INOVA HEALTH SYSTEM : PATIENT_INSTRUCTIONS : Recovery

Services > Heart > Patient Instructions > Recovery

Recovery

After being diagnosed or treated for heart disease, it may take several days to several months to feel back to normal. This is the time to take charge of your health.

The most important guidelines to insure a complete recovery include:

Listen to your body! Be particularly alert to signs such as chest pain, fatigue, or shortness of breath that may signal the need for a slower pace or a consulation with your physician.
Make changes in your lifestyle to reduce the risk of heart disease.
Follow the activity and exercise guidelines given to you in the hospital and detailed below (for individuals who have had a heart attack or cardiac surgery). Do not overdo it!
Schedule appointments and continue with follow-up care as outlined by your Inova physician. Only your Inova physician can provide further exams, tests and instructional guidelines to monitor your progress, risk factors and recovery. Generally speaking, you should see your cardiologist one week after discharge and your primary care physician two weeks after discharge from the hospital. If you have had cardiac surgery, your follow-up care is conducted at the Inova Heart Center Cardiac Surgery Clinic.
Fill prescriptions and take them as directed.
Follow-up with other clinic and outpatient appointments as recommended by your physician.
Follow the guidelines for activity and exercise. Join a Cardiac Rehabilitation Program.

Click here for a day-to-day guide for hospital recovery from cardiac surgery. A video is sent home with all cardiac surgery patients to provide guidelines for home recovery.

Click here to search for heart-healthy courses offered by the Inova Health System.

Click here for information about the HealthSource, Inova's community program for health information and education.

Click here for information about what to expect after your heart surgery. Provided by the Society for Thoracic Surgeons

Healing
If you have had a heart attack, the heart muscle has been damaged. It takes 4-6 weeks for the heart to heal. Though the damaged muscle may never function again, the surrounding healthy muscle will start to work harder and try to compensate for the damage. In addition, scar tissue will form where the heart muscle was damaged.

If you are recovering from cardiac surgery, click here for specific details on a day-to-day guide to recovery. In addition, view the video provided to you at discharge. Though the incisions around the heart (for the new bypasses) are healed within 2 weeks, the biggest component of healing for cardiac surgery revolves around the breastbone and ribs healing. It takes anywhere from 8 to 12 weeks for these bones to heal (depending on your age and health status). Activity restrictions help promote bone healing.