What is Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery Recovery Like?
Note: Recovering from minimally invasive coronary artery bypass surgery, the preferred method of coronary artery bypass surgery at the University of Maryland Medical Center, is usually much shorter and less painful than traditional coronary artery bypass surgery, and allows patients to resume their normal activities much more quickly. To learn more, visit the following web pages on these less-invasive, robotically assisted procedures: Totally Endoscopic Minimally Invasive Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery, Minimally Invasive Direct Coronary Artery Bypass and Hybrid Coronary Intervention
After the operation, the patient is transported to an intensive care unit for postoperative observation where the doctors watch carefully for adequate heart function. Patients can drink, eat, and walk around very quickly. They are usually discharged home within four to five days after the operation.
Our minimally invasive TECAB procedure eliminates the need for a large (6-10 inch) incision made down the sternum (breastbone) to access the heart, which reduces the patient's surgical trauma. Other potential benefits that impact patient recovery include:
- Less pain (and need for pain medication)
- Less scarring
- Shorter hospital stay
- Quicker recovery and return to normal activities, and even light sports, within two to three weeks after the intervention.
- Less bleeding and need for blood transfusions
- Lower risk of infection
- Bypass grafts can stay open and supply the heart with blood for a very long time. These so-called internal mammary arteries show durability rates in the 20 to 30 year range; they are the best option for a patient with coronary artery disease.
- Except for aspirin, which a patient with coronary artery disease has to take anyway, no blood-thinning medication is necessary.
