Tuesday 17 August 2010

Live chat with nurse Judy

Sharon asks: “Hi Judy, my husband is awaiting triple bypass surgery, and we're quite anxious about it. How long will he be in hospital and what is the approximate recovery period. We haven’t really had a chance to discuss it with anyone yet. He is 43 years old and otherwise in good health. Is there any site you'd recommend for us to read up on the procedure?”

Judy says:

I can understand your anxiety – the waiting time before surgery is often the very worst part. We have a booklet called "Having heart surgery" which explains what is involved just before, during and after bypass surgery. You can download this booklet from the BHF website here.

The average time in hospital following bypass surgery is 5 to 7 days but it varies from one patient to another depending on whether or not there are any complications such as infection or disturbance to the heart rhythm. It’s very important to attend a cardiac rehabilitation programme and partners are encouraged to attend as well as it can be a difficult time for you as well. You can read more about the benefits of cardiac rehab here.

I wish your husband the best of luck with his surgery and please feel welcome to contact us again if you have any more questions



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