You will get back to hill-walking after triple heart bypass
I AM awaiting triple heartbypass surgery. Realistically, how long will it be before I return to full health? I’m really keen to get back to hill-walking. BYPASS surgery is a treatment for angina or heart disease, to get blood around the arteries of the heart that are furred up and narrowed. This narrowing causes the symptoms of chest pain.
If the blood can travel to the heart muscle another way thanks to the bypass, the symptoms are much improved.
A triple bypass involves grafting three blood vessels into the heart circulation – usually these will be veins taken from elsewhere in the chest, legs or arms.
Surgery involves a stay in intensive care or highdependency unit followed by about a week in hospital. Patients are usually up and walking a day or two after surgery.
Of course the recovery depends on exactly how the surgery is done – some techniques are more invasive than others – as well as prior levels of fitness and age. But usually it is thought to be two to three months to full recovery.
At this point, most people will find they have significant relief from their angina chest pains and a much improved quality of life – and yes, hill-walking would be on the agenda again, along with other activities.
Make sure you stick to the cardiac rehabilitation exercise programme that’s given out as standard for two to six weeks after leaving hospital, as this has been shown to reduce the risk of further heart problems. I SUFFER cramp in my legs, sometimes up to five times each night. I was prescribed quinine for this, but it didn’t work and my GP took me off them because of side effects. I have heard that keeping hydrated, using Epsom salts in the bath, which contain magnesium, and giving up alcohol helps. But nothing works. Do you have any suggestions? NIGHT cramps are not only very painful but debilitating due to the poor health that results from broken sleep.
The problem, which tends to affect the calf muscle, is very common – a recent US study revealed that a third of adults have night-time leg cramps at least once a week.
Most cramps are termed idiopathic. That means we don’t know the cause, but certain underlying conditions should be ruled out by doctors – for example circulatory and neurological problems, thyroid disease, diabetes and liver disease. Medications including statins, anti-inflammatories and blood-pressure drugs such as nifedipine and diuretics can also be a cause. Stretching the muscles throughout the day, three times a day is useful.
For calf cramps this involves straightening the leg and pulling the toes up towards the shin.
Quinine is suggested but is known not to be a panacea due to side effects including headaches and dizziness in many sufferers.
Supplements containing Vitamins B or E may be of value, as could the neurological painkiller gabapentin.