Tag: My lifestyle

You do not have to have drink to excess or be dependent on alcohol to benefit from a significant reduction, or a complete stop, in your drinking.

Whether you drink occasionally or regularly, consuming alcohol in the days and weeks before the intervention can greatly increase your risk of complications.

 

The risks from alcohol

Even small amounts of alcohol affect your body’s reaction to the procedure, and make it more likely that you will have problems either during or after your operation.

Alcohol increases your risk of heart muscle injury, lung infection, and bleeding and reacting badly to the anaesthetic drugs.

To give your body the best chance of a successful recovery, avoiding alcohol both before and after your heart procedure is strongly recommended.

If you regularly drink more than three alcoholic drinks per day, tell your care team or doctors before your operation.

They will not judge you; they need to know because the effects of alcohol withdrawal are also dangerous and increase your risk of complications from your procedure.

 

The benefits of not drinking alcohol

All reductions in alcohol intake in the weeks prior to intervention will improve the outcome and results of your procedure.

 

Tips to help you stop drinking alcohol

Stopping anything that has become a habit is difficult, even if it’s only for a few weeks.

Here are some tips to help you stay motivated:

• Set a date to stop. Write this date down to make it more ‘official’.

• Think about why you are stopping. You could write this down too. For example, “I will stop drinking next Tuesday before my operation at the end of the month so I can get better faster.” 

• If you find that habits, places, times or behaviours trigger your desire to have a drink, plan how you can avoid those situations and what you can do instead to distract yourself.

• You could do an activity like going for a walk, doing something else or calling a friend for a chat and to get support.

• Set small but achievable milestones, such as a day, then a week, without drinking. Reward yourself when you reach these targets.

LOCAL INPUT REQUIRE Talk to your general practitioner or hospital care team for help and advice about resources and support groups that are available to you.

Smoking is an unhealthy habit that significantly increases your risk of developing coronary artery disease, heart disease, stroke, and blood clots.

In addition, smoking also affects your body’s ability to recover after the procedure.

Cigarette smoke directly affects the healing process: smoking increases the time taken for wounds to heal, increase the chances of wounds becoming infected and can lead to scars becoming more prominent.

Research has shown that smoking increases the risk of developing lung infections, having a heart attack or a stroke after surgery.

This risk is even bigger if you already had angina in the past or have a condition like diabetes or high blood pressure.

Even just stopping smoking for a few weeks around the time of your operation will improve your chances of healing successfully.

 

When should you stop smoking?

Giving up smoking entirely as soon as possible is always the best option, but if you can stop smoking in the 6-8 weeks before your operation this will really help your lungs to clear. This not only reduces your risk of lung infections after the

TAVI procedure but it also improves the transfer of oxygen to your blood and this will help your heart and blood vessels to heal more quickly.

Even stopping smoking for 2-3 days before your planned procedure will increase the amount of oxygen that your body can absorb and this will help to stabilise your heart rate and improve the success of your operation.

It is very important that you do not smoke anything in the 24 hours before your operation.

LOCAL INPUT REQUIRE Talk to your general practitioner or hospital care team for help and advice about resources, support groups and nicotine replacement therapies that are available to you to help you quit.

 

How can you quit smoking?

Motivation and goal setting are key to changing any habit. Many people find that it has helped them to set a clear date to quit; you can mark it on your calendar.

You could also add the exact reasons why you want or need to stop smoking.

Suggestions include: to be able to return to a normal routine as quickly as possible after the procedure or so that you can stay healthy throughout your treatment and help to stay healthy in the future.

Use these reasons to motivate you when things get hard and your willpower is weak. When things are especially difficult, do not hesitate to ask for help from people you trust to help you quit and to keep you motivated.

Tell them how you are feeling. The distraction of the conversation, along with their support, will help to ease your cravings and keep you on track.

 

You should also try to notice habits, places, or even people that trigger your desire to smoke. If you can, avoid or minimise these triggers while you are trying to quit.

Replace these habits with things like going for a walk, an alternative activity, seeing friends, doing crossword puzzles, reading … anything non-smoking related to help distract you!

Be realistic about your progress and try to remain positive, despite any setbacks. Set small milestones towards quitting and reward yourself when you reach them.

For example, when you go a full day without smoking, then a full week, then a full month etc. treat yourself to a small reward. This will help you stay on track and motivated.