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What Are The Usual Patient Preparations For Open Heart Surgery?

Written By: Adam Pick, Patient Advocate, Author & Website Founder
Medical Expert: Edward Soltesz, MD, Cleveland Clinic
Page Last Updated: July 15, 2025

Earlier today, I received a great patient email that reads, "I'm scheduled for heart valve surgery in two weeks, can you please tell me what is the usual prep for open heart surgery?"

That is a very important question for one critical reason. As I personally learned during my open heart surgery experience, knowing what to expect before-and-after surgery is incredibly helpful for the patient and their caregivers. Ultimately, knowing the preparations leading up to surgery may eliminate potential confusion and fear. (So you know, there are all different types of fear related to heart surgery - mortality, physical recovery, pain, operative success, reoperation, etc. To help minimize fear, you may want to read this post about dispelling the fear of heart surgery.)

Preparations for Open Heart Surgery

Let's back to the original question, "What is the usual prep for open heart surgery?"

I can detail some common elements in this post. However, you should know this is a very difficult question to answer as different medical teams and hospitals may have different protocols and processes to complete an open heart surgery. For example, one hospital may adhere to the Enhanced Recovery After Cardiac Surgery (ERAS) protocol while another cardiac center may follow a different protocol.

That being said, here are some of the common steps and preparations that your medical may require prior to surgery:

Blood work to determine your blood type and other parameters of your body chemistry. If you like, you may draw blood in advance of the surgery. Otherwise, the hospital can typically match your blood via their blood bank if a transfusion is required. Here's a video about blood transfusions with Dr. Edward Soltesz at the Cleveland Clinic to help you learn more.

Urine analysis to evaluate body function. Specifically, urine can be helpful in understanding the functioning of your bladder and kidneys.
You may also need an angiogram before heart surgery. An angiogram, also known as a cardiac catheterization, will help your medical team learn about potential issues with blocked arteries (e.g. coronary artery disease).

Angiogram (Cardiac Catheterization)

Pre-surgery imaging of your heart using an echocardiogram or other technology (CT Scan, MRI, 4D-MRI Flow, etc.) may be required to ensure the appropriate surgical technique and/or method is deployed.
An electrocardiogram may be required to examine the rhythm of your heartbeat and further screen for any cardiovascular disease including atrial fibrillation.
You will most likely be required to sign a consent for surgery which details the nature of your procedure and the risks associated with the operation.

I hope this helps you learn more about the common preparations for heart surgery!

Written by Adam Pick - Patient & Website Founder

Adam Pick is a heart valve patient and author of The Patient's Guide To Heart Valve Surgery. In 2006, Adam founded HeartValveSurgery.com to educate and empower patients. This award-winning website has helped over 10 million people fight heart valve disease. Adam has been featured by the American Heart Association and Medical News Today.

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