Quality Reports - Herma Heart Center
Average Length of Stay - Fontan Procedure
Why we measure it - No one - especially the patient and family - wants a child to stay in the hospital any longer than necessary. The average time a child is in the hospital depends on many factors including how serious the illness or injury. Medical therapies can have a significant impact on recovery and length of hospital stay.
What this means - The Fontan Procedure is the third of three surgeries to repair hypoplastic left heart syndrome and other heart defects with only one effective pumping chamber; these abnormalities are some of the most complex congenital heart defects. After a new medical protocol instituted at Children's Hospital in 2001 that minimized the pleural drainage so chest tubes could be removed earlier, Fontan patients are staying in the hospital a shorter amount of time.
About the data - This data reflects the average number of inpatient days postoperatively for patients undergoing a Fontan procedure.
Related dimensions of care:
  
What we're doing to provide the best care:
- The design and results of the protocol started in 2001 were published in a paper in the American Journal of Cardiology: "A Medical Strategy to Reduce Persistent Chest Tube Drainage After the Fontan Operation" (The American Journal of Cardiology, Volume 96, Issue 1, Pages 130-133 J. Cava, S. Bevandic, M. Steltzer, J. Tweddell.) This protocol has become standard practice at Children's Hospital.
- Another relevant research paper published in the Annals of Thoracic Surgery in 2007 is "Mixed Venous Oxygen Saturation Monitoring After Stage I Palliation For Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome" and shows our 10 years of experience in improved monitoring techniques.
- We developed improved postoperative management techniques that allow patients to breathe on their own sooner after surgery. This also reduces length of stay and the risk of complications associated with mechanical ventilation.
- We continue to investigate and develop better perioperative techniques to improve safe recovery for children undergoing surgery for congenital heart disease, including drugs that minimize the effects of heart-lung bypass and novel noninvasive tools to measure how blood is flowing to the body as a gauge of heart recovery.
Patients/Families - If your child is being treated for a heart defect:
- Be an advocate for your child. Participate in daily bedside clinical discussions, and provide any information about your child that may be helpful to staff.
- Follow medical instructions fully and carefully before and after surgery.
- Ask questions if you don't understand the plan of care or if you are not sure how to care for your child at home.
If you have questions about this data or information, e-mail us or call (414) 266-6726. |
