I had opent heart surgery in Dec 2013. I still get very fatigued at times...experience shortness of breath...and experience pain in my chest and back. I also tend to cough up a lot of pflegm...Is this normal after open heart surgery? I just don t know what s normal and what s not and when I should be concerned and seek medical attention....
Hi welcome to Chat Doctor. I understand your query and concern. Its extremely important that you get evaluated for the productive cough or phlegm which is evident in the postoperative period of open-heart surgery. This can be a harbinger of chest infection. This should be detected and treated rapidly. For this I advise you to get a baseline 2dimensional echocardiogram and a high resolution digital x-ray chest. In many cases empirical antibiotics will help. This consists of twice a day cefuroxime protein for 5-7 days. This will cure infection in 99.9% individuals. Fatigue after major surgery is very common, due to the metabolic impact created by the surgical stress. This can be improved with good nutritional intake. In all cases avoid smoking and alcohol. One pomegranate a day for 3-4 months from here on will help to build the stamina and combat infections. Its extremely important that you report to your surgeon at the earliest to deal with your health issue along with health reports like baseline EKG and complete blood picture. Consultation with an expert cardiothoracic surgeon will help to formulate expert management. Post your further queries if any. Thank you.