🫀 Wondering What to Expect from Pediatric Heart Surgery?
- Feb 14
- 2 min read
💙 We know that heart surgery can be stressful — and even more overwhelming for parents. In honor of CHD Awareness Month, we want to take some of the fear out of the unknown and help families understand what to expect, based on our experience at the Cardiac Innovation Center.
Not all congenital heart defects require surgery, but for those who do require a surgical or catheter-based intervention, understanding the process can make a big difference. At our center, we guide families through every step with expert care, compassion, and attention to detail.
🩺 Diagnosis & Preparation
Before any procedure, children undergo thorough preoperative tests — echocardiograms, ECGs, blood work, and sometimes advanced imaging like CT or MRI — to fully understand the heart defect. Our team reviews the procedure, risks, and recovery plan with parents, and provides clear instructions on hospitalization, medications, fasting, and what to expect during admission and stay.
💉 The Surgery / Procedure
Depending on the heart condition, a child may undergo heart surgery or a catheter-based procedure.
In catheter-based procedures, a thin catheter is guided into the heart to repair valves, close holes, or open narrowed vessels — without large surgical incisions. The procedure is performed under general anesthesia, with a specialized pediatric cardiology team, and pediatric anesthesiologists.
For heart surgery, the condition is corrected surgically while the child is under general anesthesia, supported by pediatric anesthesiologists and a specialized pediatric cardiac surgery team. Every detail is closely monitored to ensure safety and the best possible outcome.
🏥 After Surgery
After surgery, children move to the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (Heart ICU). Here, they are closely monitored by pediatric intensivists, pediatric cardiologists, and highly trained ICU nurses. Parents may see tubes, lines, and catheters attached to their child — all of which help monitor the heart, deliver medications, and support recovery. Vital signs, oxygen levels, and heart function are continuously monitored, while pain management, incision care, and medication administration are done carefully.
Many parents worry that their child might be psychologically affected or become afraid of doctors. From our experience, this rarely happens. During hospitalization, children get to know the nursing staff and doctors, play with them, and build trust, learning that the entire team is friendly, supportive, and by their side at every step. After surgery, most children are actually happy to see us again, feel safe, and often look forward to seeing their friends from the hospital.
For cardiac surgery procedures, most patients stay in the hospital for 5–7 nights, while for catheter-based procedures, the stay is usually 1–2 nights, depending on the complexity of the procedure.
🌟Follow-Up & Recovery
From our experience, most children recover surprisingly quickly, and parents are often amazed at how fast their little ones return to normal routines. Regular follow-ups with the cardiac surgeon initially, and ongoing monitoring by a pediatric cardiologist, ensure proper healing and long-term heart health.
One thing that always impresses and fills us with pride is that children often take pride in their surgical scars — a visible sign of their strength and courage.
💡While not all CHD cases need surgery, understanding the journey for those who do helps families feel prepared and reduces anxiety.
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