It's Topic Tuesday at Aortic Hope!
One of the biggest complaints and questions we hear within the community is chest discomfort after surgery. Discomfort will definitely happen if you have had a sternotomy but this pain is unique. It can situate itself in the upper areas of the chest, under the collar bone, shoulder blade etc.
We are not medical professional so please discuss any discomfort you have with your physician however, feel free to share this article from The Society of Thoracic Surgeons, written by H. Orbay, MD, PhD, and C. Geller, MD. titled: Chewing Gum after Heart Surgery May Help Relieve Gut Problems.
This article is a "First-of-it's-kind" study that "examines the impact of 'sham feeding' on patient recovery."
"Chewing gum after heart surgery may kickstart the digestive tract, helping patients feel better and potentially be discharged sooner than those who don't use this generally safe and simple intervention, according to research presented today at the 18th Annual Perioperative and Critical Care Conference from The Society of Thoracic Surgeons."
To read the entire article, click here.