In the Coronary Care Unit (CCU)
CCU Visiting Hours
Visits to the CCU are arranged through the volunteer desk on the main floor of the Heart Institute. Your family and friends can wait in the Family Lounge on the main floor while the volunteers arrange for visitation.
While You Are in the CCU
Most patients arrive in the CCU breathing on their own. If a breathing tube is still needed, it will be taken out as soon as you are awake and able to follow directions. There will be a nurse with you at all times until you are awake and breathing on your own.
For the first two to four hours after your procedure, expect the nurse to be constantly reminding you to keep both legs straight. This is very important to prevent bleeding from the insertion sites in your groin, where there may still be some intravenous lines.
You will stay in the CCU overnight or longer, if necessary. Your nurse will check with you regularly to make sure you are comfortable. Let the nurse know if you have any pain.
Depending on your progress, you will gradually start to increase your activity, beginning with sitting up in bed, then sitting in a chair, and then getting up and walking as tolerated with assistance.
Overnight, you will be allowed clear fluids, as tolerated. You should be able to resume your normal diet the next day.
Most of the specialized monitoring equipment will be removed by the morning after the procedure. When you are in stable condition, you will be ready to leave the CCU. You will be transferred to the nursing units on the fourth or fifth floor. In most cases, this is the day after the procedure.
The day after the procedure, you will undergo a repeat transthoracic echocardiogram to assess the function of the MitraClip device. You will also have blood tests, a chest X-ray and an electrocardiogram (ECG).
A nurse will check your insertion site to monitor for any problems and teach you what to look for as you heal. In the morning, a stitch will be removed from the insertion sites in your groin. A small bruise or a small, soft lump where the line was placed for the procedure is normal. It is also normal to experience bruising at the site, which sometimes spreads down your leg.
Notify your nurse or doctor if you have any of the following problems with the insertion site:
- An expanding lump or a persistent area of redness and warmth
- Yellow drainage from the insertion site
- Worsening numbness in your leg
- Severe discomfort at the insertion site