Medical Monday: Can I swim after heart surgery?
- keyanazahiri
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
Welcome back to Medical Monday! We hope everyone has been well and staying safe in the summer heat. Today, we will be continuing on our August theme of busting some common summer myths when it comes to cardiac surgery. Last week, we spoke about lifting weights after aortic surgery and today we will focus on a popular summertime activity – swimming.
After receiving cardiac surgery, there are a number of precautions to follow to ensure proper healing, prevent complications, and support a safe and successful recovery. If you received a sternotomy as part of your operation, it is critical to avoid strenuous activity and take things slow immediately post-op to ensure your wires stay in place so that your bone heals properly. Over your postoperative course, your care team will recommend gradual increases in physical activity to rebuild your strength. Swimming is a popular low-impact, full-body workout that can strengthen the heart and lungs, improve circulation, and boost mood — all of which are key to a healthy recovery. However, it is critical to avoid swimming for a while immediately post-op to allow for your wound to heal and avoid infections and straining your healing heart tissue and bones. While guidelines can vary, the general consensusn is to wait around 6-8 weeks until your incision fully heals before returning to swimming. Every patient’s recovery looks different, so it is important to maintain close communication with your doctor and care team before heading for a swim post-op. When you return to swimming, it is generally recommended to take things slowly by engaging in lower intensity activities such as walking laps in the pool for a while, until your sternum heals further, allowing you to gradually increase your activity and swim laps.
To summarize, some of the most important recommendations are to get the go ahead from your cardiac surgery team before returning to swimming, allow for your skin incision to fully heal first, take things slow, avoid cold water or water with extreme temperatures, and bring along a friend with you for extra safety. In conclusion, with the appropriate safety measures, swimming can be a powerful part of your cardiac rehabilitation following surgery.
Stay safe and enjoy your summer!
Keyana Zahiri
Brown Medical Student
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