Information for Patients

Open Heart surgery covers a variety of procedures which may either involve the heart muscle itself and/or the arteries (mainly the aorta and the coronary arteries) and the heart valves.

Some of the surgical procedures may need the use of a heart-lung bypass machine to provide oxygen rich blood to the brain and other vital parts of the body.  For some minimally invasive procedures the use of the heart-lung machine is not needed.

Traditional open heart surgery entails a cut through the breastbone.  It includes coronary bypass, heart valve repair and replacement, aortic aneurysms and other procedures.

For your first office consult you will be asked to bring all of your medical documentation.  You will meet with the surgeon who will discuss and explain what the surgery entails and the process of care. 

Once the date for the surgery is established, you will be asked to come to the hospital for your Pre Admission Testing.  You will also receive detailed instructions on how to prepare during the previous week, the night before and the day of the surgery.  You will be given information about your inpatient stay and detailed instructions about your post surgical care.

For most of us, surgery is a unique, if not frightening experience.  Calling it Cardiac Surgery only makes us all the more anxious and apprehensive.

Here at Englewood Hospital & Medical Center, we try our best to make your cardiac surgical experience as smooth and stress-free as possible.  From the time you step in to the time you leave our institution, we strive to provide you with the best possible care there is.

We understand that you and your family members will have many questions regarding cardiac surgery.  And we understand how important it is that you get the right answers.  Many times however, the right answers are not enough and you need your concerns listened to and answered by someone who has been through the same experience you are about to undergo or just have undergone.  Sometimes, it really helps to see and hear our “true success stories”.  After all, if they can share with you how they made it through, maybe it will somehow ease the anxiety you and your family are experiencing. 

WHAT IS THE VISITING HEARTS PROGRAM

Visiting Hearts is a very special program that provides just that…

It is a group of former cardiac surgery patients from our institution who volunteer their time visiting with patients and/or their families who are either preparing themselves for cardiac surgery, or are in the hospital during and after cardiac surgery.

Our visitors offer you encouragement and hope.  They offer you support through listening and sharing.  Their personal experience with cardiac surgery allows them to understand what you are going through.  They share coping techniques and give you the motivation for the decisions and adjustments you will need to face.  What’s more, because they can look back at their whole experience and understand what it did for them, they can share with you all the positive aspects of an otherwise difficult situation.

INTERESTED?

If you are interested in meeting someone from this very special group, please let us know.  We can arrange visits at the hospital during your Pre-Admission Testing day or at any other point in time.
Just let the surgeon, nurse practitioner, physician assistant, unit nurse or our office staff know.  We will do the rest…

The Cardiac Surgery staff takes pride in caring for each and every patient in an individual way.

The Visiting Hearts Program is just one way of them

VISITING HEARTS
…We’ve been there…
…We’re here for you now…