Doctors perform heart bypass procedures when blockages in your arteries interfere with proper blood flow to the heart. Blocked arteries cause heart disease that increases the risk of heart attack or stroke. Bypass surgery helps clear the arteries. Patients may return to a normal activity level within weeks or months. Many heart bypass patients have gone on to successfully compete in the demanding triathlon, which includes swimming, cycling and running in a sequential endurance event.
Bypass Operation
In a heart bypass, surgeons replace the damaged arteries of the heart with pieces of veins or arteries from the legs. Blood diverts to the replaced vessels and bypasses the damaged arteries to increase blood flow to the heart. Patients may receive one or more bypass during the operation, depending on the condition of their arteries.
Recovery Program
Heart surgery patients, like recovered heart attack patients, go through a cardiac rehabilitation program that includes exercise, education on heart health and counseling to help return to an active life. The rehab program usually begins in the hospital following surgery. Doctors encourage patients to continue with the cardiac rehab program on an outpatient basis when they return home, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. The purpose of the program is to strengthen the heart to help patients return to normal activities. Doctors, nurses, dietitians and counselors work with patients for a safe exercise plan.
Exercise Routine
Physical activity helps protect heart bypass patients from future heart problems. The program depends on each person’s condition, age and physical abilities. Exercise routines begin slowly and gradually increase as your physical condition improves. A health care provider monitors your heart rate and blood pressure during and after activities and recommends proper activities as you improve. Exercises include walking on a treadmill, using a stationary bike or working with light weights. Low-impact aerobic exercises or classes help with your physical improvement.
Progress and Training
The recovery rate from heart bypass surgery varies among patients. Phil Sandifur, a patient at St. Luke’s Rehabilitation Institute in Spokane, Washington, participated in an Ironman triathlon a year after he underwent five-way bypass surgery at age 34. Following the operation, he spent 10 weeks at St. Luke’s cardiac rehabilitation program and then started regular exercise under a personal trainer at a local gym. He started with low-endurance activities but progressed rapidly. After his cardiologist gave him permission, he began training for the 2006 Coeur d’Alene Ironman competition in Idaho and successfully completed the event, which included a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike run and a 26-mile marathon. The activity level starts off slowly for bypass patients, but within months, some people may be ready for a triathlon.
