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OPEN YOUR HEART Check out the common steps for traditional open heart surgery
1
Ventilator source
2
Doctor gives medicine for sedation.
3
4
Into lungs
A breathing tube is placed into the lungs through the throat and connects to a ventilator for oxygen.
Line of incision
Separation of ribs
The surgeon will make a cut through the chest, cut the breastbone and open the rib cage to reach the heart.
5
Wires connect ribs
BY THE NUMBERS
7.97
MILLION heart operations done in the United States in 2014
122
THOUSAND U.S. congenital heart surgeries from 2014 to 2018
3,408 heart transplants done in the United States in 2018
1.0%
A heart-lung bypass machine connects to the heart to keep blood in circulation during surgery. ANIKET BISWAL GRAPHIC
Surgeon completes operation and allows heart to normalize. Stitches and wires are required to patch up body.
NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH SOURCE
to rebuild strength in her hips both before and after the surgery. Quigley said, “Physical therapy consisted of lots of hip exercise, lots of strengthening, not only on the hip, but (also) around the hip. Eventually (the trainers and I progressed) to where I could run and do different, more advanced exercises.” Athletics trainers work closely with athletes to help them recover from these surgeries. Athletics trainer Derek White said he takes athletes through a sequence of activities to help them build up strength after surgery. White said via email, “When an athlete is recovering from surgery we use a functional progression. We start by reducing pain and swelling through manual therapy such as massage and compression. Once pain and swelling are reduced we move to increase range of motion
QUICK SWIM: Brooke Zurcher, women’s swim team member and senior, does a butterfly stroke. Zurcher developed supraventricular tachycardia, requiring her to undergo heart surgery.
mortality rate among children for heart defect surgeries AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION SOURCE
through stretching and movement exercises. Once we believe the athlete is ready, we then work to increase an athlete’s strength through exercises with weights or bands.” While going through physical therapy and recovering from her surgery, Quigley said she has begun returning to the field and doing some practice. However, her activity is still restricted.
OLIVIA MCKEE PHOTO
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Quigley said, “I go out to the fields on a good day with my hips. When my hips feel a little bit better, I’ll try and play, but usually after practicing on a field for an hour, I will be icing for the next week and will be in an insane amount of pain, even after the surgeries. So, I go when I can go.” Similarly, Zurcher said she is still limited in her training and sometimes needs to take breaks during workouts. Zurcher said, “I have not been able to train to the extent that I used to be able to. Whenever I get to a point where it goes up too high and I start to see spots during swimming, I just have to stop and take a breath and stop exercising for five minutes and wait for my heart rate to go back down.” Quigley said the people around her have helped her greatly during her recovery process. She said, “I’ve received a lot (of support). Mostly my friends and parents are what kept me so positive throughout my surgeries. Surgeries are very draining, so having teammates and coaches and friends and family to support you through it made it a lot easier for sure.” Overall, Quigley said her experience with hip surgeries has taught her to appreciate many of the smaller and subtler aspects of life. Quigley said, “Being on bed rest and being on crutches, it’s such a little thing but it makes you appreciate all the little things like being able to hold things by yourself or hold your backpack. The little things are very effective and you H wouldn’t expect them to be.” This story was originally published online on Feb. 14, 2021
