What happens during open-heart surgery? Learn how patients are prepared, what takes place during the operation, what to expect in the ICU and the key stages of recovery after surgery.
Being told you need open-heart surgery can be difficult to take in. Most patients want to know what will happen before, during, and after the operation. Here is what you can expect at each stage.
Understanding Why Surgery Is Needed
Your treatment starts with finding out exactly what is affecting your heart. Your doctor may review your symptoms, medical history, ECG, echocardiogram, blood tests, CT scans, or coronary angiography.
Surgery may be advised for blocked heart arteries, damaged valves, or certain problems with the heart’s structure. Before the operation, your surgeon will explain why surgery is being recommended, what the procedure involves, and what recovery may look like.
What Happens During Surgery
You will receive general anesthesia, so you will be asleep throughout the operation. You will also be connected to monitors that track your heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen levels, and other vital signs.
For some open-heart procedures, an incision is made in the chest to reach the heart. A heart-lung machine may temporarily take over the work of your heart and lungs while the surgeon operates.
The operation itself depends on your diagnosis. It may involve creating a new route around a blocked artery, repairing or replacing a heart valve, or correcting another heart problem. After the procedure, the chest is closed and you are taken to the intensive care unit.
The First Few Days
You will initially remain in the ICU so your condition can be watched closely. You may have a breathing tube, drainage tubes, intravenous lines, and other monitors. Most of these are removed as you become stable.
You will gradually start sitting up, walking, eating, and doing breathing exercises. The timing varies, but your progress is assessed each day rather than by a fixed schedule.
Recovery at Home
After discharge, tiredness and soreness are common. Your energy may return gradually over several weeks. Take your medicines as prescribed and increase physical activity according to your doctor’s advice.
Keep your follow-up appointments. Cardiac rehabilitation may be suggested, particularly after bypass surgery or certain other heart procedures. It can help you increase activity safely and learn how to manage factors that affect your heart.
Reach out to your healthcare team if you develop increasing chest pain, breathing difficulty, fever, unusual swelling, or redness or discharge from the surgical wound.
Your recovery depends on the type of surgery, your overall health, and how your body responds after the operation. Your surgical team can give you a more specific recovery plan based on your procedure.
-This article is authored by Dr. Jitendra Nath Patnaik, Senior Consultant – Cardiothoracic Vascular Surgery, Manipal Hospital, Bhubaneswar