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OPEN HEART / BYPASS SURGERY
Open-heart surgery is a broad term that covers quite a few procedures. CABG, for example, is an open-heart operation. Generally, open-heart surgery refers to an operation that uses a heart-lung machine to maintain circulation while the surgeon makes changes to veins or the heart. Once the surgeon is done, the heart is re-started and the heart-lung machine is removed.
What to expect
The preparation for an open-heart procedure starts a few weeks before the operation. Smokers will be told to quit. You may have to stop taking some medications and start taking blood thinners.
The procedure itself takes about five hours. Patients are under general anesthesia to make sure they stay asleep for the length of the surgery.
After the surgery, patients are moved to Intensive Care where RNs constantly view their progress. Once they’re stabilized, they’ll be moved to the general floor of the Hospital.
After returning home, some patients have a loss of appetite, mood swings, even mild memory loss. Your physician will let you know what to watch for, and how to help the healing process.
