MVS provides focused care involving your bodies’ vessels. The vascular system is complex, and there are many different types of surgeries that vascular surgeons might perform over their careers.
Regardless of the type of surgery you need, there are ways you may speed up your recovery and improve your vascular health at the same time.
1. Quit Smoking Before Surgery.
For smokers who have just had a painful, life-altering medical procedure, it might seem like second nature to reach for a cigarette.
However, cigarettes have a profound impact on vascular health. Talk with your doctor before your vascular surgery to discuss the best options for you to quit smoking. Planning can make quitting more manageable and put less stress on you after your surgery.
2. Adjust Your Medications According To Your Doctor’s Advice
Depending on the type of vascular surgery you need, your doctor will talk to you about altering your medications. For specific vascular injuries, like artery revascularization, you may be asked to take blood-thinning medications like aspirin to prepare. However, before other vascular surgeries, like thoracic aortic aneurysm repair, your doctor will recommend going off blood thinners.
Regardless of the type of surgery you have, you must listen to the consulting surgeon and your doctor to ensure that you are taking or avoiding certain medications based on your case.
3. Rest
As with any surgical procedure, getting enough rest is important. Rest is part of your body’s natural healing process.
With vascular surgery, rest is vital. Not only does it give your body time to repair, but it also eases the strain on your vascular system.
After vascular surgery — especially significant vascular surgery– you will want to ensure that you get a good night’s sleep each night, take a break from significant cardiovascular activities (work, gym, and personal), and keep your stress levels low. Ask significant others, family members, and friends to help you with heavy housework, cooking, cleaning, and taking time off from work according to your doctor’s recommendations.
4. Make Adequate Lifestyle Changes
We already discussed the impact that smoking can have on vascular health. Quitting smoking is only one of several lifestyle choices a person with vascular disease can make to improve their health. Making these changes before and after vascular surgery can make a massive difference in health overall, not just your vascular health.
- Eat a nutrient-rich, low-cholesterol diet. Limiting the amount of trans fat, cholesterol, empty carbohydrates, added sugars, and extra salt in your diet can be extremely helpful to vascular health.
- Get adequate amounts of appropriate cardiovascular exercise. While you should avoid cardiovascular exercise before and just following surgery, talk to your doctor about appropriate forms of cardiovascular exercise that can help your heart and vascular system without putting a strain on it in the weeks following your recovery.
- Drink plenty of water. Water is essential to the body’s natural healing process, stress reduction, reducing alcohol consumption, and will help you manage your food cravings (if that is a recurrent issue).
- Manage stress. Anxiety raises blood pressure and may further hurt your vascular health. Talk to your doctor about how to best manage your stress. They may prescribe anti-anxiety medications, or they may recommend mindful meditation.
Additionally, you should always make sure that you see a doctor at least once a year so that they may monitor your vascular health. To get in touch with a vascular specialist at MVS, please visit us at mvsdoctors.com.