Recovery

After surgery: If the procedure was done "on pump," electric shocks start the heart pumping again after the grafts have been completed. The heart-lung machine then is turned off. Pacing wires and a chest tube to drain fluid are placed before the sternum is closed surgically with special sternal wires and the chest incision is closed with special internal or traditional external stitches. Sometimes a temporary pacemaker is attached to the pacing wires to regulate the heart rhythm until your condition improves.

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The patient is transferred to an intensive care unit for close monitoring for about one to two days after the surgery. The monitoring during recovery includes frequent checks of vital signs and other parameters, such as heart sounds and oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in arterial blood.

Once the patient is transferred to the nursing unit, the hospital stay is about three to five more days.

Recovery: Your medical team will provide you with information about your recovery, including how to care for your incision, as well as guidelines for returning to work and your other activities. Generally, however, full recovery takes two to three months.

Coronary artery bypass graft surgery does not prevent coronary artery disease from recurring. Lifestyle changes and prescribed medications can reduce the risk. Lifestyle changes include quitting smoking; exercising most days; taking off pounds if you are overweight; sticking to a diet low in fats and trans fats; treating high cholesterol and LDL; carefully managing any diabetes with strict adherence to diet and medications; keeping your blood pressure within normal levels; taking prescribed medications as directed; and following up with your doctor for regular office visits.