Work at the Department

Acting Head of Department: Doc. dr Olivera Đokić
Head nurse: Zorica Nešković, SN
In terms of organization this Department includes the following:
Preoperative admission outpatient unit and Preoperative patient preparation division.
The Admission outpatient unit employs medical specialists in internal medicine – cardiologists and nurses.
Specialists also perform preoperative assessment of the readiness of patients who are waiting for scheduled heart surgery – in pre-consulting outpatient work.
The Preoperative patient preparation division employs specialists in internal medicine – cardiologists, medical residents and clinical doctors, as well as nurses.
Medical doctors working in this division prepare patients for cardiac surgery procedures.

  • Objective: to prepare patients for cardiac surgery as soon as possible, with the least risk possible
  • Ideal case scenario: bring morbidity and mortality close to zero
  • During the preoperative preparation, it is necessary to avoid unnecessary postponement of the surgical procedure and costs in low-risk patients and selectively determine appropriate tests for high-risk patients
  • Team approach

Preoperative assessment of a complex and high-risk patient and decision-making about surgery is one of the most difficult and important aspects of preoperative preparation. It directly affects the result of the procedure and is performed through a team effort (cardiologist, cardiac surgeon, anesthesiologist).
A clear analysis of the benefits of surgery against risks, a thorough preoperative assessment, does best to the patient, medical doctor, and the public.

List of procedures

Required for cardiac surgery procedures:

  • Patients suffering from much more severe forms of the disease are increasingly being approved for procedures
  • The elderly patient population (with comorbidities)
  • There is an increasing operative risk
  • There is a constant trend towards more efficient treatment of perioperative problems
  • There is a constant “pressure” to reduce mortality, morbidity and treatment costs

During the perioperative treatment of cardiac surgery patients the following values are monitored and analyzed:

  • Mortality
  • Morbidity
  • Resource utilization – costs of hospital treatment
  • Patient satisfaction
  • Critical events during treatment
  • Functional status of the patient before and after the treatment

Special attention is paid to the operative risk stratification by applying the EUROSCOPE system (European system for cardiac operative risk evaluation), which enables to predict the outcome for the relevant intervention, by classifying patients according to the severity of the disease.

Instructions for patients

General information:

Patients receive written instructions before their arrival to the Institute for heart surgery

Working hours:

Required documentation:

For admission to the Department of Preoperative Patient Preparation, the following documentation must be submitted:

  • Referral letter for a specialist examination (for patients coming from other parts of the country the referral letter needs to be certified by the competent health insurance fund)
  • Blood count (Hb, Hct, Er, Le and Tr) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate
  • Biochemical blood tests (potassium, sodium, calcium, magnesium, bilirubin, urea, creatinine, glucose, ALT, AST, CK, total proteins, albumins), iron and TIBC (Ferritin)
  • Urine (native, with sediment)
  • INR (if the patient is taking oral anticoagulant therapy, e.g. Syndrome, Farin,…)
  • Bleeding and coagulation time
  • Bleeding and coagulation time
  • X-ray imaging of the heart and lungs
  • Blood type
  • Throat and nose swab
  • Indication by the cardiac surgery medical advisory board of the ICVD Dedinje on the operative treatment
  • If the patient is foreseen for surgical replacement of the aortic or mitral valve, it is required to submit a dentist’s certificate on the normal dental status.
  • Five days before the admission to our institution, avoid taking Ticlodix, Plavix or Zylt
  • Tests must not be older than 15 days
  • If the patient suffers from some concomitant diseases, it is necessary to provide relevant medical documentation (discharge note, findings by the attending medical specialist, results, etc.)
  • Findings and opinion of the medical doctor treating the underlying disease regarding the scheduled surgical procedure
  • f invasive cardiac diagnostics was performed in another institution, the patient MUST provide a film (or CD) obtained after invasive diagnostic procedures
  • If, upon admission, the patient does not have the required analyses within the reference physiological values, his/her appointment shall be rescheduled and a new hospital admission date shall be determined.
  • Regular follow-up examinations with a competent cardiologist (prior to the arrival to the Institute) are also recommended. In case of any deterioration of the patient’s underlying condition, the competent cardiologist can refer the patient to the Institute, with appropriate medical documentation, for the re-evaluation of the degree of urgency.

If the patient (or someone from the immediate surroundings) has symptoms of current respiratory and other infections, patients are required to avoid coming for the scheduled appointment and to inform the Admission Appointment Scheduling Office (Tel. 011/3601 605) to change the foreseen date of hospitalization

Outpatient unit

The Admission outpatient unit employs medical specialists in internal medicine – cardiologists and nurses.
Examinations include:

  • examinations of patients scheduled for cardiac surgery procedures for a specific date
  • examinations of patients admitted as EMERGENCIES

Medical doctors – specialists also perform preoperative assessment of the readiness of patients waiting for scheduled heart surgery – as a part of pre-advisory board assessment work at the outpatient unit

Contact details

Telephone: 011 3601 713

Fax: 011 3601 714

E-mail: