The Importance Of Patient Teaching For Post CABG Surgery

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Identify patient teaching that is necessary post-CABG surgery.

It is very important that as a nurse you fully explain the process of healing and any restrictions that the patient will encounter post surgery. Furthermore, it is vey helpfull to the recovering patient if the entire recovery process is explained to them. This teaches the patient about their recovery, involves them actively in the process, provides opportunities for further teaching where a knowledge deficit is present, and gives the patient an opportunity to ask questions. Below I have included information from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. The Institute's information is a good guideline to follow in order to ensure that all aspects of recovery are discussed with the patient. According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood institute the patient's recovery will begin with “Recovery in the Hospital. After surgery, you'll typically spend 1 or 2 days in an intensive care unit (ICU). Your health care team will check your heart rate, blood pressure, and oxygen levels regularly during this time. An intravenous (IV) line will likely be inserted into a vein in your arm. Through the IV line, you may get medicines to control blood flow and blood pressure. You also will likely have a tube in your bladder to drain urine and a tube in your chest to drain fluid. You may receive oxygen therapy(oxygen given through nasal prongs or a mask) and a temporary pacemaker while in the ICU. A pacemaker is a small device that's placed in the chest or abdomen to help control abnormal heart rhythms.Your doctor also might recommend that you wear compression stockings on your legs. These stockings are tight at the ankle and become looser as they go up the legs. This creates gentle pressure that keeps blood from pooling and clotting.While in the ICU, you'll also have bandages on your chest incision (cut) and on the areas where arteries or veins were removed for grafting.After you leave the ICU, you'll be moved to a less intensive care area of the hospital for 3–5 days before going home. Recovery at Home. Your doctor will give you instructions for recovering at home, such as:
How to care for your healing incisions
How to recognize signs of infection or other complications
When to call the doctor right away
When to make followup appointments
You'll also learn how to deal with common side effects from surgery. Side effects often go away within 4–6 weeks after surgery, but may include:
Discomfort or itching from healing incisions
Swelling of the area where arteries or veins were removed for grafting
Muscle pain or tightness in the shoulders and upper back
Fatigue (tiredness), mood swings, or depression
Problems sleeping or loss of appetite
Constipation
Chest pain at the site of the chest bone incision (more frequent with traditional CABG)
Full recovery from traditional CABG may take 6–12 weeks or more. Nontraditional CABG doesn't require as much recovery time. Your doctor will tell you when you can become active again. It varies from person to person, but there are some typical time frames.Often, people can resume sexual activity and return to work after about 6 weeks. Some people may need to find less physically demanding types of work or work a reduced schedule at first.
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