Admission for heart surgery - the procedure
Admission for heart surgery takes place the day before the planned operation on the cardic ward (level 8 of the pediatric clinic). In addition to the usual procedure , there will be an informative discussion with the pediatric cardiac surgeons and anesthetists.
The heart operation will take place in the children's heart operating room of the Children's Operation Center on level 6. Your child will be collected at 7.30 a.m. on the day of the operation (unless another time has been agreed) and taken to level 6 of the Children's Operation Center. You can of course accompany your child on this journey and stay with your child until the anesthetist takes your child into the operating room to carry out the preparations for the operation.
In the OR
These preparations for the operation take quite some time before the actual surgical procedure begins.
Most operations are performed through an incision in the middle of the chest (median sternotomy) and much less frequently on the side between the ribs (lateral thoracotomy). Depending on the heart defect, an artificial circulatory system is then created (extracorporeal circulation). A heart-lung machine takes over the circulatory function until the operation is complete and the heart is beating regularly again.
The time during which the heart is at a standstill is kept as short as possible. The blood supply to the organs and in particular the oxygen supply to the brain are protected by special measures (cooling, selective head perfusion, etc.).
The operation time depends on the complexity of the heart defect - ask the pediatric cardiac surgeon during the consultation and he will be happy to inform you.
In the intensive care unit
After the heart operation, your child will be transferred to a pediatric intensive care unit. This is usually the pediatric intensive care unit on level 10 of the PICU . Older children can also be cared for in the pediatric surgical intensive care unit A7 in the Pediatric Surgery Center.
After the operation, your child will remain anaesthetized for a while and receive pain medication. You will be allowed to see your child on the day of the operation and the pediatric cardiac surgeons, pediatric cardiologists and pediatric intensive care physicians will inform you about the progress of the operation and your child's condition. Depending on the type of operation and the age of your child, the stay in the intensive care unit will vary in length.
Back on the cardiac ward
Your child will then be transferred back to the cardiac ward - level 8 of the pediatric clinic. In the early post-operative phase, the children are initially in the IMC room of the cardiac ward. If your child's circulatory function is stable, a transfer to a mother-child room is possible. The outcome of the operation is assessed by regular cardiac ultrasound examinations, ECG and laboratory checks.
Dismissal
Before you are discharged, you will have a detailed discussion, e.g. about how long you will still need to take medication and when your next outpatient appointments are scheduled. You will also receive a doctor's letter and post-operative advice advice on what to do at home.
The Department of Pediatric Cardiology, in particular our psychologist Mag. Jalowetz, has designed an operation picture book to help you prepare for your operation. You can obtain this from the cardiac outpatient clinic or from the parents' association Aktion Kinderherz.