Cardiac Surgery Q&A

  1.What should I pay attention to after discharge from the hospital after heart surgery?  A: In the first year after discharge from the hospital, pay attention to three things: 1 strictly limit physical activity, mainly walking and other light physical activities, avoid high-intensity physical exercise; 2 appropriate restrictions on drinking, especially after mitral valve replacement surgery patients, drinking water degree to not thirsty, mild thirst; 3 regular intake of diuretic potassium drugs, preoperative poor cardiac function, high pulmonary artery pressure patients should pay particular attention to the medication period, but also regularly check electrolytes, to see if the potassium ion is reduced. Check whether the potassium ion is reduced.  2.How long should I wear the sternal fixation belt after cardiac surgery?  A: 1 month after surgery, up to 3 months.  3.How to treat shoulder joint pain after cardiac surgery?  A: It is mainly caused by the low temperature in the operating room and the lowering of body temperature during extracorporeal circulation. You can use topical wound and damp pain relief cream, supplemented by heat therapy, and functional exercise similar to the method of frozen shoulder, with the affected hand gradually lifting up to touch the wall, increasing day by day to increase the range of motion of the affected limb.  4.What about fever after cardiac surgery?  A: First of all, to determine whether it is caused by infection, the method is to go to the hospital as soon as possible to check the blood picture, if the white blood cells are high, we should apply effective antibiotics to control the infection as soon as possible to avoid infective endocarditis; if the white blood cells are not high, it may be caused by cold or other reasons, you can take oral anti-cold medicine or anti-fever medicine, and recheck the blood picture every other day.  5.What should I do if I have a cough after cardiac surgery?  A: If it is a non-stop cough with more sputum, it may be inflammation of the lungs or trachea, and antibiotics are needed according to the blood picture results; if the cough is less when standing or sitting, and more when lying down, the sputum is more and thinner may be more water in the body, and the diuretic potassium should be strengthened; if the cough is non-stop and dry, without sputum, like irritation, you can see if the side effects are caused by oral antihypertensive drugs like captopril.  6.How much is the standard of valve anticoagulation?  A: mechanical valve replacement mitral valve, INR1.8-2.5; replacement aortic valve mechanical valve, INR1.5-2.0; replacement mitral valve + aortic valve mechanical valve, INR2.0-2.5; replacement mitral valve biologic valve, INR1.5-2.0; replacement aortic valve biologic valve, INR1.5-2.0; replacement mitral valve biologic valve, INR1.5- The mechanical valve is anticoagulated for life with oral warfarin anticoagulation for life to maintain the INR in the corresponding interval above; the biological valve is anticoagulated with oral warfarin for 6 months to 1 year to maintain the INR in the corresponding interval during anticoagulation. After 1 year of bioprosthetic valve replacement, it is possible to take no warfarin anticoagulation, preferably in small doses (e.g., one-quarter tablet, i.e., 0.75 mg) orally to maintain low-intensity anticoagulation, and the INR can be checked once every 3 months to avoid cumulative drug overdose, without the need to achieve the above required INR values. Tricuspid bioprosthetic valve replacement is more specific, requiring lifelong maintenance of anticoagulation and requiring INR values in the required range and monthly anticoagulation checks.