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Recovering from Heart Surgery

When to Call Your Physician
Please call your physician if you have:

  • Chest pain not related to your incision site
  • Weight gain of more than three pounds in one day
  • A temperature of 101.5° F or higher
  • Increased shortness of breath
  • The sensation that your heart seems to be beating very slow or fast, or is skipping beats

If you are taking blood thinners such as warfarin (Coumadin®), call your physician if you have:

  • Bloody or dark (black) tarry
  • Unexplained bruising or bleeding stools
  • Frequent or severe headaches
  • Dark or bloody urine

Follow-up Care
It is important to keep all appointments for blood work, tests, and physician exams. You also will receive an order for a chest X-ray. On the day you leave the hospital, the nurse will arrange a follow-up physician's appointment. If this is not done, please call the Division of Cardiac

Surgery at Northwestern Medical Faculty Foundation at (312) 695-2885 to set up an appointment. You will see a nurse practitioner or your surgeon during this visit.

Please note that it is important for you to see either your referring physician or cardiologist within two to three weeks after going home.

Talk with your physician about:

  • A referral to a cardiac rehabilitation or routine exercise program
  • Returning to work
  • Driving
  • Your current medications (your primary care physician or should refill your prescriptions after the first month upon returning home)
  • Any questions you may have

Contact
For more information regarding heart surgery and other available treatments, please contact the Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute at (866) 662-8467, or request an appointment online.

Visit the Northwestern Memorial Hospital's Health Learning Center and Alberto Culver Women's Health Learning Center. These state-of-the-art health information libraries are among the largest hospital-based learning facilities of their kind. For more information call (312) 926-5465.

Surgery Guide

Recovering from Heart Surgery
After Surgery
Preparing to Go Home
Home Care
Medications
When to Call/Follow-up

Review Date: 08/07