- How is the surgery done
- Types of surgery
- How to prepare for surgery
- Risks of surgery
- How is recovery
It is not necessary to have surgery for all cases of heart murmur, because, in most cases, it is a benign situation and the person can live with it normally without major health problems.
In addition, in babies and children, it is very common that the murmur lasts only a few months or years and resolves itself naturally, as the structures of the heart are still developing.
Thus, surgery is indicated in cases where the murmur is caused by some disease, of the muscles or valves of the heart, which disrupts its functioning, such as severe narrowing or insufficiency, to the point of causing symptoms such as shortness of breath, tiredness or palpitations, for example. Understand better what is and what causes the heart murmur of adults and children.
How is the surgery done
Surgery to correct a heart disease is indicated by the cardiologist and the cardiac surgeon, who decide, together, the best type of surgery to change each person.
Often, before surgery, treatment with drugs to improve the condition and control symptoms can be tried, with the use of Hydralazine, Captopril or Furosemide, for example, which can be useful for some people. However, when the symptoms are severe or do not improve with medication, the surgical procedure may be the best alternative to improve the baby's or adult's quality of life.
To schedule the performance of the surgery, a preoperative evaluation is made, with a battery of blood tests, such as hemogram and coagulogram, and imaging, such as echocardiogram, electrocardiogram, chest X-ray and cardiac catheterization, for example.
Types of surgery
The surgery, for both the child and the adult, is done according to the defect in the heart that must be corrected, which can be:
- Narrowing of the cardiac valve, which arises in diseases such as mitral, aortic, pulmonary or tricuspid stenosis: balloon dilation can be done through a catheter that is introduced into the heart and inflates the balloon at the exact location, or by surgery, in that the heart is opened to correct the valve or, in some cases, an artificial valve is replaced; Valve failure, which occurs in cases of mitral valve prolapse or valve failure, such as aortic, mitral, pulmonary and tricuspid: surgery can be performed to correct the defect in the valve or replace the valve with an artificial one; Congenital heart disease, as in babies with interatrial (IAC) or interventricular (IVC) communications, persistent ductus arteriosus, or Fallot's tetralogy, for example: surgery is performed to correct the defect in the heart muscle.
In most cases, a single procedure is necessary to improve the functioning of the heart and reduce symptoms, however, in more complicated cases, more than one surgery may be necessary.
How to prepare for surgery
For surgery, a fasting period is required, which varies according to age, with an average of 4 to 6 hours for babies and 8 h for children over 3 years and adults. The procedure is done under general anesthesia, and the duration of the surgery depends on its type, but varies between about 4 to 8 hours.
Risks of surgery
Any cardiac surgery is delicate because it involves the heart and blood circulation, however, nowadays the risks are low, due to the new technologies of medicine and surgical materials.
Some complications that can hardly happen in cardiac surgery are bleeding, infection, infarction, cardiac arrest or valve rejection, for example. These types of complications can be avoided by performing a pre and postoperative well done, following all the doctor's instructions.
How is recovery
After surgery, the postoperative period is done in the ICU, for about 2 days, and then the follow-up is in the nursing room, where the child or adult can stay for about 7 days, with evaluations by the cardiologist, until the discharged from hospital. In this period, in addition to the use of remedies for discomfort and pain, such as Paracetamol, physiotherapy can be started for strength and breathing rehabilitation after surgery.
After discharge home, some guidelines should be followed, such as:
- Use the remedies prescribed by the doctor; Make no effort, except those recommended by the physiotherapist; Have a balanced diet, with a diet rich in fiber, fruits, vegetables and whole grains, such as oats and flaxseeds, and avoiding fatty or salty foods; return consultations with the cardiologist for reevaluations; Anticipate the return or contact the doctor immediately in cases of fever above 38ºC, severe shortness of breath, very severe pain, bleeding or pus on the scar.
Find out more about recovery from child cardiac surgery and adult cardiac surgery.
