New Delhi, March 14 Many patients who undergo cardiac surgery can return to full athletic activity, such as swimming, cycling, and even running marathons, within about 10 to 12 weeks, depending on their recovery and cardiac function, a senior cardiothoracic surgeon has said.
The chairman of the Institute of Heart Lung Diseases Research Centre (IHLD), Dr Rahul Chandola, said the goal of heart surgery today is not just survival. "It is to ensure that patients can safely return to a healthy, active life, sometimes even running a marathon again."
Asked if it is really possible to run a marathon after a heart surgery, he said this is a common question of patients and "the answer is yes".
"The very goal of modern cardiac surgery is to restore patients to a fully healthy and active life. After most routine heart surgeries, light activity and walking usually begin within a few days. Moderate exercise can often start around one to two weeks after surgery, and more structured physical training gradually resumes over the following weeks."
"By about 10 to 12 weeks, many patients can return to full athletic activity, depending on their recovery and cardiac function," he said. "That means activities such as running, swimming, cycling, strength training and even marathon running can often be safely resumed once healing and rehabilitation are complete".
He stressed that recovery timelines depend on the type of heart surgery, heart function, overall fitness and supervised cardiac rehabilitation.
"One of the biggest misconceptions about heart surgery is that patients must permanently restrict their physical activity. In reality, modern cardiac surgery aims to restore patients to a full and active life, Dr Chandola said.
"Today, most patients undergoing routine cardiac surgery are discharged within five to seven days, and many younger patients go home as early as day four. By the time they leave the hospital, they are already walking independently and performing routine daily activities," he said.
With proper recovery and rehabilitation, many patients return to regular exercise such as walking, cycling, swimming, and even endurance activities, the heart and lung transplant surgeon pointed out.
"At the Institute of Heart and Lung Disease, we extend recovery beyond the hospital through iLive Connect. This platform integrates IoT-connected monitoring, artificial intelligence, and predictive analytics to continuously track physiological parameters and detect early deviations from a patient's baseline. The system alerts the clinical team if any concerning trends appear," Dr Chandola explained.
This allows early identification of physiological changes, rapid medical response, fewer complications, and reduced hospital readmissions, while giving patients confidence and reassurance during recovery at home.
Dr Chandola emphasised that preventive cardiovascular screening should begin earlier than most people think. After the age of 30, a baseline cardiovascular risk assessment is advisable, and after the age of 40, heart check-ups should become routine.
"For individuals without major risk factors, evaluation every one to two years is usually adequate. People with risk factors such as diabetes, hypertension, smoking, or a strong family history should undergo more frequent monitoring," he said.