How long for open heart double bypass surgery take?
1. Preoperative Preparation: Before the surgery, the patient undergoes various tests and assessments to ensure they are fit for surgery. This may include blood tests, imaging studies, and a physical examination.
2. Anesthesia: General anesthesia is administered to the patient, ensuring complete unconsciousness and pain relief during the procedure.
3. Incision: The surgeon makes an incision, typically along the center of the chest, to access the heart.
4. Preparation of Blood Vessels: The surgeon identifies the diseased arteries that need to be bypassed and prepares them for grafting.
5. Grafting: The surgeon then harvests a healthy blood vessel, usually from the patient's leg or arm, and uses it to create a bypass around the blocked or narrowed coronary arteries.
6. Bypass Completion: The surgeon connects the grafted blood vessel to the aorta, the main artery of the body, and to the coronary artery beyond the blocked section.
7. Closure: Once the bypass grafts are in place, the surgeon carefully closes the chest incision with sutures or surgical staples.
8. Recovery: The patient is taken to the intensive care unit (ICU) for close monitoring and recovery. They will remain in the ICU for several days, and then be moved to a regular hospital room for further recovery and observation.
The total surgery time, excluding preoperative preparation and recovery, can range from 2 to 4 hours or longer, depending on the specific circumstances. The entire hospital stay, including preoperative evaluations, surgery, and recovery, typically lasts for about 5 to 7 days. However, it's important to note that each case is unique, and the actual time required may vary based on individual patient factors.