Using your arms to get out of and into a bed, chair, or couch can put pressure on your healing sternum. These instructions show you how to do these things safely.
Your nurse or doctor may have shown you a different way to do these things. If so, follow their instructions.
A sternotomy is a procedure that allows your doctor to reach your heart or nearby organs and blood vessels. First the doctor made a cut (incision) in the skin over your breastbone (sternum). Then the doctor cut through your sternum. When your surgery was finished, the doctor reconnected your sternum. If the doctor used wire to close your sternum, the wire will stay in your body even after your sternum has healed.
Full recovery from surgery that includes a sternotomy can take months. Recovery includes healing of the sternum and slowly building up your physical strength.
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