The day of surgery

• You will receive a sedative to relax you.
• Your family may take home some belongings. Please leave toiletries, dentures, glasses, housecoat, and slippers. They will be placed in a locker so that they will be available of you to use in ICU.
• Your wedding band and all jewelry must be removed.
• If your surgery is later in the day, you may be allowed a liquid breakfast. You will be taken to the operating room on a stretcher. Your anaesthetist will start an intravenous to put you to sleep. When you wake up you will be in Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit.

Intensive care unit

• This is like a recovery room. After the initial recovery most of the tubes will be removed. The first tube that is usually removed is your breathing tube. This is done when you are more awake and various tests show you are ready to breathe on your own. Soon after this, you will be assisted to sit at the side of your bed for deep breathing and coughing exercises. This is a very important exercise to help you remove any secretions from your lungs, and is encouraged frequently. It is important that you request pain medication for any discomfort because this will enable you to move more easily.

• The next important aspect of your stay in the I.C.U. is to get you moving as quickly as possible to ensure a speedy recovery. This will be a team effort including your nurse and/or physiotherapist and more important – YOU.

In the cardiovascular intensive care unit (CVICU )

• When you wake up in the Intensive Care Unit you will notice that several tubes were put in while you were asleep.

These are described below.

Breathing tube

• After you are asleep, a smooth tube in placed into your wind pipe. This is connected to a breathing machine which will breathe for you during your surgery and the early recovery period.
• You may wake up while the tube is in your wind pipe. You will not be able to speak or drink. While the breathing tube is in place, the nurse will word questions to you so that you can answer by nodding your head yes or no. You can also point for what you want. Some patients have hoarseness after the tube is removed. This hoarseness will go away in time. The breathing tube will be removed when you are awake enough to deep breathe and cough on your own.

Chest tube

• Two or three tubes will be placed through a small incision in your chest area. These are for drainage of fluid and old blood from around your heart. These tubes will be removed in a day or two.

IV tubing

• Fluids, medication and blood if needed are given to you through the iv tubes. These will be placed in the neck and arms.
• There will be a small tube in your wrist through which we take blood and measure your blood pressure.

Catheter

• A small rubber tube will be placed in your bladder while you sleep.

Monitor

• Small pads are placed on your chest to record your heart rate. It acts like a continuous EKG machine.

Pacing wires

• One or two pacing wires are taped to your chest. They are removed before you go home.

Beeps, bells and whistles

• Many of the machines used in your care make noisy signals to warn the nurse. Do not be frightened when they go off. You are not in danger.
• After surgery you will be given medication to ease your discomfort. Although you will feel sleepy; you will be awake enough to follow directions and to know your family.

Waiting

• The total time in the operating room depends on what has to be done for your heart. It may be four hours or longer.
• We realize that this is a trying anxious time for you. The family room on 5.1 has been provided for you during this time. The surgeon will look for you here following surgery. He will give you a report and answer any questions at this time.
• If you will not be in hospital please leave a phone number where you may be reached.
• Your family member will need to be settled in the ICU. This may take some time. In the waiting room there is a buzzer and intercom system that you may use to communicate with the ICU.
• A Surgical Liaison Nurse (SLN) is available Monday to Friday between the hours of 9:00am – 5:00pm to make contact with family members who are waiting for relatives having surgery. This includes all out-patients, same day admissions and in-patients. The SLN makes rounds on an hourly basis to provide information to the many family members waiting during this time of surgery. Feel free to ask questions during this time and/or express any concerns to the SLN.