Introduction
Coronary artery bypass graft surgery is a treatment for artery diseases. A patient with coronary artery disease will experience blockade caused by fatty blood vessels. The blockade limits oxygen movement within the artery and muscle. A successful artery bypass graft surgery will change the body composition of the patient (Theobald & McMurray, 2004). After a successful artery bypass surgery, the patient will experience symptom relief and prolong life. Thus, a plan of care for the patient is necessary for recovery (Eagle, Guyton, Davidoff, Edwards, Ewy, Gardner, Hart, Herrmann, Hillis, Hutter, Lytle, Marlow, Nugent & Orszulak, 2004). Developing a plan of care after surgery will reduce heart complications and diseases. Some changes include eating habits, lifestyle and diet control. Caregivers must develop a plan for the patient and family. Such plan will influence the recovery time of the patient. The ACC/AHA practice guidelines recommend clinical procedure and treatment for a cardiovascular patient. A summarized plan of care for coronary bypass graft surgery patient is based on the recommendations of the task force on practice guidelines.
Prior to discharge, the patient’s health status is examined to determine the level of stability. Prolonged stay in the hospital after surgery is recommended for the patient with slow recovery. Adequate care must be provided by clinicians after bypass surgery.
- Patient safety
- Keep the affected area dry.
- Follow a specified bathing program.
- Maintain body fluids.
- Medication
- Aspirin should be administered to avoid blood clot. Clopidogrel is used as an antiplatelet therapy. The patient should discontinue its use after one year.
- Chest pain can be reduced with nitrates. Nitrate supplements can bypass some blood vessels. The supplements can be short or long acting products.
- The patient can combine beta blockers with ACE inhibitor to lower the demand for oxygen. Blood pressure and heart frequency can be slowed by beta blockers. The medication should be taken daily to prevent complications.
- Lipid therapy must be used to stop atherosclerosis.
- Body hygiene
- Clean wounds to stay healthy.
- Discourage rigorous exercise to avoid complications.
- Report signs of pain, bleeding or high body temperature.
- Body rehabilitation
- A change in body systems after surgery is real.
- A treadmill can be used to monitor the body exercise.
- The frequency of the exercise depends on the strength of the patient.
- Recommend morning walks and evening cycling.
- Exercise must not exceed 20 minutes.
- Supervision is necessary during exercise.
- Risk factors
- The patient must abstain from smoking and drinking.
- Caregivers must examine blood levels.
- Determine the level of cholesterol.
- Enforce health diet.
- Nutrition
- The patient must avoid fatty animal products. Discourage the following foods:
- Ice cream.
- Cheese.
- Cream.
- Fried supplements.
- Meat.
- Chicken skin.
- Margarine.
- Baked products.
- Lard and butter.
- Oil palm.
- Patient must eat the following:
- Vegetables.
- Grains or oats.
- Berries.
- Sodium.
- Fruits.
- Omega-3 in olive oil or nuts.
- The patient must avoid fatty animal products. Discourage the following foods:
In summary, the surgery patient must implement a healthy heart diet to prolong and improve life. Calorie intake affects weight, gender, height, activity level and age. Thus, clinical practice guidelines should be recommended to prevent complications. Regular checkup must be administered to reduce complications such as infection, blockade, blood clot, and brain damage.
References
Eagle, K., Guyton, R., Davidoff, R, Edwards, F., Ewy, G, Gardner, T., Hart, J., Herrmann, H., Hillis, D., Hutter, A., Lytle, B., Marlow, R., Nugent, W., & Orszulak, T. (2004). ACC/AHA 2004 Guideline update for coronary artery bypass graft surgery. Journal of the American Heart Association, 35(1), 1-200.
Theobald, K & McMurray, A. (2004). Coronary artery bypass graft surgery: Discharge planning for successful recovery. Journal of Advanced Nursing 47(5), 483-491.