What to Expect When Your Child Has a Cardiac Surgery or Procedure

Before Surgery 

Before your child goes to the operating room or catheterization (cath) lab, you will meet the cardiac surgeon, anesthesiologist, cath lab attending physician or all of the above to receive an in-depth explanation of the procedure, review the anesthesia plan and obtain consent. You may ask any questions or express any concerns at this time.

During Surgery 

If your child was not previously staying in the hospital, you may wait in the waiting room during your child’s procedure. 

If your child is already inpatient (staying in the hospital), you may wait in their room or in the waiting room during the procedure. There is also always the option to leave the hospital or waiting room, go get food and take care of yourself. 

For a cath lab intervention, you may stay in the waiting room and the provider will come update you during and after the procedure.

As hard as it may be, taking care of yourself as a parent is essential to being able to support your child after surgery. Try your best to get some rest, eat food and drink water. Social work services are available if you need somebody to help with additional support.

After Surgery  

After returning from the cardiac catheterization lab or the operating room from your child’s intervention or surgery, your child will return to the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU) for more intense management and hemodynamic monitoring (monitoring blood circulation and heart function). 

The amount of time your child spends in the CICU is highly variable and based upon the needs of your child and the complexity of their procedure. Talk to your medical team about the expected time frame that they will require ICU care. 

After your child no longer requires intensive hemodynamic monitoring, continuous infusions (medications that run continuously) and invasive respiratory support, they will be transferred to the Heart and Kidney Unit for further monitoring, and you will be discharged home from there.

What to expect when you see your child after surgery: 

• A breathing tube, which connects to a ventilator and assists your child in breathing as they wake up from anesthesia, and/or as their lungs recover from surgery. Typically the breathing tube will stay in for 24-48 hours, but may be longer depending on the needs of your child.  
• Chest tubes, which are silicon/flexible plastic tubes that are placed in the cavities around the heart and lungs to drain fluids after surgery. These typically stay in for five to seven days after surgery. They are connected to chambers called “atriums” that will be by the side of the bed and nurses will monitor their output every hour.  
• IVs, which are placed in surgery and usually stay in place for one to two weeks after surgery, which allow us to infuse medications directly to your child after surgery. Your child may come back with one to two central lines, and one to three peripheral IVs (short, flexible tubes inserted into a small vein, usually in the hand, arm or foot).  
• Arterial line, which is a line placed in the artery to monitor continuous blood pressure and displayed on the monitor. 
• Various monitors and machines that help us continuously watch your child’s heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate and other pressures in the heart.