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Recovery Time After a Heart Bypass

Heart bypass surgery is used to bypass a blocked artery and restore normal blood flow to the heart. A healthy blood vessel is removed from another part of the body and is connected to other arteries of the heart. Because this is major surgery, recovery time takes several weeks.

  1. Breathing Tube

    • According to the Mayo Clinic, patients use a breathing tube in the mouth that is connected to a ventilator during heart bypass surgery. The patient uses the breathing tube for a few hours after surgery until he can breathe on his own.

    Intensive Care

    • Patients spend one or two days in an intensive care unit after coronary bypass surgery. A patient's vital signs are continuously monitored by medical staff.

    Hospital Discharge

    • Heart bypass patients remain in the hospital after leaving the intensive care unit, but they are often discharged within a week after surgery. Patients will be weak after returning home and will have difficulty performing everyday tasks.

    Home Recovery Period

    • Patients will need to recover at home for six to 12 weeks. Patients may resume work, sexual activity and exercise when these activities have been approved by a doctor.

    Risks

    • Complications from heart bypass surgery are uncommon. They include heart rhythm irregularities, kidney failure, chest wound infections and, in rare cases, impaired thinking, memory loss and stroke.

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