Also many people who are having CABG surgery also may have some plaque in the arteries of their legs as well so blood flow to the legs may be lessened which delays healing and increases pain. As patients are up and about the motion of walking will disturb the incisions as well. A skilled surgeon or physician's assistant who does the vein removal procedure often has much to do with how much pain the patient experiences after surgery. In our hospital the physician's assistant who does most of the vein removals told me he doesn't make an incision at the knee joint and tries to use as little cautery as possible to decrease possible post operative pain. If the doctors and nurses caring for coronary bypass patients are more aware of this we will be more able to help our patient's heal faster and with less pain.
Preoperative teaching is the major responsibility of the nurse.
When patients are educated it's easier for them to understand why they may be anxious, which may in turn be the cause of more pain.