“How long do patients stay in the ICU?”
After someone has intensive surgery, whether it like open heart or something similar, how long does someone typically stay in ICU after it's done?
1 Answer
ICU stay after a big operation, such as open heart surgery, is usually a few days if there are no complications. If their operation is elective (i.e. not an emergency) the patient leaves the ICU after they pass some tests like breathing on their own, normal blood pressure, able to swallow liquids, able to get out of bed, etc. Patients will stay in the ICU if they require support for breathing (i,e. ventilator) or circulation/blood pressure.
