Someone from your surgical team will find your contact person in the waiting area or call them to let them know how you are doing.
Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit (CVICU)
You will still be asleep when you’re transferred to the CVICU and will likely sleep for several hours.
Because of the medicine you were given for the surgery, you won't remember very much about being in the CVICU.
As you wake up you can expect to hear sounds like beeps and bubbling.
You may feel frightened as you wake up. Remember that you’re never alone — a nurse is always at your bedside.
You'll get pain medicine through your I.V. before you wake up.
The tubes and lines put in before or during your surgery are left in until you don't need them anymore. They help to give you medicine, monitor your heart, and help your body drain the extra fluid that builds up because of the surgery.
The CVICU doctor will decide when you're ready to have these lines and tubes taken out. Most will be gone by the time you're transferred to the cardiac surgery ward.
Information for visitors
Before coming into the unit, visitors must:
- wash their hands
- call in to the unit using the CVICU telephone
There are guidelines for visitors while you're in the CVICU, and these guidelines may change as necessary.
Only immediate family and people you chose ahead of time — designated family or support person — are allowed to visit while you're in the CVICU.
Visits must be short. No more than 2 people can visit at a time.
Flowers and balloons aren't allowed in the CVICU.
There may be times that you can't have as many visitors, or they may have to wait while you're in the CVICU. This may depend on many factors — collaboration between you, your visitors, and the healthcare team will help you find the best options to have you spend time together.
The Cardiac Surgery Unit
Most rooms are common. This means that you may share a room with someone of any gender.
When the CVICU doctor decides you’re ready (usually 1 to 2 days after surgery), you’ll be transferred to the cardiac surgery unit. You’ll be here a few more days until you are medically fit to go home, usually 2 to 5 days.
You’ll still be monitored closely, but it won’t be the minute-by-minute nursing care you needed in the CVICU. If you need your nurse, just use your call bell.
You will have the following:
- You’ll still have an IV for fluids and medicine.
- You may still have a catheter in your bladder and drainage tubes in your chest.
- A portable heart monitor (telemetry) will be attached to your chest. The signal goes to the nursing station so your heart is monitored at all times.
- You may have pacing wires in case your healthcare team needs to treat a slow heart rate.
Atrial fibrillation
Atrial fibrillation is a fast irregular heartbeat that can happen after surgery. This usually only lasts for a few days but will need to be monitored and treated. It's not unusual, but it may delay your discharge.
You may feel palpitations, weakness, and shortness of breath. People who are more likely to get this are: older, have heart valve disease, or already have atrial fibrillation.
Atrial fibrillation isn't life threatening, and your healthcare team will discuss your treatment options with you.
