Recovery guide Overview
Recovering from heart surgery
Nobody leaves hospital with a clear picture of the next two months. This is the short version: what the time is for, what makes it easier, and which changes mean you pick up the phone.
Posthorax Australia · Reviewed 30 July 2026 · About a 3 minute read
What the first weeks are for
One thing: letting the breastbone knit. Almost every instruction you were given — lifting limits, no pushing up with your arms, no driving, wear the chest support — exists to protect a bone that is held by wire until new bone bridges the gap, usually over six to eight weeks.
Everything else is secondary to that, including how energetic you feel on any given day.
The five things that make the most difference
- Walk little and often. Several short walks beat one long one, and stopping with something in reserve is the whole technique.
- Do the breathing exercises. They are treatment, not a formality — they prevent chest infections.
- Take the pain relief on schedule. Pain that stops you walking or breathing deeply causes complications of its own.
- Brace the chest. Before every cough, and when getting in and out of bed. A fitted support vest does it continuously.
- Go to cardiac rehabilitation. It is the intervention with the best evidence behind it, and the confidence matters as much as the exercise.
What to expect emotionally
Low mood, tearfulness and unexpected anxiety are common after cardiac surgery and rarely mentioned in advance. They are also treatable. Tell your GP or rehabilitation team rather than waiting for it to pass.
When to call
Contact your surgical team if the wound becomes more red, swollen or painful or starts to discharge, if you feel a click or movement in the breastbone, if you develop a fever, or if breathlessness, chest pain or palpitations are new or worse. In an emergency call 000.
Questions patients ask
+How long does recovery from heart surgery take?
The breastbone typically heals in six to eight weeks, which is when most restrictions are reviewed. Energy and stamina commonly take three to six months to return fully.
+What helps most during recovery?
Short frequent walks, the breathing exercises, taking pain relief on schedule, bracing the chest when coughing or moving, and attending cardiac rehabilitation.
+Is feeling low after heart surgery normal?
Yes, and it is treatable. Low mood and anxiety are common after cardiac surgery — tell your GP or cardiac rehabilitation team rather than waiting for it to lift on its own.
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