Cardiac Surgery - Paediatric
Cardiac Surgery at Narayana Health specializes in all streams of cardiac surgery and is world-renowned for dealing with complex heart problems.
Cardiac surgery in children is recommended to repair heart defects and for the child’s wellbeing in the long-term. Certain heart defects may demand immediate surgery after birth. In some cases, surgeries are performed months or even years after birth. The type and number of surgeries needed vary on the severity of the condition. Pediatric heart surgeons are trained to offer exclusive and comprehensive care to treat children and mend the defected heart.
Minimally invasive treatment procedures are considered for the patients initially. If they do not work out, the health care team is ready to proceed with more invasive methods to prevent infection and reduce risks. This period of time is very crucial for parents. Narayana’s team realizes the situation of the parents and communicates with them regularly to update the status of their child.
Why choose Narayana Institute of cardiac sciences?
- World-class quality
Narayana health organization meets the international standards of treatment. The organization is designed to provide quality medical service and patient care.
- Multispeciality expertise
The hospital has an expert team of cardiologists and surgeons who work compassionately together with supporting staff members to diagnose the disease and provide medical care.
- Hospital infrastructure
Our hospital has a high-end infrastructure that provides all the facilities to the patients and makes them better and allows them to feel safer with the best possible medical care.
Recovery from Child Cardiac Surgery: What to expect?
Post-surgery, the child will be kept in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for a couple of days for observation. The patient will be sent home depending on the surgery performed and the condition of the infant/child post-surgery. 3-4 weeks is the estimated period for recovery at home. This can extend to 6-8 weeks in case of severe surgeries.
Here are some points to remember to offer the best support to your child post-surgery
- Prevent children from activities that may include pulling or pushing
- Ensure that the child doesn’t lift anything heavy
- Pay close attention to the child’s diet. Ensure essential intake of nutrients to heal faster
- Follow-up with the doctor before getting any immunizations post-surgery
- Take utmost care while giving prescribed medication and its dosage
- Rush your child to the doctor in case of following symptoms
- Fever or nausea
- Swelling or redness
- Signs of infection near the wound
- Shortness of breath
- Bluish skin
- Reduced appetite
- Heart palpitations
- Chest pain
We have with us renowned cardiac specialists who perform amongst the World's Largest Number of Heart Surgeries and Interventional Procedures. Innovative techniques and super - specialists give patients (adult and children including newborn) the advantage of superior therapies and preventive care for disorders of the heart and vascular system (blood vessels).
Narayana Health brings to the table an unparalleled children's heart health division in the country. Children from over 78 countries suffering from congenital heart problems have sought successful treatments from us which includes non-invasive diagnostics, cardiac catheterisations and cardiothoracic surgeries. We have indeed performed 40% of the heart surgeries on children and newborn with complex heart problems.
Expert doctors at Narayana Health have immense experience in valve repair and neonatal cardiac surgery.
Key procedures performed at Narayana health organization
We try to provide the utmost care to the patients by providing the best possible medical treatment to get a higher success rate. Some of the procedures we do are as follows
- CABG
- Coronary angiogram
- LVAD implantation
- Pediatric cardiac surgery
- Coronary angioplasty
- MICS
- TAVR
Narayana health organization’s minimally invasive procedure sample is as follows
- Collaterals embolization
- Advanced complex surgeries
- Balloon valvuloplasty
- Stenting for coarctation
- Ventricular septal defect
- PDA
Key Highlights
- Over 16 heart operations on children every day
- Extensive experience in device closure for Atrial Septal Defect (ASD) and Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD)
- Largest experience in surgery for Tetralogy of Fallot
- 80-bed Pediatric ICU – one of the largest in the world
Cardiac Surgery Pediatric FAQ's
What happens after paediatric open-heart surgery?
During open-heart surgery, a surgical cut is made on the side of the chest or through the breastbone. The child may need three or four weeks at home to completely recover, but if it was a larger surgery, the recovery process can take as long as six to eight weeks.
It is normal to feel some pain after the surgery as some nerves may have been irritated or cut during the procedure. The pain will eventually subside, or sometimes, acetaminophen (Tylenol) may be prescribed to manage it.
Parents may see changes in their child’s behaviour after the surgery. They may become irritable, clingy and may also wet the bed. But you need to be patient with your child and support them through this time. You can gradually start to set the limits that were in place before the surgery.
When does heart surgery become necessary?
Heart defects are of many types. While some defects can occur inside the heart, some can affect the large blood vessels outside the heart. Sometimes, performing a surgical procedure on the heart becomes necessary right after the baby is born. There are other defects as well, where the child can safely wait for months or years before undergoing surgery. Some of the general symptoms that indicate surgery may be needed are:
- Cyanosis, where the skin, lips, nail beds look blue or grey. These symptoms mean that there’s not enough oxygen in the blood, a condition called hypoxia.
- Problems with heart rate or heart rhythm
- Wet, congested or fluid-filled lungs causing breathing problems
- Poor feeding or sleeping, and slow growth or development of the child.
What are the risks associated with heart surgery?
The risks associated with paediatric heart surgery include:
- Bleeding during or days after the surgery
- Adverse reactions to medicines
- Breathing issues
- Infection
- Pneumonia
- Heart attack or stroke
- Arrhythmias
- Air embolism
- Blood clots or thrombi
What conditions do paediatric heart surgeons treat?
Generally, paediatric heart surgeons treat the following conditions.
- Treating valve problems, abnormal blood vessels, and holes between the chamber of the heart
- Correcting any heart injury
- Correcting congenital and acquired heart defects
- Performing heart and lung transplants
How to prepare a child for heart surgery?
The idea of having surgery can be scary for a child. So, helping your child get ready for the surgery is an important part of the process.
- Keeping open communication is essential: Older children may ask more questions about the procedure than younger children. You should make sure that your answers are reassuring, simple and truthful. In case you are not sure of the answer, you can seek the information from your doctor or the nursing staff.
- Talk to them about the procedure: Tell them how the surgery is going to be and what will happen before and after the procedure. Keep reassuring the child that any pain they experience can be alleviated by medicine. Let them know that you will be nearby at all times, and the doctors and nurses will be taking extra care of them after the surgery.
- Bring familiar items with you: Getting a familiar item, such as a toy or a blanket can help the child feel more relaxed.
The care team will provide further instructions and directions to take better care of the child depending on the condition and procedure.
