Open Heart Surgery Recovery: What To Expect

Patients preparing for open heart surgery may be envisioning a long recovery period, stuck in bed for weeks at a time. That’s no longer the case thanks to safer surgeries, anesthesia and pain management.

“The reality is most patients will be up in a chair walking later that day if they have surgery in the morning, or by the following morning,” said Yale Medicine Cardiac Surgeon Roland Assi, MD, MMS, FACS. “I see family members come in the following day, and they ask, ‘Where is mom?’ She’s not in the room, she’s walking around.”

What is open heart surgery?

Open heart surgery refers to a variety of operations. These may include heart valve operations, coronary artery bypass or bypass surgery as well as aortic operations. These surgeries can be done in combination depending on the needs of the patient.

Some operations can take two to three hours while others can take eight hours or more. On average, patients stay in the hospital for up to a week, the first few days spent in the ICU.

Once patients return home, they will need to abide by two restrictions for one month. The first is no heavy lifting. The other is patients can’t drive or sit in the front seat of a car because they’re exposed to airbags.

However, patients are encouraged to walk, which helps to reduce the risk of complications. They can even travel domestically after the one-month recovery period if they are cleared to do so by their care team.

Recovering from open heart surgery

After the first month, patients can participate in cardiac rehabilitation to aid their healing. But Dr. Assi says the recovery process really begins before surgery. This includes eating a well-balanced diet high in protein and low in sugar and participating in a consistent exercise routine. These changes will need to be made carefully and within reason.

“We don’t want drastic lifestyle changes because that stresses the body,” said Dr. Assi. “For patients who are scheduled for elective surgery if they’re significantly overweight, lose a reasonable amount of weight. But they should avoid extreme changes to their lifestyle.”

Similarly, patients should have frank conversations with their surgeon ahead of time to manage expectations about their operation.

“For most patients, open heart surgery is miraculous in a sense that patients do feel significantly better, and they can enjoy their life. But in certain cases, open heart surgery is just one aspect of more comprehensive treatment,” Dr. Assi said.

For example, a patient with heart failure may be able to enjoy a longer life and avoid a future heart attack thanks to bypass surgery. It won’t cure their heart failure, which will still need to be managed.

In the long term, patients with a prosthetic valve or reconstruction in the heart are monitored once a year or so to make sure everything is working well. But some patients never need to see their surgeon in the future and only require regular visits with their cardiologist or primary care clinician.