Why no driving for up to 6 weeks after surgery?

[VegasBAV]

I've read a lot of things saying that doctors recommend no driving for up to 6 weeks after open heart surgery? Why is that? Is this a reasonable and necessary restriction that doctors place on their patients, or are they being overly cautious? Is it mostly because you are on painkillers or can you not steer?

Has anyone here started driving a lot sooner after surgery? I live alone in an area without good public transport and a 6 week driving restriction will be a major inconvenience that I'm not looking forward to.

 

[Bina]

Those of us with cut sternums are advised to wait until the bones have set, i.e. 6 weeks, just in case of an accident, hard braking,
or the need to wrench the steering wheel around, etc. And you wouldn't want to be hit by an airbag going off.
It is a good idea to put a small pillow behind the seat belt on your chest if you do need to be in the car.
A few members here have mentioned that they drove themselves down the road to pick up pharmacy prescrips, or small
items.

 

[marc_kowal]

Along with what Bina said, if you're on any type of prescription pain mediacation, your reaction time will be reduced which could lead to a nasty car accident.

 

[yotphix]

When you get the instruction not to drive (and you likely will) ask why. Then, weigh the possible consequences (split sternum, delayed healing of incision etc.) against the potential benefits (get where you need to go without help) and decide for yourself. Obviously, if you are on pain meds, you don't drive. Apart from that, you can break any of the 'rules' the docs give you as long as you are prepared to suffer the consequences.

I thought I was progressing faster than the docs said I would so early in my recovery, when I wasn't supposed to be doing heavy lifting, I painted my rental condo and replaced the floor. It hurt more than any other part of the entire process for days afterward. I wouldn't do that again but I can hardly complain since I certainly was warned!

 

[dwhist]

I hate to admit it, but I drove 1 week after surgery. My sons car broke down and I had to go get him. Was off pain meds. I knew to be extra careful so as to not need to do any quick actions. I survived, but it is a risk.

 

[Jkm7]

If your doctors tell you not to drive but you disregard those orders, your insurance well could refuse to pay if you have an accident.

My first surgery, my cardio gave me permission to drive at about 6-7 weeks. I did not feel up to it and waited another week.

My second surgery, four years later, the same cardio gave me permission to drive at not quite three weeks (on short hops for quick errands but no highways), and I felt up to it and drove with no problem. I went through the second surgery much easier than the first and recovered way faster.

We all heal differently and each person recovers differently from one surgery to another.
You cannot predict in advance how you will be and should try to arrange for at least a little help in the early weeks of your recovery.

 

[Luana]

I was able to drive 2 weeks after surgery because I did not have a sternotomy but a mini-thoracotomy (incision between 2 ribs) instead. It was one of the reasons I favored that approach. If not being able to drive for 6 weeks will be a problem, do ask about having a thoracotomy instead. I also did not have the difficulty of getting in and out of bed that most seem to have after a sternotomy, nor the need to sleep in a recliner, and I did not have the back and neck aches associated with having the sternum broken.

 

[Freddie]

Besides all the above and as former Driver Instructor, on pain meds or not you will be uncomfortable while driving. Shoulder checking surprisingly enough hurts, every little bump in the road feels like a major speed bump. Having a pillow between you and the seat belt is a great idea to protect the incision from the pressure from the seat belt, but it won't stop the vibration from the road conditions. Concentrating on the road, watching other drivers and plain old thinking on what you're going to do next could be and can be very tiring and exhausting on the brain that has been medicated.

I drove at 4 weeks and it was exhausting.

Take Care

 

[karla]

Ditto to what everybody said. I live in the country with no public transportation at all and kids are away at college, so I tried to make really complete lists for my hubby that would make it easy on him when things were needed and keep the extra running around to a minimum. i didn't even like to ride in a car until around 4 weeks, let alone drive. Here in western PA there are lots of potholes, sharp curves, ups and downs, etc and it just wasn't comfortable. In the long run, the period of time you can't drive is really just a little teeny tiny time period ( Notice I resisted saying "bump in the road!" )

 

[DanielB]

For me, the one thing that really irritated my sternum, even after six weeks when I started draiving again was the motion of turning the steering wheel and at times, turing to look over my right shoulder. Everyone does heal differently, and I have heard where four weeks is sometimes used as a benchmark, but, for me, six weeks felt about right.

