Normally recovering from heart surgery would take weeks and sometimes months if it is a complex surgery. The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically changed every aspect of life and this includes how patients recover from heart surgery.

Patients recovering from heart surgery are instructed to take precautions to protect themselves from COVID since it is found to be more dangerous for people with heart conditions.

Being in hospital care during the recovery period is recommended by some of the best heart hospitals in Bangalore. If opting for home care, taking certain precautionary steps would help in safe recovery during this pandemic.

Isolate yourself as much as possible

It is important to have caretakers around all the time during the period of recovery, but keeping in mind the current situation and following the guidelines would be of great help for the patient to recover safely.

It is recommended to limit the number of caretakers to one or a maximum of two people, preferably someone with whom you have already had contact, for instance, a spouse or grown-up child. Even the caretakers are asked to follow the guidelines to prevent themselves from the disease.

Plan for appointments with safety

You would require to have several appointments and visits with your cardiologist during the starting weeks post-surgery. But during pandemics it is of high risk for the patients to often travel to the hospital for appointments in person, so many follow-ups are made through telecommunication.

However, for patients with some severity and situation that requires to visit the hospital, it is recommended to travel with all the safety precautions in place.

After eight weeks post-surgery, you would be requested to attend cardiac rehabilitation which helps you become strong and strengthen your heart. But since the pandemic in place, rehabs will be conducted from your home over telecommunication.

Cardiologists help you with exercises using your own exercise equipment or common household items to keep you active and healthy.

Stay in a Positive mindset

It is usually normal for the patients to go through emotional mood swings post-surgery. And Covid has added an additional level of fear over the health factor of the patient and the loved ones.

To overcome this issue, try different things like taking periodic breaks from the news and social media, take care of yourself and your wellness with proper meditation. Get a good amount of sleep. Don’t be hungry, eat a healthy and balanced diet which would help you be in a pleasant state of mind.

Talk with people like friends, relatives, or someone that is close to you and share your thoughts on how you are feeling. Expressing yourself to others would help greatly to remove away your fear and anxiety, and be in a calm and positive state of mind.

Follow a Healthy Diet

Eating healthy and drinking juices during the recovery period helps the body to heal faster. But, since pandemic has made it difficult for grocery shopping for everyone, it is safer to have someone get the necessary things for you. Try delivery services from local supermarkets.

Eat foods that are healthy for your heart and help in recovering faster. Take fruits, vegetables, meat, and whole grains in more quantity in your diet.

Staying hydrated is also one key factor for recovery. Drinking a lot of water helps your body from dehydrating and it is highly recommended to not have alcohol during the recovery period.

Managing pain post-surgery is the majority of people’s concern and difficulty. But with many technological developments and inventions, many heart surgeries are performed with the help of robots.

Robotic heart surgery in India is highly appreciated by cardiac patients globally and is performed by some of the best heart hospitals in Bangalore by experienced and senior doctors.

Types of Robotic heart surgeries :

MIDCABG surgery

Minimally Invasive Direct Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting is an off-pump surgery that would not require cutting open the chest for surgery. In this only small incisions are made and the surgery is performed.

Robotic cardiac tumor surgery

With help of robotic assistance, intracardiac tumors are removed using a closed chest approach. Robotic technology helps in the treatment of both benign and malignant tumors.

Robotic ASD and PFO repair

Robotic technology helps in repairing ASD and PFO defects. Both ASD and patent foramen ovale(PFO) are done through small incisions on the right side of the chest. With the usage of endoscopic instruments, the surgeon takes a small patch of the pericardial tissue and uses it to repair ASD and PFO.

Robotic Atrial Fibrillation surgery

Atrial fibrillation is a process that is usually performed to treat abnormal heartbeats. With the use of robotic assistance, cardiopulmonary bypass or sternotomy can be avoided for the treatment of atrial fibrillation.