“Cardiac surgery

It is a major procedure that we sometimes need to perform to correct serious heart problems in your child. The surgery might be necessary to repair or replace parts of the heart, fix structural issues, or address problems that can’t be treated with less invasive methods. Our goal is to improve your child’s heart function and overall health.

Here’s what happens during the surgery process:

Preparation:

Before the surgery, you and your child will meet with the surgical team to discuss the procedure in detail. We’ll explain why the surgery is necessary, what it will involve, and what the expected outcomes are. Your child will undergo a series of tests, such as blood tests, X-rays, and possibly an echocardiogram or other imaging studies, to ensure they’re ready for surgery.

On the day of the surgery, your child will be taken to the hospital and prepped for the procedure. They’ll change into a hospital gown, and we’ll place an IV to administer fluids and medications. You’ll have a chance to stay with your child until they are taken to the operating room. We’ll give your child medication to help them relax, and they’ll be given anesthesia so that they’re asleep and pain-free during the surgery.

During the Surgery:

In the operating room, your child will be connected to monitors that track their heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen levels, and other vital signs throughout the procedure. Depending on the type of heart problem, the surgeon will make an incision in your child’s chest to access the heart. In some cases, a smaller incision may be used if the procedure can be done minimally invasively. For many heart surgeries, a heart-lung machine is used to take over the heart’s pumping function during the procedure. This allows the surgeon to work on a still heart, ensuring the repair is done accurately and safely.

The surgeon will then perform the necessary repairs. This might involve:
Repairing or Replacing Heart Valves: Fixing valves that don’t open or close properly or replacing them with artificial valves.
Closing Holes in the Heart: If your child has a congenital heart defect like a ventricular septal defect (a hole in the heart), the surgeon will close it. Correcting Structural Defects: Addressing problems like narrowing of blood vessels or fixing abnormal connections between arteries or veins. Bypassing Blocked Arteries: If your child has blocked or narrowed coronary arteries, the surgeon might create a bypass around the blockage using a blood vessel from another part of the body.

Completing the Surgery:

Once the necessary repairs are made, the surgeon will restart your child’s heart (if it was temporarily stopped) and carefully close the incision in the chest. Your child will then be taken off the heart-lung machine, and the surgical team will ensure everything is functioning properly before completing the procedure. The chest incision is closed with stitches or staples, and your child is then taken to the intensive care unit (ICU) for close monitoring.

Recovery in the ICU:

After the surgery, your child will spend some time in the ICU, where they’ll be monitored closely as they wake up from the anesthesia. The ICU team will manage pain, monitor vital signs, and ensure that your child is stable. Your child will be connected to various tubes and monitors to help with breathing, remove fluids, and provide medication. This is all normal and temporary.

Ongoing Recovery:

After a day or two in the ICU, once your child is stable, they’ll be moved to a regular hospital room to continue recovering. During this time, we’ll help them start to move around, eat, and gradually return to normal activities. The total hospital stay after surgery typically lasts a week or more, depending on how quickly your child recovers.

At Home Recovery:

Once your child is ready to go home, we’ll give you detailed instructions on how to care for them. This will include managing the incision site, administering any necessary medications, and knowing what activities to avoid during the recovery period. Follow-up appointments will be scheduled to monitor your child’s progress and ensure that their heart is healing well.

Why We Perform Cardiac Surgery:

Cardiac surgery is sometimes the best or only option to correct serious heart problems. While it’s a big procedure, it can significantly improve your child’s health, quality of life, and even be life-saving. We understand that the idea of heart surgery can be overwhelming, but we’re here to support you and your child every step of the way. Our team is highly experienced, and we’ll do everything possible to ensure the surgery is successful and your child is comfortable and safe throughout the process. Please feel free to ask any questions or share any concerns you may have.