• Centers and Departments
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• Cardiac Surgery
• About Us
• Meet Our Team
• Outcome & Volume Data
• For Referring Physicians
• For Patients
  • Pre-Operative Instructions
  • Post-Operative Instructions
  • Reducing Future Risk Factors Video
• Make an Appointment
• Diseases and Conditions
• Your Heart Health
• Patient Stories
• Media Gallery
• Cardiac Surgery Education
• Cardiac Surgery Research

For Patients

This section includes important information that will help you prepare for surgery and recover from surgery. You may also find helpful information in the Diseases and Conditions and Your Heart Health sections.

If you have any questions, please be sure to ask your nurse or surgeon.

Pre-Operative Instructions

Before your heart surgery you will receive extensive education by the doctors, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and nurses, about how to prepare for surgery.

You will be given written pre-operative instructions from our nurses and receive verbal instructions from the cardiac surgery office that will include the following information:

• Getting Ready for Surgery
  
  • The Day Before Surgery
    
  • The Night Before Surgery
    
  • The Day of Surgery
    
  • Medications
    
  • When to Call Your Doctor
    
• What to Expect After Surgery
  
  • The First Day
    
  • Intensive Care
    
  • Care in the Hospital
    
  • The Post-Operative Unit
    
  • Going Home

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to call your cardiac surgeon's office at 617-632-8383.

Post-Operative Instructions

After your heart surgery, you will receive extensive education by the doctors, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses and physical therapists about what to expect when you go home.

You will attend a discharge class, be given written post-operative instructions to take home and receive verbal instructions from your nurse that will included the following information:

• Care of Your Incisions
  
• Danger Signs and When to Call Your Doctor
  
• Diet
  
• Emotions
  
• Exercise
  
• Follow-Up Appointments
  
• Other Medications
  
• Pain Control

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to call your cardiac surgeon's office at 617-632-8383.

CarePages

Bringing friends and family close when you need them most.Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and CarePages have teamed up! We're providing our patients with a FREE , personal and private web page service to stay connected with family and friends before, during, and after hospitalization.

Create a Free Web Page to Stay Connected

Using CarePages, you can create and update a password protected and personalized web page where you can share your latest news with friends and family and receive messages of support.

Reducing Future Risk Factors Video

Watch Video

To watch the "Heart Surgery - Reducing Future Risk Factors" video, click here.

Read Video Transcript

To read the "Heart Surgery - Reducing Future Risk Factors" video transcript, click here.