Generally, how dangerous is open heart surgery?

Question

On average what are the real risks and survival risks of having your heart operated on?

i have a friend being operated on soon. I dont know the details, but i know it's somewhat major.

So i a was just wondering

thanks

let me put it this way:

she is 16 and pretty small. only about 5'1".
I forgot what exactly is wrong, but it has to do with her heart.

Answer 1

It all depends that what kind of disese she is suffering from, what kind of operations is planned , the expertise of the operating surgeon and the results of that particular center where the surgery is being performed
But since she has been adivised cardiac surgery this meansthat other options are either not working or exhausted so go for it
And meeting and interacting with some body who underwent this procedure will clarify your queries

Answer 2

There are too many variables to tell you a straight out answer. Cardiac surgery is one of the roughest surgeries on the body, but it has continued to improve in its safety and efficacy. They have also made improvements in the recovery time of the patients.

First you need to know what kind of surgery she is having. Is it valvular replacement? If so, why does the valve need replacing? Does she need a transplant? In very rare cases, some children could require by-pass surgery. Does she require surgery on the major blood vessels going into or out of her heart? Is this to correct a patent foramen ovale or ventricular septal defect?

How severe is the disease?

Does she have any other medical conditions? Diabetes? Neurological diseases? Collagen-vascular disorders?

In general any procedure that requires bypass (stopping the heart, diverting the blood to a heart-lung machine, then returning the blood) carries a higher risk, and longer recovery.


Other factors include the experience of the surgeon with this procedure. Also the volume or number of times this surgery is performed at that institution has a big effect. (The larger the center with more procedure equals better outcome).

Since you have insufficient information, it would be best for her to speak directly with her surgeon to determine the exact disease, the exact operation, and their estimate of the risk.

Answer 3

I have had bypass surgery and they have to stop your heart. The patiant is put on a heart/lung machine. Because the heart is under the sternum they have to cut it to get to the heart.
Though some surgeries/procedures are not as serious as others there are always chances of problems.
Best of luck to your friend. I hope she does well.

Answer 4

Obviously, it depends on the condition and the health of the patient, but for more routine procedures the risk of death in young people I would make a very rough estimate of around 1% (e.g. myectomy). For severe conditions it may be quite high, I would need more information to give a good answer.

Answer 5

Open heart surgery is ALWAYS considered MAJOR!! However, it does vary depending on your health in general.

Answer 6

remember the story about the man who shot the apple off of his son's head?

yeah