Preparing for heart surgery

Children at this age can sense your feelings and anxiety. Focus on preparing yourself for the surgery. The calmer you are, the calmer your child will be.

We’ll provide infant bottles, diapers and food for your child. You may wish to send a favorite pacifier, rattles, blankets and washable toys with your little one.

At this age, children still don't understand enough for a full explanation of what’s happening. Consider telling your child very basic information about staying in the hospital a few days prior to admission.

Books, washable toys, and a soothing transitional object such as a favorite stuffed animal or blanket might bring comfort to your toddler during their hospital stay.

Kids at this age might misinterpret a hospital stay as punishment for something they’ve done wrong. Use short explanations to reassure your child that staying in the hospital is to help make them feel better.

You might want to bring books, puzzles, toys and a favorite stuffed animal or blanket to keep your child entertained while they’re in the hospital.

At this age, your child will likely understand the reason for a hospital stay. Allow plenty of time for your child to ask questions and talk about any worries they might have about their medical condition.

When packing for a hospital stay, be sure to include movies, music, handheld video game systems, toys and homework.

Be sure to include your child in the process from the beginning and encourage them to ask questions. You may even want to ask your child what you can do to help make the experience better.

Movies, music and handheld video games are good forms of entertainment for tweens and teens. Also don’t forget to pack their homework so they can keep up with their studies.

Several days before surgery, your child will have some preoperative tests including an exam, blood test and a chest X-ray. We’ll review the surgery consent form and explain what will happen before, during and after your child’s surgery. This appointment should take two to three hours.

A few days before surgery, we’ll confirm admission time, preregister your child and provide additional instructions for the night before surgery.

• If your child is scheduled for surgery on a Monday, we'll call between 1 and 7 p.m. on the previous Friday or 8 a.m. to noon the previous Saturday.
• If your child’s surgery is scheduled on a Thursday, we'll call between 1 and 7 p.m. on the previous Wednesday.

Make sure your child avoids solid food (including chewing gum) after midnight the night before surgery. We’ll provide specific instructions regarding liquid consumption and when to stop feeding infants.

It’s fine to give your child Tylenol or other similar non-aspirin pain relievers for minor aches and pains, but some medications must be discontinued before your child’s surgery. Speak to your child’s surgeon or call the Pediatric Cardiac Surgery Office at 708-684-3029 with any questions about medications.

While there’s no way to prevent your child from getting colds and other contagious diseases, we recommend avoiding unnecessary exposure to large crowds and people who are ill for several weeks before your child’s surgery. It’s not necessary to keep your child out of school.

If your child develops a cough, runny nose, fever or any other signs of illness within the week before surgery, call your pediatrician and the Pediatric Cardiac Surgery Office at 708-684-3029 to discuss the possibility of rescheduling surgery. Please call us if your child is exposed to any communicable diseases such as measles, mumps, chicken pox or COVID.

The surgery department will inform you of the time to be at the hospital on the day of your child’s operation.

Our goal is to ensure your child’s health and prevent any complications during or after surgery. If your child shows any symptoms of a respiratory infection or any other illness, the surgery may be postponed.

After your child is admitted, an anesthesiologist will answer any questions you have. Your child might receive an oral sedative to relax them depending on their age. Children ages 10 and over will get an IV.

From there, your child will be taken to the operating room where they’ll receive additional anesthesia through a breathing mask. Most children are asleep within a few minutes.

You can wait in the Surgery Family Waiting Room. A nurse will provide an update usually 60 to 90 minutes after your child was taken to the operating room and periodically throughout the surgery.

After surgery, the surgeon will meet with you while your child is transferred to a recovery unit. You’ll be able to be with your child within an hour after surgery.

We offer the best in postsurgical care our pediatric intensive care units (PCICU and ICU). Our team is specially trained to care for children recovering from heart surgery, and we have the most experienced heart care unit in the Chicago area.

Once your child’s condition is stabilized, they may be moved out of intensive care. We’ll continue to monitor your child’s condition through recovery.

Depending on the type of surgery, your child will stay under sedation from a few hours to a few days after surgery. We do everything we can to keep them as comfortable as possible while they recover from surgery.

The pediatric cardiac surgery team will see your child on rounds twice a day. We encourage parents to be present and participate in daily rounds. Feel free to ask questions about your child’s progress during those visits. If you’re not available at these times, please ask your child’s nurse to have one of the physicians call you. We’re always happy to answer any questions you have.

Before bringing your child home, you'll receive detailed instructions about nutrition, wound care, medication and follow-up visits.

We encourage you to keep your child out of daycare for a minimum of four weeks following surgery, as they will be more susceptible to infection. If your child normally goes to school, you’ll be asked to keep them out of school for two to four weeks, depending on the type of surgery and how your child’s recovery is progressing.