Preparing Children for Heart Surgery

If a child has to undergo pediatric heart surgery, it can be stressful for the entire family. Specifically, for the child, it can be extremely scary. You must prepare your child for the surgery days before the actual procedure. Doing so will calm your child as well as you. You need to talk about the procedure with them and make them understand that the heart hospital in Hyderabad is a safe space. By just being there for your child throughout helps prepare them for the surgery.

  • If your kid has to undergo an operation, it needs to be done at hospitals that specialize in pediatric heart surgery. If you stay in Hyderabad, you can find many such hospitals. You may want to get a recommendation from your doctor regarding the specific hospital in the city you should choose. You may even have to choose a specific hospital that has particular expertise in the operation you need.
  • As far as the operation is considered, you need to try to maintain the health of your child as much as possible for the procedure. For a couple of weeks before the procedure, you might want to keep your kid away from individuals having a fever or cold.
  • If your kid does end up developing cough, cold, or fever during this period, consult with the surgical or cardiology team at Rainbow Children’s Heart Institute, best heart hospital in Hyderabad to check if the procedure needs to be delayed.
  • You have to take your child for preoperative testing and counseling a week before the day of surgery. You may be able to arrange a hospital tour for your child and you during that visit.
  • A tour of the hospital can be really helpful to gain an understanding of what it might be like to stay at the hospital. Some common preoperative tests that might be performed on your child include electrocardiogram, blood tests, chest X-ray, and echocardiogram.
  • Typically, your child will be admitted the day before or the morning of the surgery. The duration of the pediatric heart surgery and length of hospital stay after the procedure depends on factors like the heart condition of your child and the procedure that is being performed.
  • The operating schedule can change due to an emergency. Your child’s surgery may be postponed or delayed due to emergency procedures for other children. Try to be prepared for emergencies and prepare your child for it as well.
  • You can always seek help to prepare yourself and your child for heart surgery and also for hospital stay. Talk to the cardiac surgical team and gather information about preoperative evaluation, hospitalization, and surgery for your child.
  • You will likely find nurses, social workers, and child life specialists who have special training and can answer all questions you have.
  • Make sure you know about the visiting policies and timings of the heart hospital in Hyderabad well in advance. Get to know who is allowed to visit your kid during his/her stay in the hospital. Usually, guardians and parents are allowed an overnight stay with their child in their room. If that isn’t available, hospitals might have accommodations for guardians and parents to stay overnight in the neighborhood or at the hospital.
  • When preparing your child for heart surgery, the most critical factor is your child’s age. It determines the language you can use to talk about the surgery and the kind of details you can divulge. Regardless, when you talk to them about it, they gain some sense of clarity over what’s happening.
  • If your child understands what is about to happen, they have better control over things. Allow your child to explore the questions they might have as well as their feelings about the procedure. Doing so will allow them to control their anxiety and fears in a better manner.
  • When you are leaving for the hospital, allow your child to pick their favorite clothes and toys that they can bring along. Bringing stuffed animals, pictures, pillows, blankets, and other such belongings to the hospital room makes your child more comfortable. Your child will also feel safer if there are frequent visits from relatives and friends, so arrange for it beforehand.