Our goal is to keep you and your family well informed about your progress and involved in your care after cardiac surgery.
How can my family and friends get updates and visit after my cardiac surgery?
When your surgery is over, your heart surgeon will speak with your family, either in person, if they are waiting for news in the hospital, or by telephone if they are elsewhere. We recommend you designate a friend or family member as the primary contact person.
Cardiac surgery is major surgery. It requires intensive post-operative care and rest to recover. Visitors, even if they are your loved ones, can make you tired, and can tire out your roommate. Ideally, there should be no more than two people at your bedside at a time. A rest period is scheduled between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. daily. Visiting is discouraged at this time.
How can my family contact nursing staff in the cardiac surgery unit?
Immediately after your cardiac surgery at Royal Columbian Hospital, you will be moved to the hospital's Cardiac Surgery Intensive Care Unit. The phone number for the unit is 604-520-4725.
Once you are in stable condition, you will be moved to the 2 South Nursing Unit to complete your in-hospital recovery for a few days before you are discharged home to convalesce. The 2 South Nursing Unit can be reached at 604-520-4518.
Your family and loved ones are welcome to call these numbers for updates. However, please note that inquiring phone calls are discouraged between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. as well as between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. This is change of shift for the nursing staff, and your nurse will be quite busy handing over your care to the oncoming nurse and unable to return calls at these times.