Other Preparations For Faster Recovery
There are some other areas you need to work on to increase your recovery rate and avoid complications. So following are the tips:
It is difficult to prepare for a last-minute surgery. However, the more you can prepare, the better is the chance for recovery. You should be prepared with everything by your side before the surgery. Reducing the round to a drug store is one of the ways to reduce stress after surgery. It increases the rate of recovery as you get more rest.
- Keep a helping hand at your side
During the first week of your surgery, it is essential to have someone who can help you when you need something. The person can be anyone your partner, family, friend, roommate, or even health care staff. You need proper care whether you have had a complicated surgery with an organ removal process or a simple diagnosis. It would be best to have someone to support works like cooking, cleaning, monitoring complications, reaching doctor for help, etc.
The helper can take care of whether you are taking the medicines on time, rest, carrying out the daily exercise, etc.
Your body needs rest after surgery, however, it is necessary to get up and move around every two hours to heal and eliminate gas, as per doctors advice.
- Splint your belly
Sleeping After Open Heart Surgery
BySusan Willis | Submitted On April 07, 2010
Open heart surgery is one of the more serious types of surgery you can undergo. And yet, with today’s surgical technology and well-trained doctors, survival rates are amazingly high. Most open heart surgery patients enjoy a full recovery and, as a result of the surgery, longer lives.
Heart surgery involves the surgeons making one or more relatively large incisions in the chest so that they can gain access to the heart cavity. The relatively high level of invasiveness of this type of surgery translates to longer recovery times than for most other types of surgery.
The recovery time after open heart surgery can be 6-8 weeks or longer. During this time, some patients find that they have trouble sleeping. This is due to a combination of the effects of anesthesia, pain or discomfort in the area of the incisions, the post-surgery changes to daily routine, and new types of stress.
If you are having trouble sleeping after surgery, here are 5 tips that can help:
1. Avoid napping during the day: When possible, try to avoid napping. Instead, go to be at the same time each night and get a full night’s sleep.
2. Take your doctor-prescribed medication about 30 minutes before going to bed: Your body likes routines. Take your medication at the same time each night, just before bed.
4. Try taking a slow, relaxing shower: Showers are a great way to reduce stress and get the body ready for sleep.
Things That Can Impact Your Sleep After Surgery
It can be helpful to understand the different variables that can reduce your ability to sleep. The most common reasons for an inability to sleep include:
- Anesthesia’s lingering effects
- Disruptions to your daily routines
- Stress, worry, or concern stemming from the surgery or other issues in your life
Fortunately, physical symptoms can be addressed with pain management techniques and will begin to get better over time. Patients tend to get accustomed to changes in their routine relatively quickly as well, so it might be helpful for you to know that sleep issues will improve with time on their own.
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Some Tips To Help Getting Better Sleep
- If the bypass graft has been taken from a large vein of the leg, it is important to sleep with legs elevated over two pillows and avoid crossing of legs.
- The doctor may also advise the use of compression bandage or stocking for legs while sleeping.
- Avoid sleeping for long durations during the day to avoid being restless at night.
Best Sleeping Positions After Surgery
So youve undergone surgery, but now you have another hurdle to jump over: the post-procedural recovery process. Your doctor at Specialty Surgical Center will explain what you can expect after surgery, but he may not cover a few comfort-related topics like what sleeping positions may be best after your procedure.
Of course, the sleeping position thats best for you is dependent upon the type of surgery you have. Nevertheless, weve created a quick, comprehensive guide with some of the best sleeping positions for after surgery.
Sleeping On Your Back
One of the best sleeping positions after any kind of surgery requires lying straight on your back. Surgeries performed on the spine, hips, legs, and arms often benefit most from sleeping on the back, especially when a pillow or rolled up blanket is tucked underneath areas of the body for support, like the shoulders, low back, knees, or ankles. Specific details regarding where your legs, arms, and toes should be placed vary, but for the most part, sleeping on your back with your arms at your side and toes pointed toward the ceiling may be best. This position helps keep your body neutrally aligned, so when in doubt, you may want to sleep on your back! Regardless, be sure to call Specialty Surgical Center if you have any questions or concerns.
Sleeping On Your Side
Sleeping On Your Stomach
For more information about Specialty Surgical Center, call 973-940-3166 or visit our Contact Page.
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Can Sleep Apnea Cause Post
Dr. Chan says its critical to identify and treat underlying sleep problems. A common one? Obstructive sleep apnea , which interrupts your breathing for brief spells throughout the night. It also harms the heart. In fact, a JAMA study found that severe OSA increased the risk of heart attack, stroke, and other cardiac complications in the month following major non-cardiac surgery. Treating it effectively, therefore, may not only improve your sleep, it just may protect your heart health, too. I recommend ongoing treatment of OSA before and after heart surgery, says Dr. Chan.
