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Remember... Avoid Jacuzzis And Hot Saunas During Early Recovery

Written By: Adam Pick, Patient Advocate, Author & Website Founder
Medical Expert: Wen-Chih Wu, MD
Page Last Updated: May 13, 2025

I don't know about you...

But, as I went through the heart valve surgery process, I learned ALOT of interesting information about the heart - specifically, its anatomy and function.

I also learned there was a laundry list of "Do's and Dont's" specific to the recovery. In past posts, I've written about many of these recovery suggestions which include everything from not drinking coffee after surgery to using your incentive spirometer after heart surgery.

FYI, here is another little fact to remember during your recovery from heart valve repair or heart valve replacement surgery.

Do not spend time in a jacuzzi, wet sauna, dry sauna or extremely hot shower immediately after cardiac surgery. High temperatures force the heart to work harder to circulate blood throughout the body.

As The Practical Guide For Heart Health states, "Avoid working and exercising in extremely hot temperatures during your early recovery from heart surgery."

And, more generally, Dr. Wen-Chih Wu at Brown Health, suggests that while the use of a sauna is considered safe for most individuals, the exception is for those with unstable heart disease. For individuals with any of the following conditions, saunas may not be safe:

unstable angina pectoris
recent heart attack (within two weeks)
uncontrolled hypertension
decompensated heart failure
severe aortic stenosis

In addition to unstable heart disease, a sauna can be a health threat to individuals with the following conditions:

low blood pressure
dehydration
fever
acute infection or inflammation
skin breakdown (urticaria)

I hope that encourages you to be very cautious about the use of a sauna in your early recovery and consult your medical team for additional considerations.

Written by Adam Pick - Patient & Website Founder

Adam Pick is a heart valve patient and author of The Patient's Guide To Heart Valve Surgery. In 2006, Adam founded HeartValveSurgery.com to educate and empower patients. This award-winning website has helped over 10 million people fight heart valve disease. Adam has been featured by the American Heart Association and Medical News Today.

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