-
Step 1
Know that many doctors can only spend about 15 minutes on each patient. If you go into your doctor with pointed, focused questions, you will get informative, focused answers.
-
Step 2
Ask your doctor to name your condition and describe it in easy-to-understand terms. There are many types of heart disease, from weak valves to blocked arteries. Next, find out what type of open heart surgery will rectify your particular situation.
-
Step 3
Visit the Mayo Clinic heart health website to fully understand treatment options, as well as to explore tips on living with heart conditions. See the Resources section below for a link.
-
Step 4
Go to your hospital's library and avail yourself of their heart-related literature. You may find pamphlets on cardiac disease as well as treatment options.
-
Step 5
Know that coronary artery bypass graft surgery is the most common type of open heart surgery. In this procedure, a piece of vein from an arm or a leg is sewn into the heart, allowing the blood to flow through this "bypass" to avoid the blocked area. More than half a million of these procedures are done every year in the United States alone.
-
Step 1
Make an appointment with your doctor to discuss open heart surgery. To do this, call your doctor's office and tell the receptionist you want to schedule a consultation regarding cardiac surgery.
-
Step 2
Tell your doctor you want to know why open heart surgery is or is not being recommended for your condition. Ask what other viable options exist, if any.
-
Step 3
Ask if there are any experimental treatments that your doctor knows about. You may be open to trying something at the forefront of medical research.
-
Step 4
Talk to your doctor about pre- and post-op care. Sometimes surgeons forget that, long after a successful surgery, the patient will still be dealing with related issues.
