This guide is presented as a service by the Society of Thoracic Surgeons to help answer some questions that patients and their families often ask after their heart surgery or, sometimes, before their surgery so that they better know what to expect in their recovery. Despite these differences, however, some generalizations can be made. The material presented here was modified from the Discharge Instructions for Heart Surgery Patients developed by the Barnes-Jewish Hospital CABG Patient Satisfaction Team. It takes several weeks for your appetite to return.
Many patients notice that their sense of taste is diminished or almost absent.
It will return. Some patients even complain of nausea at the smell of food for a week or two after surgery. Have some swelling , especially if you have an incision in your leg. That leg will tend to swell more for some time. Elevating your legs will help.