A heart attack is also called a Myocardial Infarction, or MI for short. When blood flow to part of the heart is stopped, oxygen and fuel cannot reach the pumping muscle. Like all tissue heart muscle dies without oxygen and fuel. The greater the area affected by the blockage the larger the injured area of heart muscle.
Sometimes a blockage can be opened with a chemical "clot buster" or with emergency angioplasty. The sooner blockage is opened, the less damage to the muscle.
Your doctor may not know for several weeks or months the amount of damage caused by your MI. The tissue may have been "stunned" from the injury and slow to wake up after the event.
Open Heart Surgery
Recovery after heart surgery involves healing of the heart, healing of the bone (sternum) and healing of the incision. Because of this, your nurse will give you very specific instructions before you go home. You will also receive a printed discharge instruction sheet.
Your sternum (breastbone) will heal like any other broken bone. It will be strong enough for most activities in 6-8 weeks, but is not completely healed for 8-12 weeks.
Your incisions will heal to a completely closed scar in 10 days to two weeks. This may change depending on your general health and other factors, such as diabetes, obesity.
You will heal faster and better if you maintain good nutrition. You need to be sure to eat enough calories and protein for your body to heal. The dietitian will meet with you to develop the best diet for you.
Return to pre-hospitalization activities
How soon you are able to return to your pre-hospital activities will be determined by your doctor.
Returning to work will depend on the type of work that you do, how many hours per day you work, and how well you are recovering.
You will need to exercise regularly for the rest of your life. If you have never exercised before, you will need to gradually start exercising. The Cardiac Rehabilitation staff will work with you to develop the best exercise progression for you. If you exercised before surgery , talk to the Cardiac Rehabilitation staff and your doctor about returning to your previous level of activity. Most restrictions are because of the needs of your body to heal.
Physiology of healing after a Heart Attack
After a heart attack, the heart heals slowly over time. Scar tissue forms where the muscle has been permanently damaged. Scar tissue will not function like normal heart muscle. This causes the healthy muscle to work harder. Over time, and with proper exercise, new blood vessels may develop to supply oxygen to this healthy muscle.
You may notice changes in your level of energy because your heart is not working like it used to. While you are in the hospital, you will be encouraged to walk around in the halls to help you see what your energy level is like. This also will help your nurses and doctor decide the best things for you to do after you go home.
When you go home, you may not be able to return to all of your normal activities right away. The time it takes for you to resume most of your normal activities depends on the amount of damage to your heart muscle. You do need to make sure that you are doing some exercise every day. The nursing and Cardiac Rehabilitation staff will help you determine what level of exercise is best for you.
Your doctor may prescribe outpatient Cardiac Rehabilitation classes for you. These classes allow you to learn the best way to exercise and to change your lifestyle to help decrease the risk of another heart attack.
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