45. Nursing care of the patient undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting

Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery is indicated for patients with coronary artery disease to relieve symptoms, improve quality of life, and/or prolong life. Unfortunately coronary vascular disease (CVD) associated mortalities was one of the highest in the world. In Saudi Arabia, CVD was reported to account for over 22% of deaths each year, and another estimates showed over 42% of all deaths, attributed to CVD. The patient undergoing CABG surgery deserves to have confidence that the professional nurse is knowledgeable, caring, efficient, and effective in providing necessary perioperative care. Proper preparation of the patient and significant others, expertise during the intraoperative phase, and a thorough knowledge base combined with skill and compassion of the nursing staff during the postoperative phase increase the likelihood of a positive outcome for the patient. A compassionate, knowledgeable, and skilled nurse caring for the patient after open heart surgery is an asset in the achievement of positive outcomes for the patient and his/her significant others. The care of the CABG patient is intense, complex, and rewarding. The patient is admitted to the intensive care unit unconscious, intubated, and completely dependent on advanced technology as well as the expert care of the health team. Typically 24–48 h after the surgery, the invasive lines have been discontinued, the patient no longer needs to be mechanically ventilated, organ system function is returning to normal, and the patient is now ready to work toward increasing independence. Cardiac surgery is not the cure for coronary artery disease. It gives the patient the opportunity to make needed lifestyle adjustments and achieve the highest degree of health possible. Nurses are a part of the team that makes this return to health a possibility for the patient.