Maintenance after cardiac surgery

As long as the heart has been operated on, no matter the size of the operation, the patient's heart will be damaged to varying degrees. Therefore, the first thing to pay attention to after the operation is to reduce the burden on the heart and minimize it.

Wen/Zhang Youqing

68-year-old Zhang Laobo is a retired soldier. He has just been discharged from hospital after undergoing surgery for cardiovascular diseases. However, when Zhang Laobo returned home, he found that his physical condition was not as good as before. It used to be a common practice to get up early to exercise in the park, but now he is lazy to go out. He feels short of breath after a little exercise, and his body is heavily burdened. Looking back, when he galloped on the battlefield, he was in good health. Compared with now, he was inconvenient to move and even needed the help of his family to walk. It was difficult for Zhang Laobo to adapt. This time, he really felt old. Zhang Qizhu, attending surgeon of Cardiovascular Department of Wan Fang Hospital, said that as long as the heart has been operated, no matter the size of the operation, the patient's heart will be damaged in different degrees. Therefore, the first thing to pay attention to after the operation is to reduce the burden on the heart and minimize the burden on the heart.

need to control water after operation

Zhang Qizhu said that the main function of the heart is an important "pump" of the human body, and its function is to pump the whole body blood to various organs of the human body. If something goes wrong with this motor, it will affect various functions of the human body. Therefore, after undergoing heart surgery, patients mainly need to control water.

He explained that if patients drink too much water at ordinary times, water will accumulate in the body, and these "accumulated water" need to be pumped away by a water pump motor. At this time, the heart plays the role of a "motor", pumping excess water to the kidneys, prompting the kidneys to work and filter, resulting in urine excretion. However, the patient's heart function is weak after operation. Drinking too much water at ordinary times will increase the heart load, because the "motor" must increase the workload and form pressure, resulting in "the patient's heart can't stand it".

Zhang Qizhu said that after heart surgery, if patients accumulate too much water and can't discharge it, it will cause edema, and their hands and feet will look "bubbly", and because of heart failure and overwork, patients will feel breathless and very uncomfortable if they exercise a little. He said that this kind of patients can't lie down and sleep, because the heart is in a high position and water accumulates in the lower limbs. Once they lie down, the heart is as high as the feet, and the water in the lower limbs flows back to the heart, which increases the load on the heart and lungs. Therefore, they will feel uncomfortable and breathless.

The principle of less oil and less salt in diet

Therefore, Zhang Qizhu suggested that patients after cardiac surgery should record their weight every day, keep their weight in the most comfortable state in daily life, and don't drink too much or too little water. When they are particularly thirsty, they can drink one or two glasses to quench their thirst. It is not because of the hot weather that a large glass of water is desperately poured down, resulting in a burden on the heart and kidneys. He said that this kind of patients are most taboo to make old-age tea with friends. Three or five friends chatted together, and the old-age tea was one cup after another, and they accidentally overdone it.

"You should also pay special attention to your diet. Zhang Qizhu said that patients after heart surgery should avoid "swigging meat and drinking alcohol", and their diet should be kept light. Pickled foods, pickled melons, barbecue and other heavy-tasting foods should be classified as refusing to go out. Even if they want to eat, they need to taste it. Otherwise, if they overeat, there will be too much salt and sodium ions in their bodies, which will lead to water retention in their bodies, which will also cause edema and increase the burden on their hearts.

Zhang Qizhu said that the patient's heart and blood vessels are damaged, and so is his function. Even after the operation, he should master the principle of less oil and less salt in his diet, otherwise the oil content in his blood will increase, resulting in hyperlipidemia and plaque accumulation in the intima of blood vessels. If plaque accumulates in the heart blood vessels, it is easy to myocardial infarction, and it is easy to stroke if it accumulates in the cerebral vessels. If patients want to maintain health, they must start from their living habits. I'm afraid it's unacceptable for patients to change their long-term eating habits for a while, but "just eat habits", accept more simple cooking natural ingredients and light seasoning, and consider taking more high-fiber fruits and vegetables, which will not only help clear the stomach, but also help patients defecate smoothly.

Progressive exercise mode

Zhang Qizhu advised his patients not to smoke and drink, and should gradually increase their range of activities after recovery. Zhang Qizhu said that after the patient had just been lying in bed after the operation and recovered his health and physical strength, he would advise the patient to try to sit on the edge of the bed or in a wheelchair. Then, with the help of relatives and friends, he could advise the patient to walk slowly to the toilet. "No matter whether he is holding or pulling," that is, he must move.

Zhang Qizhu said that patients who have undergone heart surgery should exercise gradually. When they get used to getting out of bed, they should try to walk out of the house slowly. Even sitting in the living room watching TV is better than lying in bed. Therefore, he would suggest that when patients move freely at home and don't feel too burdened, they can also try to go out of the house. Many elders have the habit of walking and exercising in the park. Therefore, once patients after heart surgery begin to go out of their homes, they should also gradually train, starting from a short distance, pushing their own wheelchairs or walking with crutches and walkers, stopping to rest when they are tired, and then gradually lengthening the distance.

He said that many patients are used to lying down and are too lazy to move after operation, which will make the cardiopulmonary function lower and lower, not only breathing more and more, but also edema, even lying down for too long, which will lead to skin compression, bedsore and affect the quality of life. Therefore, doctors say that patients after cardiac surgery can't do what people know as "exercise", and they suggest walking slowly and hiking, and that patients should gradually train their cardiopulmonary function by exercising their bodies. Many "hard-working" patients can recover their cardiopulmonary function to more than 9% before surgery.

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