 

[jake]

Being an automotive technician, as well as a driving enthusiast, 6 weeks is not unreasonable on a number of accounts my friend! Not to spend a lot of time mirroring what a lot of the boarders have mentioned, I will add just few thoughts

Pain Meds- Not everyone responds the same and it does not take a genius to figure out why no one should drive on narcotic pain meds. This is a given. You get pulled over, get blood tested, your on pain meds, your going to jail!

Sternum Healing - You wouldn’t pedal a bike after breaking your leg would you? Driving a car requires you to be alert and physically able to maneuver a car for better or worse. An evasive maneuver with a split sternum can not only be dangerous, it can be deadly!

Complications from surgery - I don’t know how many folks out here have reported complications in the first weeks after surgery. A-Fib, Low BP, High BP, Miniers Syndrome and other balance issues, breathing issues, vision issues, nerve damage issues, muscular skeletal issues, and, God forbid, serious complications like heart attack, dissection, valve failure and other things. Do you want to discover you have any of these issues while operating a 3500 lb land missile on a busy road or interstate?

Finally, consider that you could have something as simple as a near miss at a stop light or someone rear ends you. A near miss sends your BP through the roof and can send you into V Tack and cause you to black out! Imagine you getting broad sided or rear ended while recovering in the 0 - 6 week period. It could be catastrophic!

Sure, in a perfect world with no complications and no other drivers on the road and no problems with your car, drive the wheels off in the first 6 weeks. Problem is that we are FAR from a perfect world! To drive in the first 6 weeks with all we know that can happen to us and your being told NOT to drive by a suregon places you in huge legal problems if you DO have a problem. Your putting not only you but others around at risk if something happens and who ever is at fault, you would be wholly irresponsible! I respect your question and the fact that many of us felt well able to drive in the first 6 weeks after OHS, but the likelihood of catastrophe is so great, I can’t imagine in my widest imagination why anyone would want to tempt fate like that.

Lastly, consider this......If an OHS patient had a BP drop, lost consciousness or became disoriented, slammed into the back of my car or my wife’s car, and managed to survive, and my lawyer learned that you were less than 6 weeks post op knowing that protocol is to wait 6 weeks, and with pain meds in your system, a lawyer would grind you into pulp financially and legally for hitting their client! Furthermore, your insurance company WOULD NOT be required to cover you because you, for all intent, would be in a situation where you were not supposed to drive legally! Your surgeon would be on the stand testifying that you were NOT supposed to be driving, as would expert witnesses stating the 6 week protocol etc etc etc. Anything that you did while behind the wheel that involved an accident would be subject for your being prosecuted for negligence. Hey, not very cool but it’s the world we live in!

If I sound pretty harsh, it’s for a reason! We recently had a person who had major spinal surgery that was behind the wheel 2 weeks after his procedure black out and slam into the rear end of a car, killing 2 kids and seriously injuring their parents. What kind of an idiot does this after being told by a surgeon not to drive? Now that guy is being charged with vehicular manslaughter and will likely be sued for negligence civilly. How would you feel if you were just a few weeks out of OHS and this a$$hole slammed into you at a traffic light? I don’t even want to think about the outcome!

This is why you don’t drive in the first 6 weeks!

 

[Jkm7]

Of course, you make good points but you left out the judgment of our doctors/surgeons who know us and our level of recovery best.
Until they approve, you do not drive.
You may drive if your doctor(s) approve you for driving.
We are not all the same in our recoveries.
Some of us stop narcotic meds very early in our healing. Some hardly took them in the hospital at all.
We are all different.

 

[yotphix]

every little bump in the road feels like a major speed bump.
I drove at 4 weeks and it was exhausting.

Oh yeah! I had forgotten all about how bloody awful it was to ride on a bad road in the weeks following surgery. I was only on tylenol 3 when I was released at four days. It took the edge off of the chest pain, but was no match for the discomfort of being driven home, or out to appointments in the following weeks. Ugh. And when I did finally drive, it, like everything else requiring me to pay attention or do physical activity, was exhausting.

