How to Determine Length of Stay in the Hospital After Open Heart Surgery

Open heart surgery is a major operation and the hours following surgery are considered critical. The duration of your hospital stay after the surgery depends on the exact condition or healing of the heart. Read on to learn how to determine the length of stay in the hospital after open heart surgery.

Instructions

• 1

  Gather information about your surgery after the anesthesia has worn off.

• 2

  Find out from the surgeon and your relatives how long the operation lasted. Know that you will be kept for a minimum 24 hours in the cardiac surgical intensive care.

• 3

  Ask the surgeon about the present condition of your heart. Your stay in the hospital will greatly depend on the post-operative condition of the heart.

• 4

  Note that heart patients usually stay for four days or longer in the hospital after surgery. Some patients are advised to stay longer due to complications.

• 5

  Ask your surgeon about the healing process. Also ask if the condition of your heart is improving and about the number of days you will have to stay in hospital. Your surgeon is the best person to decide when you should be discharged.

• 6

  Ask your friend or relative who have undergone open heart surgery about the length of their hospital stay.