How to care after aortic valve surgery?

Rest after major surgery, in addition to following the doctor's instructions to take medication and check on time, daily care also plays a big role in recovery from the disease. Aortic valve replacement is a thoracic cardiovascular surgery procedure that replaces the original diseased or abnormal heart valve with an artificial valve. So, how should you care for yourself after aortic valve surgery? Let's follow the editor to learn about it.

Aortic valve replacement is a thoracic cardiovascular surgery that replaces the original diseased or abnormal heart valve with an artificial valve. It is indicated for aortic valve stenosis and aortic valve regurgitation. How to care after aortic valve surgery? The three months after surgery is considered the "early postoperative period", which is an important stage for recovering from the trauma caused by the surgery and related measures, improving physical fitness, and stabilizing the balance of various systems and organs. Within 3 months after the operation, the patient should get enough rest, arrange his/her work and rest time regularly, avoid overwork, overexcitement and participation in social activities; prevent colds, if caught, take medication immediately; increase activities appropriately and gradually, and do what he/she can. If he/she feels anxious or short of breath, he/she should rest immediately and reduce the amount of activity; pay attention to increasing nutrition in diet, eat more fruits, replenish the mouth, avoid overeating and alcoholism, oranges, bananas, orange juice, these are high in potassium, so patients undergoing valve replacement can eat more of these fruits. Control the intake of salty foods and pay attention to food hygiene; take some necessary medicines on time according to the doctor's instructions when discharged from the hospital, such as anticoagulants, digitalis cardiotonic diuretics and potassium salts. During the period of use, you should pay attention to changes in your urine volume, and whether you have edema or heaviness in your limbs. Check prothrombin time regularly. Go to the hospital for a follow-up check 3 months after the operation. If the recovery is smooth and the body can successfully resume work, gradually increase the workload without panic or shortness of breath, and wait for another 2-3 months. You can resume full-time light work, and then gradually try to transition to normal work. Don't be happy for a while and suddenly increase your workload, which will cause damage to your heart function. In addition, attention should be paid to preventing infection after aortic valve surgery, especially after heart valve replacement surgery, because the artificial valve is a foreign body in the body, and patients are prone to infective endocarditis after infection. Once it occurs, timely treatment is required without delay. No matter which part of the body is inflamed, such as boils, gingivitis, colds, traumatic infections, pneumonia, nephritis, etc., you should seek medical attention in time, use antibiotics immediately, and control it as soon as possible.

After aortic valve surgery, in addition to strictly following the doctor's instructions to take medicine and check on time, you should pay attention to arranging your work and rest time reasonably and getting enough rest in your daily life; pay attention to a balanced diet, eat more vegetables and fruits, and insist on doing proper exercise. Only in this way can you recover soon. How to care after aortic valve surgery? The specific matters that need attention have been explained in detail above, so I will not repeat them here.