 

[Mom2izzy]

I was cleared to drive at 5 weeks, and with every turn I realized one of the reasons I was told not to drive sooner...it hurt to pull the steering wheel, it hurt to turn and look over my shoulder and it hurt to hit the bumps (for me going over train tracks was the worst and there is no avoiding them by my house). I figure If it hurt at 5 weeks, it could have actually done some damage earlier in my recovery.

Also remember pain killers aren't the only meds that cause problems for driving. I was never on a narcotic pain med at home, but the diuretic I was on gave me terrible dizzy spells...I could barely walk, let alone drive.

 

[Boston Tiger]

I was cleared to drive at 4 weeks, but I did not enjoy it at all. I was s l o w to get in and out of my sedan, and wished I had kept my nice tall SUV for a while longer. You really don't realize the muscles that you use when driving. For me, the most painful part was turning my head to check the sides when backing up. If my wife or kids were around, I let them drive me for a few more weeks. And that was a shock for my then 17 year old daughter, since I was a nervous wreck just a few months before surgery, when I had to take her out for her mandated 40 hours of supervised driving. That was the only time I felt chest pains in the time leading up to my surgery!

 

[escargome]

I've read a lot of things saying that doctors recommend no driving for up to 6 weeks after open heart surgery? Why is that? Is this a reasonable and necessary restriction that doctors place on their patients, or are they being overly cautious? Is it mostly because you are on painkillers or can you not steer?

Has anyone here started driving a lot sooner after surgery? I live alone in an area without good public transport and a 6 week driving restriction will be a major inconvenience that I'm not looking forward to.

Well VegasBAV,
As you can see, there are truly many many sound reasons to not drive before 6 weeks, so I will not add any more admonitions. However, knowing Las Vegas, you are likely correct about the sad state of public transport. However, if it is possible and either you or your health insurance can cover it, check into non-medical transportation. Driver comes to your door, takes you to appt then returns you home. Another suggestion would be, if you are a member of a church, possibly a fellow church member could drive you to your appointments and small errands. You didn't state when your surgery either will take place or has taken place. In any case, please stay safe as well as keeping those around you safe. Best wishes to you.

 

[tom in MO]

I am 53 and had an AVR last February with sternotomy. I was told I could drive at 3 weeks Post-Op, 2 weeks home. In my experience six weeks is out of line, unless you are frail/elderly or have other problems. I felt ready to drive at 3 weeks. I was told that the primary reason to wait 3 weeks was to get me off the heavy doses of pain medication, but being off narcotics was not part of the restriction, I found out this later. It was not comfortable driving for the first week or so, since hard turns were rough on the shoulder.

 

[JeffF]

I drove 3 weeks post-op and the biggest thing was pain associated with parking, looking back while reversing and making turns...

 

[neil]

the docs dont say 5 or 6 weeks just to cheese you off its for a reason,for your health and just as important other road users, plus i think if you was advised not to drive and had an accident your insurance could be null and void, yes its a bummer but driving before they say is careless at best

 

[ramjet]

in Australia, some motor vehicle insurance companies won't cover a driver if they have an accident and they are found to be driving prior to 6 weeks post cardiac surgery. As several folk have already said on this forum its not just about your sternum healing, and not just about pain medications, some folk are also on medications such as beta blockers, amiodarone, ace inhibitors etc, all of which can make your reaction time slower or make you light headed. You are also at greatest risk from complications during the early post op phase, such as sudden cariad arrhythmias. Even if your insurance company did cover you, if you had an accident, hit a pedestrian or wheatever, and it came out that you were driving against medical advice you could be held liable or be wiped by insurance. I was very fit and healthy prior to planned AVR surgery, and had no post op complications, but I find that I do get tired in the afternoon, and whilst I am driving now after 6 weeks, I could easily nod off behind the wheel so I avoid driving at night. Your ability to react and turn the steering wheel in an emergency would definately also be slower. Honestly, its not worth driving too soon, general medical advice seems to be don't drive until 6 weeks post op, and unless you have it in writing from a specialist otherwise, (remember some people will need much longer than 6 weeks before they are safe) its still good advice not to drive for at least 6 weeks.... for several good reasons. Remember you also have internal stitches and biological glue and biodegradeable sealer etc in and around your aorta, and around your valve and that needs to be replaced by stronger tissue growth etc. Take care good folk