Q: I am a 46 years old male, type I diabetic. Recently, I underwent coronary artery bypass surgery. What precautionary measures need to be taken after this operation?

A:Coronary artery bypass surgery is an excellent operation in the sense that it allows you to get back to complete gainful employment within 4-6 weeks time. Life should be led as close to normalcy as is possible after this surgery and only certain prudent and sensible life style changes are required. These can be best advised by your treating physician or cardiologist, who has access to your full clinical and risk factor profile that is the level of diabetes and blood sugar, level of blood pressure, weight, lipid profile, etc. The only advice that I can give in generic terms is to follow the course of moderation. Any extreme fluctuation on either side is not desirable that is neither too much of fat, nor no fat at all or neither too much of salt nor no salt at all. It is just that everything should be done in optimum amounts. Besides your prescribed medications, I would advise you to give a thought to things like Yoga and meditation which are very important risk factor busters and stress relievers. Apart from taking care of risk factors, I think you should put bypass surgery behind you and move forward in life as a normal individual.