What Sleeping Position After Heart Surgery
A position that you feel comfortable with will be the best position for you. It makes sense to sleep on your back when you return home from heart surgery.
Some of you may even prefer to sit in a recliner and sleep in a slightly elevated position. If this position is comfortable for you, then go ahead.
Sleeping on your side is permitted if you find it comfortable, there are no real restrictions, and there is no need to learn any special techniques to learn how to sleep after heart surgery.
Your chest has been securely fixed together, and the incision may look large but rest assured the surgical team have fixed your chest robustly.
Will sleeping on your side cause pain? It may cause some aching, but the pain is managed extremely well after heart surgery. During surgery, your breastbone or sternum is injected with a local anaesthetic lasting around three days.
The long last local anaesthetic helps to control the pain postoperatively. Heart patients rarely are sent home with pain management.
How about sleeping on your stomach? Its not a great idea. If stomach sleeping is your preferred sleeping option, you should avoid this sleeping technique for a couple of months.
Sleeping on your stomach or chest after heart surgery will put additional pressure on the wound site and sternum.
Frequently after major surgery, your torso moving causes the most anxiety. However, with pillows to prop you up and give extra comfort, there should be no need for concern.
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You May Feel Like Youre On An Emotional Roller Coaster
Recovering from open-heart surgery involves physical and emotional healing. The recovery process uses emotional and physical energy.
If you feel upset or emotional in the weeks after your operation, dont worry this is a normal reaction. Many patients report these feelings up to three months after the operation:
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Mood swings that may include depression, fear, anxiety, loneliness, helplessness and anger
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Crying easily for no apparent reason
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Lack of energy or motivation
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Getting easily frustrated
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Having good days and bad days
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Feeling more emotional or sentimental than normal
Even though you may feel drained physically and emotionally, its important to follow guidelines for good self-care:
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Get dressed every day
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Walk daily within your limits
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Get plenty of rest
Avoid Drinking Liquids Before Bedtime
Drinking liquids before bedtime might not seem like a big deal, but after gastric sleeve surgery, it could cause some problems for you. When you drink liquids before bed, the stomach fills with fluid and expands to accommodate this. This can lead to discomfort in your upper abdomen and lungs if you are a side sleeper or on your back.
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More Strategies To Help You Sleep Better
To get a better night’s sleep with heart failure or any chronic condition, the main focus should be on good sleep hygiene, says Khayat. He recommends maintaining a regular sleep and wake time, avoiding alcohol and caffeine before bedtime both of which can disrupt sleep and putting your electronic devices to bed several hours before your bedtime. The light emitted from electronic devices can make it more difficult to fall asleep.
If your doctor says its okay, Khayat also suggests those with heart failure get daily brisk exercise. A cardiovascular routine that lasts 20 or 30 minutes about four to five hours before bedtime helps in improving their sleep consolidation, their ability to generate sleep and to stay asleep, he says.
Freeman is also a big fan of managing stress, whether its yoga, meditation, getting a handle on your finances or other issues that keep you up at night. Today, stress is at an all-time high, he says. The expression Ill lose sleep over it, is true. Stress really impacts how we sleep. Its important to do something mindful and stress relieving for 30 minutes every day.
Lifestyle medicine, as Freeman calls it, which includes managing stress, getting seven hours of sleep each night, exercising regularly, eating a predominantly low-fat, whole food, low-salt plant-based diet, and not smoking, can help manage heart failure symptoms and even prevent the condition from developing in the first place.
Additional reporting by Sandra Gordon.
Appropriate Sleeping Position After Laparoscopic Surgery
Sleeping and taking proper rest after the Laparoscopic Surgery is essential for your recovery. It is vital to maintain your mental and physical health after going through this major surgery. Following are the sleeping positions which will cause no problem after your surgery:
- Sleeping on your back
One of the best sleeping position after going through any surgery is resting straight on your back. If you have had surgery on your legs, hips, spine, and arms, this position will benefit you the most. Moreover, if you add a pillow underneath your body areas, it provides more support and comfort.
How your arms, legs, and toes must be facing can vary situation wise. However, straight back with arms at your side, legs straight, and toes facing the ceiling is the best position. The position helps you keep yourself neutrally aligned. So when having doubt how to sleep, sleep on your back.
- Sleeping on your side
There are certain conditions in which it is not advisable to sleep on your sides. Additionally, it is dangerous to sleep side-wise if you have gone through the hip or spinal surgery. However, if your doctor permits it, you can sleep sideways with a support system fixed between your ankles or knees. You can consult your doctor about the way it is safe to sleep at night.
- Sleeping on your stomach
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Best Sleeping Positions After Asd Closure Open Heart Surgery
sara2016
Good evening all
Im Sara im 32 years old, i had an ASD closure open heart surgery ten days ago, every thing is OK , but i had a terrible and painful pain in the chest every time i go to bed or get out of bed!
Is there a specific position for sleeping that will help me ?
