Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- What is a Cardiothoracic Surgeon?
- Who will be performing the surgery?
- What do I bring the day of surgery?
- How long will my child be in the hospital?
- How much pain will my child have?
- Will there be any stitches?
- Will my child be able to live like other children?
A board certified cardiothoracic surgeon specializes in surgical procedures involving the heart, lungs, blood vessels, and chest wall. We are also board certified in general surgery. These certifications allow us to perform a wide range of surgical procedures on adults and children, but our particular passion is taking care of kids with cardiothoracic/vascular problems.
Dr. Morales and Dr. Bielefeld do the surgical procedures. They work very closely with the anesthesiologists, cardiologists, and nurses while caring for your child.
- Your child, of course. If you are 18 or older, you do not necessarily need to be accompanied by an adult.
- All relevant medical information about your child. If you cannot come, make sure the person who brings your child has some knowledge about your child, including your child’s medication list if necessary. Also, if you are not the parent of the child, you will need documents to show that you are the legal guardian and that you have authority to make decisions about the care of the child, including surgery if needed.
- Your insurance and PCP (primary care provider) information.
- All of your unanswered questions you want to ask the doctor
- While we have staff who are fluent in Spanish, we would recommend that you bring a family member or friend that you trust who can allay your fears and hopefully clarify questions and concerns that you might have after you leave the office. We want you to be comfortable and we have found that having a close friend or family member really helps.
This may vary but unless it is stated that your child will have an �overnight�, �short stay�, or �day surgery�, your child will usually be in the hospital 3-7 days. The average stay even after open heart surgery is often only 4-5 days.
Pain is felt differently by different people, but in general children handle pain well. While your child can expect some pain, it�s our goal to make it as manageable as possible. We can discuss this in detail during your visit.
*Please avoid aspirin or similar nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (Motrin, Advil, etc. please check with us if you are not sure) both before and after your surgery.
Yes, but usually they are on the inside or are self-absorbable, so your child doesn�t have to go through suture removal.
Most children after open heart surgery are able to live normal lives. A few special children may need to have some restrictions but these limitations can often be temporary.
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