Getting Back to Normal after Sternum Surgery
Typically, it takes about two months to get back to normal after sternum surgery, although it can take shorter depending on the extent of the surgery and on the healing abilities of a particular patient.
When to Contact your Physician
Once your hospital stay for your sternum surgery is complete and your doctors clear you to go home, you should keep a careful watch on your surgery site so that you can catch any troubling complications early. Although it is natural to feel some discomfort after a sternum surgery, there are certain signs that you should not ignore.
You should call your doctor, for example, if you notice a heightened redness, inflammation, or a feeling of warmth around the sternum surgery site. Similarly, if it seems as if the incisions are coming loose or that the wound is opening up, you are best advised to contact your healthcare provider. Other signs of an infection are a sudden increase in your temperature or if you notice any kind of discharge coming from your site.
You should also call if your sternum feels loose in your chest.
Caring for the Surgery Site
To avoid infection and make sure that your healing stays on schedule, it is important that you keep the site of your sternum surgery clean and dry. This means that you will need to use only the kind of soap your doctor recommends and that you should dry the site off right after cleaning it. Do not use any sorts of non-approved solutions as they may have a negative affect on the healing of the surgery site.
You should also pay careful attention to dietary restrictions during you healing period as they too may have a negative effect on the rate and quality of your return to full health.
Once the initial healing period has passed and you are okayed to do so, you may return to taking regular showers or baths. However, in the early period you should carefully stick to the recommendations above.
When you take a shower, it is important that you also follow other precautions. First, be sure that you keep the water temperatures at a moderate level. Very hot or very cold showers may lead to dizziness.
You should also try to face away from the spray while showering and make sure that you keep to short showers. Do not luxuriate in your shower or submerge your surgery site for long periods. Continue to keep your chest relatively dry, use normal soap, and avoid rubbing your incisions too vigorously. Be careful not to rub too hard when you are drying yourself either.
Pain and Recovery Medication
Your physician will most likely prescribe pain and recovery medications shortly after your surgery. Be sure to follow the instruction on the labels and to pace yourself. Avoid over-medicating, as this could slow the healing process and endanger your health. Whenever you are not sure about a medication, make sure to call you doctor and get clarification.
In addition, you should always be sure to check with your doctor before taking any other kinds of medications. Certain types of medication may have negative interactions with over the counter medications and with certain prescriptions.
Returning to Normal Activities
You should check with your doctor to find out when it is safe to return to normal activities such as driving and working. The level of activity and stress at your job site will determine when you are able to return to work. If you have a construction job or a job where you are constantly stressed, your physician may recommend a longer delay than if you have a very sedentary and calm job.
Although it may be inconvenient to live in such a restrained manner during this period, the pay-off will be a return to full and sustained health. As those of us who have suffered heart attacks know, this is not a gift to be overlooked.