Your Cardiac Surgeons ask that:
- Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery patients with leg wounds wear stockings for 6 weeks after their surgery.
- Patients without leg wounds wear stockings during their hospital stay and until any swelling in their legs resolves.
- Valve surgery patients may only need to wear stockings during their hospital stay.
The reasons for wearing the stockings are:
- To improve circulation and reduce the risk of clots in the veins of the legs.
- To minimize fluid accumulation in the legs and good healing of wounds while allowing an early exercise program.
Your stockings should be put on after your morning shower or when getting dressed. Be sure to get all wrinkles out of the stockings so that pressure areas are avoided. Stockings can be difficult to put on so your family member will be shown how to help you with this.
Keep your legs elevated when sitting for long periods and avoid standing in one place for long periods.
The stockings must be kept on all day (can be removed while going to bed at night).
Note: If you wish, you can change the stockings to flesh color by soaking them in cold tea or coffee when you are discharged.