strength, you would want to start acquiring habits for superb heart health. You can do this by:

• Getting back into your normal routine by following a schedule for waking up and sleeping

• Taking regular showers and maintaining proper hygiene

• Engaging in a physical program that is suited to your needs. You may begin by taking taking regular 10-minute walks and progress to 30 minutes of moderate physical activity

• Creating a healthy meal plan

• Avoiding stress, alcohol and tobacco

On your road to recovery, remember to work closely with your doctor. In other cases, you may need to enlist the help of a cardiac rehabilitation team who can provide counseling, guidance and education as you resume normal activities. Listen to your body and arm yourself with proper knowledge. Keep in mind that small changes go a long way.

How We Can Help

You need all the support you can get after surgery. Medstar is committed to assist you. Whether you need a wheelchair-accessible vehicle to come home or you seek reliable transportation for post-surgery check-ups, we can help you. We also offer door-to-door delivery of prescription medicine if you are unable to travel and retrieve medicine on your own. If you want to know more about how we can help you, message us at +1 (509) 728-9816.