Cardiac surgery – Myths to Know

Myth: Cardiac surgery should be considered as the last option

Fact: Any cardiac surgical procedure can produce best results only when done at an appropriate time. If surgical treatment is unnecessary delayed there are very high chances of heart developing permanent weakness which would unnecessary make surgical treatment riskier and less effective. Timely cardiac surgery can be rightly put as – “A stitch in time saves nine”.

Myth: Cardiac surgery is very risky.

Fact: In the current era the risk associated with a planned cardiac surgical procedure like Bypass surgery or valve replacement surgery or hole in Heart Surgery etc. is very less. The success rate of timely done surgery is more than 95%.

Myth: Cardiac surgery is very painful

Fact: The patient is made to sleep comfortably during the entire procedure by anesthetic medicines and the patient will not have any pain and will not even know when the surgery was done. Very good painkillers are now available which keep patients very comfortable and pain-free during the recovery period after the surgery.

Myth: There is a lot of restriction to physical activity after cardiac surgery

Fact: There are absolutely no restrictions on physical activity after cardiac surgery. Usually, patients recover completely in 10-12 days and they can do their office work. After another week or two they can do all types of physical activity like jogging, running, swimming, etc.

The writer, Dr. Rachit Saxena is a Senior Consultant Cardiac and Aortic Surgery at Narayana Superspeciality Hospital in Gurugram