After coronary artery bypass surgery, most patients spend 1 to 2 days in the cardiac intensive care unit for monitoring. Monitoring includes continuous heart function, blood pressure and oxygen monitoring and frequent vital sign checks. Overall, the patient is hospitalized for about 1 week. Medications such as statins and cholesterol-lowering medicine are often prescribed after surgery. Most patients will take part in a cardiac rehabilitation program as a part of their recovery. Most people can return to work within 4 to 6 weeks and full recovery usually takes about 10 weeks.