Cardiothoracic surgery

How does it work?:

Patients that undergo cardiothoracic surgery need to be well prepared for surgery and the first week of follow-up after surgery is critical for a good recovery. There is a pre-surgery protocol for baseline measurements and educational lessons to prepare the patient. In the first week after surgery, patients are monitored on a daily basis using objective measurements such as weight, temperature, heart rate and blood pressure together with subjective questions on pain, dizziness and shortness of breath. Patients can also request contact with their medical team in case of uncertainty. After the first week the protocol continues on the same measurements and questions on a weekly basis. After 4 weeks of monitoring patients are referred back to their cardiologist, half of these cardiologists being from other hospitals.