Heart surgeries are performed on a daily basis in the United States—in fact, more than 500,000 coronary bypass procedures alone are performed each year, on average, in the United States. Heart disease is a leading health issue in the U.S., and cardiothoracic surgeons receive extensive training in how to perform them. Salinas Valley Medical Clinic (SVMC) calls on medical experts of the highest caliber to perform these operations. Catering to the safety and comfort of our patients is a major priority.
First, you are administered anesthesia, meaning you will not be conscious during the operation and should not feel any pain. Once this is done, you are hooked up to a breathing machine through a tube placed in your airway. The doctor will then cut into the chest to get to the heart. What happens next depends on the type of operation you are receiving. Typically, heart surgery lasts between 3 to 6 hours.
Once the procedure is finished, your chest is sewn back up. Tubes and catheters may remain in your body, do not panic if you wake up with them still inserted as this is normal. You may be taken to the intensive care unit (ICU) after the surgery for monitoring. You will still be asleep during transport, and likely will not wake up for a few hours. If you have friends or family waiting on you during the operation, the surgeon will meet with them afterwards and update them on your current status.
After you wake up and the monitoring period has ended, the doctor will inform you of your progress and may give you the clear to go home. You will also receive thorough instructions for post-op care.