Honestly i’m afraid that my position is wrong !
I will be very thankful if you helped me with the best position for getting in and out of bed
Thanks alot
6 years ago
I can’t answer your question but you should phone the ward you were in and
ask why you are getting that pain. Was it happening before you came home from hospital ?
I had a contact no for the physio who initially got me out of bed and walked me down the corridor and up two flights of stairs, sheer murder:-) She phoned me a few times to see how I was getting on with my daily walks and exercises.
For the first six weeks I had to sleep on my back, something I didn’t normally do. I put a pillow beside me to prevent me from turning over. It was a bit of a struggle sitting up and getting out of bed but I did not have pain to extent that you have.
Getting A Good Nights Rest After Gastric Sleeve Surgery
It can be difficult to get good sleep after undergoing gastric sleeve surgery, but it is important to make the effort. Not only will you feel better during the day if you are well-rested, but your healing process will go much smoother if you are getting enough sleep at night. This blog post has some tips on how to sleep after gastric sleeve surgery.
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How You Should Sleep If Youve Had Heart Failure
If youve had heart failure, you should speak with your doctor about any sleeping positions that you should avoid.
Sleeping on your right side may be the best option for people with heart failure. Although some people think sleeping on your right side could restrict blood flow back to the heart, theres not enough evidence to prove that its harmful.
If you dont have sleep apnea or any breathing problems, sleeping on your back may also an option for you.
A 2015 study examined the effects of lying face-up in participants with stable chronic heart failure. The researchers found that lying face up was associated with poorer blood oxygenation, respiratory mechanics, and blood movement compared to sitting.
Sleeping on your stomach may alleviate sleep apnea and snoring, but can also cause neck or back pain. Untreated sleep apnea is associated with an increased risk of heart failure , and many people deal with both.
If you have an implantable cardioverter defibrillator , you may find it more comfortable to sleep on the opposite side that its implanted. Most of ICDs are located on the left side.
Youll Play A Key Role In Managing Your Pain
Post-surgical pain is unavoidable but can be managed in a variety of ways. Because of recent national legislation changes, physicians can prescribe no more than a seven-day supply of opioids to patients at the time of their hospital discharge.
Weaning yourself off opioids as soon as possible is important. You may need less than a seven-day supply, depending on your condition. Some patients do not require any opioids for pain management.
Other options for pain management include:
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Oral and topical analgesics such as acetaminophen and Salonpas patches
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Applying a warm cloth to the area, using caution near the incision because nerve sensitivity may be decreased, causing the skin to burn
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Relaxation techniques such as meditation and guided imagery
If you are on long-term opioids, you should meet with your prescribing physician to begin to wean down to the lowest dose possible before surgery.
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When Should You Alert Your Doctor About Poor Sleep
Lost sleep takes a toll, both on your quality of life and your heart health. If insomnia continues to be an issue three to four weeks after your surgery, talk to your doctor. But dont wait even that long if you feel like your sleeplessness is having a significant impact on your daily life, says Dr. Chan. It makes sense to check in with your primary care provider, he says, who may recommend you see a sleep specialist to protect your hearts recovery process. Sweet dreams!
Can Worrying About Your Heart Actually Keep You Awake
Your emotions can make sleep difficult, too, says Guy Mintz, M.D., director of Cardiovascular Health & Lipidology at Sandra Atlas Bass Heart Hospital in Manhasset, NY. You can have a large degree of anxiety after heart surgery, says Dr. Mintz. Common worries: Am I going to have a heart attack? Is my heart very fragile? Such thoughts can intrude on your sleep, and your anxiety may make you prone to acid reflux, another enemy of sleep, he adds. Acid reflux causes heartburn and can be worse when lying down, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
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How Should You Sleep After Heart Surgery
There are currently 900,000 cardiac surgery procedures carried out in the USA each year and this number is predicted to rise to 1.3 million by 2026. The most common surgeries include coronary artery bypass graft procedures and surgical heart valve replacement , both of which involve invasive techniques that require careful post-surgery management. The quality and quantity of a patients sleep is highly likely to be affected in the weeks and months both before and after cardiac surgery. In an article published on the NCBI, Wen-Chun Liao concludes that…
Physical factors, including pain, dyspnea, nocturia, and cardiac function, and environmental factors, including noise, light, and procedures on patients, were associated with sleep disturbances during hospitalization. Psychological factors, including anxiety and depression, affected sleep during the first 6 months after discharge
If we look at the different stages of recovery after cardiac surgery, then we can adopt the recommended strategies for improving the quality and duration of sleep.
Immediately after surgery you are likely to spend some time in ICU and then on the cardiac ward before being discharged home. Sleeping in hospital is often difficult due to the unfamiliar smells, sounds and general activity that is not experienced when sleeping at home, never mind the pain from the surgical site and the aftereffects of the anaesthesia. The following ideas may help improve your sleep whilst in hospital: