Important information before a heart operation

Is it necessary to have a heart operation?

Many cardiovascular conditions can be treated by a cardiologist, electrophysiologist, cardiac surgeon or vascular surgeon, or by a combination of these specialists.

Depending on the nature and severity of the disease the doctor will ascertain whether an operation is recommended. The final decision is made in agreement with the patient, their family, GP, cardiologist, electrophysiologist and cardiac surgeon.

While waiting for a cardiovascular intervention

During the period before an operation, good preparation is important. You should follow a number of guidelines:

• You absolutely must not smoke.
• If necessary, try to lose any excess weight, and keep to your diet carefully.
• Avoid stress as much as possible. If you are anxious or uncertain it can help if you are well informed beforehand and seek support from people who are close to you.

Diet

It is important to adopt a healthy lifestyle both before and after an operation. A healthy diet is an essential part of a healthy lifestyle. A low-fat diet is an important part of this. If your cholesterol level is too high, this speeds up the process that causes the coronary arteries and blood vessels in general to become blocked (atherosclerosis). In some situations (e.g. if you are overweight, have diabetes, high cholesterol etc.) a specific diet is prescribed. In this case the dietician will provide the necessary guidelines for you to follow.

Some tips for a healthy diet:

• Eat regularly and do not skip meals.
• Limit your intake of sugar and foods and drinks containing sugar.
• Eat less meat and more fish or vegetarian dishes.
• Salads and cooked vegetables are highly recommended.
• Eat two pieces of fruit per day.
• Have plenty of (semi-skimmed) milk, yoghurt and cheese (preferably low fat).
• Limit the amount of salt in your diet.

Stop smoking

Smoking is absolutely not recommended. It is not easy to stop smoking. Patients who want to reduce their psychological and physical dependency can receive help from the psychologist and the cardiac rehabilitation team. Help to stop smoking is provided in collaboration with a respiratory medicine specialist and your GP.

Negative stress

A life without stress is not very realistic, but high levels of stress can be avoided or kept under control. Signals that can point to negative stress include:

• Physical symptoms (tense muscles, headache, nausea);
• Psychological problems (anxiety, irritation, being worried or sad);
• Behavioural symptoms (smoking, excessive eating or drinking, feeling helpless and doing nothing, increased use of anti-anxiety pills, complaining and feeling resentful).

Are you under this kind of stress or have you noticed that you cannot cope as well? Do not hesitate to contact the psychologist in the cardiac rehabilitation team for an individual consultation. She can listen to you and teach you specific skills to help you deal with unhealthy stress.

In any case you should get in the habit of not pushing yourself too hard and avoid intense arguments and conflicts. Instead, listen to calming music, read enjoyable books, go for walks or do relaxation exercises.