Recovery guide Practical setup
Heart surgery recovery at home
Hospital has handrails, adjustable beds and someone within earshot. Home has none of those by default — and half an hour of preparation before surgery removes most of the friction from the first fortnight.
Posthorax Australia · Reviewed 30 July 2026 · About a 4 minute read
Prepare before you go in
Everything you do in advance is something you will not have to attempt with a healing sternum and no lifting allowance.
- Move everyday items to between waist and shoulder height — no reaching up, no bending low.
- Choose a firm chair with arms you can rise from using your legs, and set up a sleeping position you can get into without pushing with your arms.
- Batch-cook and freeze meals, or arrange deliveries for the first fortnight.
- Clear a path from bed to bathroom, and remove rugs and cords you could trip on.
- Arrange for someone to stay for the first week, and for lifts to appointments — you will not be driving.
The first week back
Fatigue, not pain, is what most people underestimate. Plan one main task a day; a shower and getting dressed is a legitimate morning at first. Walk little and often rather than once and far, and stop while you still have something left.
Getting in and out of bed is the moment the chest is loaded most. Roll rather than sitting straight up, and brace the chest before you cough. A fitted support vest does that bracing continuously, including overnight and in the car, where a pillow is no use.
What to have on hand
A firm cushion for the car seatbelt, a thermometer, bathroom scales for daily weights, a pill organiser, and a written list of who to ring. That is most of it — recovery equipment is a short list, and everything on it should either protect the sternum or reduce the number of times you have to bend, reach or lift.
Questions patients ask
+How long will I need help at home after heart surgery?
Most people want someone around for at least the first week, and some help with shopping and heavy tasks for the full six to eight weeks while lifting restrictions apply. Arrange it before surgery rather than after.
+Can I shower after heart surgery?
Usually yes, once your team says the wound can get wet — typically a gentle shower rather than a bath, without scrubbing the incision. Follow the wound care instructions you were given at discharge.
+Can I climb stairs?
Most patients can, slowly and without carrying anything, unless told otherwise. Take them at a pace where you can still talk, and use the handrail lightly rather than pulling yourself up with your arms.
Who writes this, and what it is not
Written by Posthorax Australia, the Australian distributor of the POSTHORAX® range, for patients and families after cardiac surgery. General recovery guidance reflects standard postoperative practice; claims about the device come from the trials cited on our clinical evidence page.
We are not your treating team and this is not medical advice. Where anything here conflicts with your surgeon, GP, physiotherapist or cardiac rehabilitation service, follow them.
Reviewed 30 July 2026 · Corrections: sales@posthorax.com.au