Home Care after Heart Surgery

CARE OF INCISION:

• Leave incisions open to air.  No Band-Aids or dressings are needed.
• A small amount of clear yellow or dark bloody drainage from any of the incisions is normal.  A Band-Aide or light dressing may be used for this.
• Until the stitches are out, the incision should be washed daily with soap and water and gently patted dry. A tub bath or shower can be taken one week after surgery or after the stitches are out. 
• Steri-strips or special tapes placed over the incision should be left alone until they fall off.
• If stitches are still in place where the chest tubes were, they should be removed by your local doctor or home care nurse 5 days after the tubes were taken out.

ACTIVITIES:

• Allow your child to play at his or her own pace.  Children are good at limiting their own activity.
• Restrictions to follow:
  • For 2 weeks after surgery:
    • Lift infants and toddlers under their bottom while supporting their back.  Do not lift them under their arms.
  • For 2 weeks after discharge:
    • Keep your child home from school, day care (with the exception of a small, private day care) and other crowded areas such as stores and church.
    • If patient is of driving age, he/she should not drive.
  • For 6 weeks after discharge:
    • No physical activity such as gym, contact sports, sledding, bike riding, roller blading or skiing.
    • No working.
    • No lifting anything over 5 pounds.                                                        

There can be individual variations to these restrictions.  Talk with your cardiologist about your child’s individual needs.   

WHEN TO CALL YOUR DOCTOR:

• Temperature over 101.5° (F)
• Increased fatigue/tiredness
• New onset of dry cough
• Change in appearance of incision
  • Cloudy yellow drainage
  • Increased redness or swelling
  • Separation of incision
• Increased pain

IMMUNIZATIONS:
Most children can begin or continue their routine immunizations (baby shots) about 4-6 weeks after their surgery.  Talk with your family doctor about this.

WHEN TO VISIT YOUR DOCTOR AFTER HEART SURGERY:

Family Doctor:

• Newborns:                Within one week after discharge
• All other children:   Contact your family doctor to determine when your child should be seen.

Cardiovascular Surgery Clinic (If being followed at Michigan Congenital Heart Center):

• 2 weeks after discharge with the Nurse Practitioner.
• Arrive 45 minutes early for a chest x-ray. 
• Take x-ray with you to the clinic.

Pediatric Cardiology Clinic (If being followed at Michigan Congenital Heart Center):

• 6 weeks after discharge.

Families who live a long distance from Ann Arbor will be asked to make their own 2 week follow-up appointment with their referring cardiologist.

4/2006:   Information reviewed and approved by Laura Bell, RN, MSN, CPNP Pediatric Cardiac Surgery and Lynda Dettling RN, BSN.

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