Final Report > Chapter 9: The Paediatric Cardiac Surgical Service in Bristol > The paediatric cardiac surgical service in Bristol > Surgery

Surgery

17 PCS, as indicated earlier, was provided on two sites throughout the period of our Terms of Reference: open-heart surgery at the BRI and closed-heart surgery at the BRHSC. The usual pattern in the case of open-heart surgery (except in the case of emergencies) was that the child was admitted to the BRHSC for a few days prior to the operation and was then transferred to Ward 5 at the BRI as shown in Figure 4. This was a ward which concentrated on cardiac surgical patients. It was mixed, in that it accommodated both adults and children. The operation would be carried out in an operating theatre at the BRI and the child was then cared for in the ICU two floors above, before being returned to Ward 5 or to the BRHSC.

Figure 4: Location of the elements of cardiac care at the Bristol Royal Infirmary between 1984 and 1995