Depending on the procedure, a typical heart operation takes about 3-4 hours. Your loved ones should know that to give you the best care possible, your operative team will need at least one hour before the actual start of the surgery to prepare you for the procedure and typically about one hour after the procedure concludes to make you comfortable and settled into your ICU room. Your loved ones will be permitted to visit you roughly 1 hour post-surgery.

Since everyone recovers at a different rate, there is no set time limit for ICU stays. Many of our patients are able to leave the ICU in 24 to 48 hours to be transferred to a step-down unit. Your total hospital length of stay depends completely on your progress and health status.