Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting

Return Clinic Visit

Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery
Peer Review Status: Internally Peer Reviewed

Tests
You may have a chest x-ray, EKG, and blood tests to check your heart and lung function and measure your red and white blood cells, if ordered by your doctor.

Treatments / Interventions
Your incision will be checked for any drainage, redness, swelling, or tenderness.

If you have stitches in place, these will be removed.

Medications
You may be taking a blood thinner to thin your blood, pain medication, medication to help your heart pump easier, and your routine medications. 

Diet
Same as hospital recovery stay

A dietician will ask: How you have changed your diet to be low in cholesterol with no added salt if you are a bypass patient or to include no added salt if you are a valve patient.

Activity
You should be following your home exercise program.

Arrangements for phase II cardiac rehabilitation will be made if needed.

You should be able to raise the breathing machine the same level or greater than you could at discharge.

Teaching
You will be asked if you need more help to stop smoking.

You will be asked:

• To state name, purpose and dose of medications with help of written materials.
• To state why you should drive no sooner than 4 weeks after surgery.
• To state how you have limited your activity at home to not lift, push, or pull greater than 5 pounds.
• To state when you can increase the amount of weight you are allowed to push, pull, or lift.
• Have you been attending your prescribed cardiac rehab sessions

Follow-Up Care Planning
Cardiology and rehabilitation appointments will be checked.

Follow-up letters to your local doctor will be sent

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