Emily is a young woman who recently underwent a major surgery. In the opening paragraphs, we’ll provide some quick answers to questions about Emily’s surgery before diving into more details.
Quick Answers
What type of surgery did Emily have? Emily had open heart surgery to repair a heart defect she was born with.
How old is Emily? Emily is 25 years old.
Why did Emily need this surgery? Emily needed surgery because the defect was causing her heart to work too hard and her symptoms were worsening over time.
When did Emily have the surgery? Emily had the surgery on September 30, 2022.
Where was the surgery performed? The surgery was performed at Memorial Hospital by Dr. Singh, a cardiac surgeon.
How long was the surgery? Emily’s open heart surgery took approximately 6 hours.
How is Emily doing now after the surgery? Emily is recovering well at home and feeling much better now that her heart defect has been repaired.
Emily’s Heart Condition
Emily was born with a congenital heart defect called an atrial septal defect (ASD). This means she had a hole in the wall separating the left and right atria of her heart. This defect allowed oxygen-rich and oxygen-poor blood to mix in her heart, forcing it to work harder to pump enough oxygenated blood to her body.
Emily’s ASD was classified as moderate in size. Smaller defects often close on their own or do not require surgery. Larger defects usually cause more severe symptoms and require surgery at a younger age. Emily’s defect fell in the middle range – it did not close on its own but also did not immediately require surgery after birth.
Emily’s parents were aware of her heart condition from birth. Her pediatric cardiologist monitored the defect closely throughout her childhood and teenage years. Emily did well initially with few restrictions on her physical activity.
Worsening Symptoms
By her early 20s, Emily began experiencing worsening symptoms related to her ASD. She felt short of breath and fatigued more easily. She also began developing irregular heart palpitations.
Tests showed that the extra blood flow through Emily’s defect was enlarging her right ventricle and pulmonary arteries. This is known as volume overload. The enlarged ventricle had to work harder to pump blood to her lungs. Over time, this can lead to heart failure.
Emily’s doctors determined it was time for her to undergo surgery to close the hole in her heart. This would prevent further complications and allow her heart and cardiovascular system to function more normally. The surgery was scheduled for late September once Emily completed all pre-operative testing and consultations.
Open Heart Surgery
Emily underwent open heart surgery on September 30, 2022 at Memorial Hospital. Her cardiothoracic surgeon, Dr. Singh, specializes in congenital heart defect repairs.
Open heart surgery is performed by making an incision through the sternum (breastbone) to access the heart. The incision is known as a sternotomy. Emily’s sternum was cut horizontally and a retractor used to spread apart her rib cage and expose the heart.
Once the heart was visible, Dr. Singh placed Emily on a cardiopulmonary bypass machine, also known as heart-lung bypass. This machine took over the function of Emily’s heart and lungs during the surgery, allowing the surgeon to temporarily stop the heart.
With her heart stopped and the blood flow rerouted through the bypass machine, Dr. Singh performed the intracardiac repair. He carefully closed the hole between Emily’s left and right atria using a patch made from her own pericardium tissue.
Once the repair was completed, the surgeon took Emily off the bypass machine. Her heart was restarted and began beating on its own again with the hole now closed. After ensuring adequate blood flow, Dr. Singh closed and sutured the chest incision.
Surgery Duration and Details
Here are some key details about Emily’s open heart surgery:
Date of surgery | September 30, 2022 |
Duration of surgery | Approximately 6 hours |
Type of procedure | Open heart surgery with sternotomy |
Bypass machine used? | Yes, cardiopulmonary bypass for 4 hours |
Incision | Horizontal sternotomy approximately 6 inches long |
Defect repaired | Moderate-sized atrial septal defect |
Closure technique | Pericardial patch |
Surgeon | Dr. Amir Singh |
Location | Memorial Hospital |
Recovery in the Hospital
Emily spent a total of 5 days recovering in the hospital after her open heart surgery. She was admitted to the cardiothoracic intensive care unit (ICU) immediately after surgery.
In the ICU, Emily was connected to monitors tracking her heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen levels, and breathing. Intravenous lines provided her with fluids and medications. A breathing tube was in place overnight until she was awake and able to breathe on her own again.
The nurses regularly checked Emily’s chest incision and drainage tubes for signs of bleeding or infection. They also assessed her pain levels frequently and administered pain medication as needed. Emily had some expected post-operative pain around her chest incision.
Emily was able to sit up in a chair on the second day after surgery. By the third day, her breathing tube and arterial line were removed. The chest tubes draining fluid from around her heart were also removed before she was transferred out of the ICU.
In the general cardiothoracic unit, Emily was able to get up and walk short distances. This helped improve her circulation and breathing. Her pain was gradually managed with oral medication. Emily was discharged home five days after her surgery once she was mobile and tolerating a regular diet.
Post-Op Timeline
Surgery date | September 30 |
ICU stay | 2 days |
General unit stay | 3 days |
Discharged from hospital | October 5 |
Chest tube removal | October 2 |
Breathing tube removal | October 1 |
Sat up in chair | October 1 |
Got up walking | October 3 |
Recovering at Home
Emily continued her recovery at home with the help of her parents for the first week after discharge. Her chest incision was sore and she tired easily, so she took short walks around her house and rested as needed.
A visiting nurse came to Emily’s home to check her wounds, monitor her progress, and assist with medications. Emily’s pain was managed with over-the-counter ibuprofen and acetaminophen.
Emily had some activity restrictions during her initial 6 week recovery period. She could not lift anything over 5 pounds or raise her arms overhead. This was to avoid putting strain on her healing sternum. Emily was also advised not to drive or return to work for 6 weeks.
Emily had a follow-up appointment with Dr. Singh two weeks after discharge. He examined her incision, which was healing well. An echocardiogram showed Emily’s repaired ASD remained fully closed with no leaks or residual defects. Her heart size and function had also improved compared to before surgery.
At Emily’s 6 week post-op checkup, Dr. Singh cleared her to resume all normal activities including exercise. He advised her to gradually increase her endurance over several weeks. Emily was thrilled to be healing well and able to get back to her normal active lifestyle.
Recovery Timeline
Surgery date | September 30 |
Discharged from hospital | October 5 |
Home nursing care | 1 week |
Driving restrictions lifted | Mid-November |
Back to work | Mid-November |
Exercise restrictions lifted | Mid-November |
2 week post-op visit | October 19 |
6 week post-op visit | November 16 |
Long-Term Outlook
The long-term outlook for Emily after her surgery is very positive. Repairing her ASD has essentially cured her heart defect.
Closing the hole restored normal blood flow through Emily’s heart and cardiovascular system. Her enlarged heart chambers can return to a more normal size over time now that the volume overload is relieved.
Emily will require follow-up visits with a cardiologist for monitoring. She may need to take heart medications long-term if she develops valves problems or arrhythmias later in life. An echocardiogram will be done periodically to check on her heart function.
Overall, the prognosis after ASD repair is excellent. Emily can expect to live a full and active life without restrictions. Most people who have their ASD repaired in adulthood do very well decades after surgery.
Emily is relieved to have the surgery behind her and is looking forward to living life to the fullest. Her risk of serious complications like heart failure is now dramatically reduced. Closing the defect before permanent damage was done was the key to Emily’s positive long-term outcome.