Answers for heart patientsతెలుగులో చదవండి
Life after bypass surgery: the first 3 months
Dr Muralidar advises about 20 days of rest at home after bypass surgery. By then the stitches are out and the scar is less sore. Full recovery usually takes 2 to 3 months.
Everyone heals at their own speed. 20 days: Dr Muralidar’s advice. The rest: the NHS and the British Heart Foundation.
What is normal at first
- Pain in the chest, back or shoulders.
- Feeling tired for the first few weeks.
- Less hunger for the first few days.
Protect your breastbone
The breastbone and chest muscles take time to heal. For the first 12 weeks, do not lift heavy things. Do not do heavy work with your arms. This means no lifting children, no heavy shopping bags and no pushing heavy things.
Driving
The NHS in the UK says do not drive for at least 4 weeks. Ask your doctor when you can drive.
Every day
- Walk a little every day, and a little more each week.
- Keep taking all your heart medicines.
- Do not smoke.
- Eat less salt and more fruit and vegetables.
Many people are also given an exercise plan and support. This is called cardiac rehab. It means exercise and advice for heart patients, watched over by a doctor’s team.
What happens at Cardiac Rehab
- A doctor checks you first.
- You get an exercise plan made for you.
- You exercise for 90 minutes, 3 times a week, while the doctor’s team watches.
- Step by step, the exercise gets harder as you get stronger.
Why it helps with this
Dr Muralidar’s advice: after about 20 days at home, you can join exercise sessions with a doctor’s team. The team builds you up, step by step, while the breastbone heals.
A 2026 review of 107 studies looked at people after a heart attack, a stent or bypass. Those who did cardiac rehab had 28% fewer heart attacks. They had 35% fewer hospital stays.
Heart guidelines in the US (AHA and ACC) and in Europe (ESC) give cardiac rehab their highest grade: Class I, Level A.
Cardiac Rehab, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad runs these sessions.
Frequently asked questions
When can I start walking after bypass?
Very soon. Nurses help you out of bed the day after the operation. At home, start short walks as soon as you feel well enough.
When can I join supervised exercise?
Dr Muralidar’s advice: after about 20 days at home. By then the stitches are out and the scar is less sore.
When can I lift heavy things again?
Not for 3 months. Your breastbone needs time to heal. That means no lifting children and no heavy shopping bags.
This page is general advice. Your own doctor knows your heart. If your doctor has told you something different, follow your doctor.
Written by Dr. Muralidar Babi, MBBS, MD (CMC Vellore), Cardiac Rehab Physician.