Before Minimally Invasive Heart Surgery

Minimally invasive heart surgery is done for a coronary bypass or heart valve surgery. It uses a smaller cut (incision) than open heart surgery. The day of your bypass or valve surgery, a patient educator or a nurse may talk with you and your loved ones. He or she can tell you what to expect. You will most likely feel a little nervous before surgery. The hospital staff will do all they can to answer your questions and help you relax.

Before for your surgery

• Tell your doctor what medicines you are taking. This is especially true if you take aspirin or a blood thinner (anticoagulant). Ask if you should stop taking them.
• If you smoke, stop now. This will help your blood flow and breathing.
• Do not eat or drink anything after midnight the night before surgery.
• You will need to shower with a special soap called chlorhexidine gluconate the night before surgery and morning of surgery.
• Nurses will apply a foam dressing to your lower back (sacrum) before the surgery to protect your skin.
• The anesthesiologist is the doctor who gives you anesthesia. This medicine keeps you asleep and free of pain during surgery. He or she will talk to you about this before your surgery.
• Any hair in an incision area may be removed. You may also be asked to wash with an antibacterial soap the morning of surgery.
• If you are having valve surgery and need dental work, you may be told to have it done before surgery. This is because dental work can let bacteria enter the bloodstream. This may cause infection around a new valve.