Before and after a heart surgery


The surgery will be scheduled for the day that best suits you and the surgical team of Clínica Cardiovascular, except in cases of urgency.

It is very important to inform the surgeon and the pediatrics cardiologist if there have been any changes in you baby´s health, even if he or she have had symptoms of a cold or flu. Infections can affect recovery. Prior to the surgery, will require a series of laboratory tests and pre-operative evaluations with certain specialists to ensure a better recovery.



It is very important to clarify all the doubts before the procedure to both parents and the family. In Clinica Cardiovascular we are aware of the importance of communication, so do not hesitate to express all your doubts. You will receive complete instructions from the cardiologist and the cardiac surgeon before surgery, and will be thoroughly explained.


Day of intervention

Anticipate a hospital stay of approximately one week, during which our little patient will stay two to three days (according the diagnosis, could be more) in the intensive care unit and 2 to 3 days in the Hospitalization room. The Hospital Admission will be the same day of the surgical procedure.


Prior to the procedure, blood samples will be taken to prepare the Blood Bank and the informed consent forms will be given to be read and signed by you. Do not hesitate to clarify any questions you may have.


On the day of the surgical procedure, the patient not be able to eat food, but certain medications will be given that usually takes, as the case may be. You will enter with the minor to the preoperative anesthesia preparation room, where you will talk to the cardiovascular anesthesiologist and the CV surgeon, will stay with your child until he or she enter to the operating room, you and your family will be indicated the waiting room site, Where you will be informed once the procedure has culminated.


Who is in the operating room during the procedure?

During a cardiac intervention, a highly trained group of CLINICA CARDIOVASCULAR works as a team, in order to obtain the best results.

- Cardiovascular Surgeons; Perform the surgical procedure in a team, simultaneously.
- Cardiovascular anesthesiologists administer the medications that allows to the patient sleep, during the operation (that is, anesthesia) and control vital signs and the cardiovascular monitoring during the procedure, monitoring the function of the heart with ultrasound.
- Pediatric Cardiologist
- Perfusionist is in charge of managing the machine of extracorporeal circulation.
- The scrub nurse and Cardiovascular Nurses are specially trained to assist in heart surgeries.




After the surgical procedure?

Once the heart surgery is finished, the patient is transferred to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), still asleep and intubated (or probably extubated depending the diagnosis), that is, it is still dependent on a breathing machine, where it will be evaluated and taken care of by the Intensivist, to maintain the vital signs stable until the patient can be awakened and candidate to extubate (this usually happens in the first 6 to 8 hours).

However, intravenous analgesic medication is continued to control post-operative pain. The intensive care physician and intensive care nurses will be there to support you and the minor. You will be able to see the minor just after the surgical procedure, Around you will see that there are a lot of cables and routes: they are the monitoring cables and the intravenous lines by which the medication is administered.

You will also notice that the minor has tubes coming out of the chest: these are the drains, which monitor postoperative bleeding, in most cases they are removed 48 hours after the procedure in the patient's bed.


During the stay at the ICU, parents will be able to visit the minor and stay in ICU with him (depending his vital signs) and will be in contact with the CV Surgeons of Clinica Cardiovascular, the intensivist and your cardiologist. In most cases, will remain 2 to 3 days in the ICU and 2 to 3 days in Hospitalization ward, if no complications occur. The morning after the surgery is usually started feeding.


Members of the Clínica Cardiovascular team will visit the minor, keeping you updated about the evolution and evaluating vital signs, the condition of the drainage and the surgical wound. If there is no complication and the evolution has been favorable, the patient is transferred to the Hospitalization room until his discharge, where will be given all the recommendations and prescriptions for his care at home and when will be the next visit to go to Clínica Cardiovascular for his postoperative evaluation.