Childhood heart surgery is recommended when your child is born with a serious heart problem, such as valvular stenosis, or when you have a degenerative disease that can cause progressive damage to the heart, and it is necessary to change or repair parts of the heart.
Usually, pediatric cardiac surgery is a very delicate procedure and its complexity varies according to the child's age, clinical history and general health. Thus, it is always recommended to talk to your pediatrician or cardiologist about the expectations and risks of surgery.
After surgery, the child needs to be admitted to the hospital for a full recovery before returning home, which may take 3 to 4 weeks, depending on the type of surgery and the outcome of each case.
What happens after surgery
After cardiac surgery, the child needs to be hospitalized in an intensive care unit (ICU) for approximately 7 days, so that it is constantly evaluated so as to avoid the development of complications such as infection or rejection, for example.
During ICU stay the child can be connected to several wires and tubes to ensure their well-being, such as:
- Ventilator tube: is inserted into the child's mouth or nose to help the child breathe, and can be maintained for 2 or 3 days;
- Chest Drains: These are small tubes placed at the surgery site to remove excess blood, fluids, and other wastes from the surgery, accelerating recovery. They are kept until the drainage disappears;
- Catheters in the arms are usually kept directly attached to the veins of the arms or legs to allow the administration of serum or other medicines and can be maintained throughout the hospitalization;
- Bladder catheter: it is placed to maintain a frequent evaluation of the characteristics of the urine, allowing to verify the functioning of the kidneys during the internment in the ICU. See the care you should take in: How to care for the person with a bladder catheter.
- Nasogastric tube in the nose: it is used for 2 or 3 days to allow the emptying of gas and acid from the stomach, avoiding gastric pain.
During this period of ICU internment, parents can not stay with their child all day because of their fragile state, however, they may be present for the daily activities that the nursing team deems appropriate, such as bathing or dressing, for example.
Usually, after an ICU stay in the hospital, the child is transferred to an inpatient hospital for a further 2 weeks, where he can initiate daily activities such as eating, playing or painting with other children. During this phase it is permissible for a parent to stay with their child constantly, including staying overnight at the hospital.
When you return home
The homecoming takes place about 3 weeks after the surgery, however, this time can be changed according to the results of the blood tests that the child does every day or the cardiac biopsy done 2 weeks after the surgery.
In order to maintain a regular assessment of the child after discharge from the hospital, several visits may be scheduled at the cardiologist to assess vital signs 1 to 2 times a week and to perform an electrocardiogram every 2 to 3 weeks, for example.
When you return to normal activities
After returning home, it is important to keep the home at home, avoiding going to school for 3 weeks. In addition, it is also important to maintain a balanced diet and start physical activity gradually, according to the doctor's guidelines, to keep the heart healthy and increase the chances of success over the years. Learn how to diet: Diet for the heart.
How to avoid complications after surgery
The risks of infantile cardiac surgery vary depending on the type of surgery and problem to treat, however, the most important ones during recovery include:
- Infection: is the main risk associated with any type of surgery due to weakening of the immune system, however, to avoid this risk one should wash their hands before being with the child, avoid contact with many relatives during hospitalization and offer a protective mask for the child, for example;
- Rejection: This is a common problem in children who need to have heart transplants or replace parts of the heart with artificial prostheses, for example. To reduce this risk it is recommended to maintain regular intake of the medication at the appropriate time;
- Coronary heart disease: It is a disease that can develop a few months after surgery and can be avoided with healthy habits such as a balanced diet and regular exercise.
Thus, during recovery of the child, it is important to be alert to signs and symptoms that may indicate the development of complications, such as fever above 38 °, excessive tiredness, apathy, difficulty breathing, vomiting or lack of appetite, for example. In these cases it is recommended to go to the emergency room immediately to start the appropriate treatment.
