Heart surgery is one of the major operations. Coronary artery disease or blockage in the arteries is a metabolic disease, so even after surgery preventive measures need to be done. More important here is to know that if one gets heart disease, its always better to take treatment in the form of surgeries, if required, at a proper time rather than delaying them out of fear.
This helps in better. positive and durable outcomes and reduces the risk of more surgeries.

For heart surgeries, technology and techniques have now improved so much that these days outcome are good with high success rates. For instance:

> For coronary artery disease almost all these cases are done on beating heart surgery which has for the last 16 years significantly reduced the stress on the body.

> Even in valves we have very good tissue valve where no need to take blood thinners daily after first 3-months and getting these blood test done frequently is not required.

> Repair of heart defects at proper age brings out quality of life to 90% of normal and increase the life expectancy

Having said that, once surgery is done its our responsibility to make it durable. Thus, secondary prevention is important.
This includes:

> Aspirins or antiplatelet therapy. It is reasonable to continue it indefinitely, all

> Unless contraindicated, CABG patients should receive statin therapy. starting in the preoperative period
and restarting

> Hypertension management is essential. Diabetes mellitus striving to achieve an HbAic of 7% is a reasonable goal for most patients after CABG.

> Smoking cessation is critical, and counselling should be offered

> Mental health and cognitive decline, it is reasonable to screen for depression.

>Vitamin supplementation in patients with specific vitamin deficiencies maybe considered for patients undergoing CABG.

The doctors at OJAS Super Speciality Hospital, Sector 26, Panchkula, have Launched many initiatives to facilitate a person with quality surgeries as well as good and early recovery with the help of cardiac rehab programme within and in the periphery with patients and local physician through Dr Sarwal’s iConsult, an app specially developed for 24×7 connect with the surgeons.

The above article has been contributed by Dr Virendar Sarwal.

Disclaimer: The veracity of any health claim made in the above article is the responsibility of the hospital/doctor concerned.