How To Take Care Of Your Child After Open Heart Surgery?

The department of child heart Surgery offers a complete approach towards a healthy life of child patients. It provides details on how to take care of your child when they are discharged from the hospital.

Heart Medications

The most difficult part of helping your child in recovery would be to properly administer heart medications, states an experienced surgeon known for paediatric surgery in Delhi. The timing and dosage of heart medications should be maintained properly. Do not skip the heart medications. If your child is having trouble with eating medications, talk to their doctor about it.

Activity

Experts of pediatric cardiac surgery in Delhi, physical activities are especially detailed in the rehabilitation program to keep up the right rate of improvement in your child's health.

·         If the child is a toddler, you should be careful while lifting them up.

·         Let them play, but playing should not exhaust them or thrust their heart. Their playing should be regulated.

·         Not until the wound has healed carefully, they should be allowed to go on regular schooling.

·         Skip their swimming classes or any such physical activity related extracurricular programs which would pressurize their heart.

·         Record their pulse rate regularly and report to their concerned doctors if any abnormal pulse rate is recorded.

·         Their movements have to be controlled because it could else interfere with their recovery. If possible, brush their teeth on your own.

Learn About The Risks

After the open heart surgery, your child will recover quickly, but that does not mean, they are safe from the associated risks of side-effects and complications. The patients who underwent open heart surgery are always advised to take special care and it becomes more important in case of child patients. You have to maintain strict adherence to the recommended rehabilitation program to keep your child safe. Learn about the possible risks of side-effects and complications which could develop after the open heart surgery. Acknowledging the risks on their early stages can at least provide for timely treatment of your child. If your child complains of chest pain or constant headaches, this could be due to the open heart surgery. Coughing up consistently, presence of blood in the cough or if the mucus is of green or yellow colour is also complications resulting from open-heart surgery. Weakness experienced by the child or if they faint due to fatigue also call for professional help.  Apart from these symptoms, chills or a fever, redness and or swelling around the wound, shortness of breath, and weight gain without any reason should also be acknowledged if experienced by your child.

Taking Care Of The Wound

Your child is small, he or she will be unable to keep the wound clean. So, it becomes your responsibility to make sure that they do not spoil their wound, you have to take care of the following things, as pointed by the paediatric cardiologists from the best hospital in India:

·         The wound should be cleaned regularly.

·         Only use water and soap to clean the wound.

·         Any type of creams, antiseptics, or lotions should not be used to clean the wound.

·         Do not take your child to swim or any such activities which can soak the wound.

·         Bathing your child regularly is okay and hygienic but do not use bathtubs for this purpose.

·         Explain it to your child that the wound should not be made wet.