A Randomized Trial of Standard of Care Sternal Precautions VS Self Managed Care
Our study aims to compare postoperative outcomes, postoperative pain and postoperative quality of lives in patients who receive the standard sternal precautions to those in patients who received self-managed sternal precautions following sternotomy for cardiac surgeries. The purpose of the study is to see if self-managed sternal precautions following sternotomy for cardiac surgeries lead to better quality of lives while maintaining same postoperative pain and rate of postoperative adverse events than standard sternal precautions. Postoperative pain and postoperative quality of lives will be assessed by phone call surveys. Postoperative outcomes will be measured by following the patients for up to a year using electronic medical record.
• Undergoing a sternotomy, English speaking, 18-70 years old, able to ambulate independently