A 37-year-old member asked:
What would doctors do if someone went into cardiac arrest during heart operation?
3 doctor answers • 10 doctors weighed in

Dr. Bennett Werneranswered
Cardiology 45 years experience
Happens everyday!: It's standard operating procedure in many heart operations for the surgeon to stop or arrest the heart and put the patient temporarily on a heart-lung machine. In fact, if one should suffer an unexpected cardiac arrest, the heart operating room is the very best place in the world for it to happen (since the resuscitation statistics there are stellar.).
5.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago

Dr. Sue Ferrantianswered
Internal Medicine 30 years experience
ACLS...: If a patient suffers cardiac arrest, cardiac protocols are followed. Treatment includes possibly cpr, shocking the heart depending on the rhythm present and giving medications. If the arrest occurs during open heart surgery, the heart can be manually pumped and directly shocked. Acls, advanced cardiac life support, protocols are followed. Doctors are specifically trained to handle this emergency.
5.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago

Dr. Hesham Hassaballaanswered
Pulmonary Critical Care 23 years experience
Do their best: They would do their best to revive the heart and bring it back, using CPR or even shocking.
5.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Last updated Dec 13, 2014
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