Recovery guide Before surgery
The importance of a pre-surgery checklist
The week before surgery is the last time you will be able to lift, reach, drive and organise freely for two months. A checklist turns that week into the thing that makes recovery easier.
Posthorax Australia · Reviewed 30 July 2026 · About a 4 minute read
With your team, before the day
Get these in writing rather than from memory:
- Which medications to stop, continue or adjust — especially blood thinners, diabetes medication and supplements.
- Fasting instructions and what time to arrive.
- Whether you should have any dental or infection checks beforehand.
- What to do about smoking and alcohol in the lead-up — stopping smoking before surgery measurably reduces chest complications.
- Who to contact if anything changes, including if you develop a cold or infection.
At home, before you go in
Everything here is something you will not have to attempt with a healing sternum:
- Move everyday items to waist-to-shoulder height. Nothing important on a top shelf or the floor.
- Set up a firm chair with arms, and a sleeping arrangement you can get into without pushing with your arms.
- Cook and freeze meals, or arrange deliveries for a fortnight.
- Arrange someone to stay for the first week, and lifts to appointments.
- Clear trip hazards between bed and bathroom.
What to pack
Loose, front-opening clothing — nothing you have to pull over your head. Slip-on shoes with backs. Glasses, hearing aids, dentures and their cases. A short list of your medications. Phone and a long charging cable. Something to do that does not require concentration.
Leave jewellery, nail polish and valuables at home.
Order chest support before, not after
If your team has recommended a support vest, order it before you go in. It works best fitted within the first days after surgery, and delivery for the vest is typically one to three weeks — so buying it afterwards means going without during the period it matters most. Measure using the sizing guide, or call us and we will size it with you.
Questions patients ask
+What should I do before heart surgery?
Confirm medication and fasting instructions in writing, arrange help at home and transport for the first weeks, set the house up so nothing needs lifting or reaching, pack loose front-opening clothing, and order any chest support in advance.
+What should I pack for heart surgery?
Loose front-opening clothes, slip-on shoes, glasses, hearing aids or dentures with cases, a medication list, phone with a long charger, and low-concentration entertainment. Leave jewellery and valuables at home.
+Should I buy a support vest before surgery?
If your team has recommended one, yes. It is most effective applied within the first days after surgery, and delivery is typically one to three weeks, so ordering beforehand means it is there when it is needed.
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