Driving after a heart attack
Your cardiologist will decide when you can resume driving based on several issues.
Recommendations about getting back behind the wheel vary. You should wait:
- At least four weeks if you had coronary artery bypass graft surgery (three months for occupational drivers, who should have a stress test first).
- At least one week if you had a myocardial infarction without complications and your heart’s pumping capacity, called left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), is above 35%.
- One month if you had a myocardial infarction with complications such as heart failure, LVEF below 35%, or a heart rhythm disorder (arrhythmia).
- Six weeks for occupational drivers who had a myocardial infarction and LVEF is above 35%. Driving is contraindicated if LVEF is below 35%.
- 24 hours after a scheduled percutaneous coronary intervention if the procedure is successful and no arrhythmias are observed (one month for occupational drivers).
Reference:
Healthy Heart.org. (2022) Driving after a heart attack. Available at : https://www.healthy-heart.org/living-with-heart-disease/driving-after-a-heart-attack/ (Accessed 12/11/2022)
