**3.5.3 Multiple-stage surgeries**

Multiple-stage surgeries - if the patient turns out to have a complex heart lesion that requires 2 or more stages of surgery, decisions will also have to be taken as to whether to send the child back home untreated, perform the first stage of surgery only or commit to bringing the patient back after a few years to perform the subsequent stage(s) of surgery. Whatever decision is taken is associated with great cost either of the treatment or the emotional cost to the family of having to send their child home back untreated.
