Discharge Instructions for Minimally Invasive Coronary Bypass Surgery

Your healthcare provider performed minimally invasive coronary bypass surgery. This surgery created a new pathway around a blocked part of your heart’s blood vessels, allowing blood to reach your heart muscle. An alternative to traditional open-heart surgery, this procedure allowed your healthcare provider to operate through a few small incisions, instead of cutting through your breastbone. Here’s what you need to know about home care.

Activity

• Don’t drive after your surgery until your healthcare provider gives you permission. Generally, you should wait at least 3 weeks until you drive.  Ask someone to take you to your appointments or wherever else you need to go.

• Ask your healthcare provider how much weight you can lift. Some healthcare providers may ask you not to lift anything heavier than 5 pounds. Others may allow you to lift weight as you can tolerate. Using your arms to get out of bed and in a chair as you can tolerate is acceptable.

• Ask your healthcare provider when you can expect to return to work. The length of time you will be out of work will depend on the type of job you have.

• Ask your healthcare provider when you can start a walking program:

  • If you haven’t already started a walking program in the hospital, begin with short walks (about 5 minutes) at home. Go a little longer each day.

  • Choose a safe place with a level surface, such as a local park or mall.

  • Wear supportive shoes to prevent injury to the knees and ankles.

  • Walk with someone. It’s more fun and helps you keep up with your walking program.

  • Ask your healthcare provider about a cardiac rehab program.

Other Home Care

• When you shower, avoid using very hot water, which could make you dizzy.

• Clean your incisions every day with soap and water. Gently pat dry the area of the incisions. Don’t use any powders, lotions, or oils on your incisions until they are healed. If there are any steri-strips still attached to your incision, you can remove them if they don't fall off after 7 days.

• Weigh yourself every day. Do this at the same time of day and in the same kind of clothes.

• Take your medicines exactly as directed. Don’t skip doses.

Lifestyle Changes

• Maintain a healthy weight. Get help to lose any extra pounds.

• Cut back on salt.

  • Limit canned, dried, packaged, and fast foods.

  • Don’t add salt to your food at the table.

  • Season foods with herbs instead of salt when you cook.

• Break the smoking habit. Enroll in a stop-smoking program to improve your chances of success.

• Cut back on fatty foods. Try to avoid fatty foods. Consume lean meats and fish.