Cardiovasular diesases, as main cause of mortality in the world, often require surgical treatment and lead to critical conditions of cardiac arrest and resuscitation. Basic life support procedures have clear guidelines and algorithms verifed by European resuscitation council. They include assessing the level of consciousness, opening up airways, providing artificial ventilation and outside chest compressions and using a defibrillator or automatic external defibrillator. For a successful outcome in resuscitation is important to early recognition and recall of a resuscitation team, early cardiopulmonary resuscitation, early defibrillation if it's necessary and do quality post-resuscitation care. Treatment of cardiac arrest after heart surgery requires a special, individualized approach. The key differences are the avoidance of external chest compressions, the dose of adrenaline after three defibrillator shocks, and the need for emergency resternotomy. In patients after major heart surgery, the key to successful resuscitation is to recognize the need for emergency resternotomy, especially in the context of tamponade or bleeding. Resuscitation, in addition to being one of the stressful conditions in medicine, also has its ethical dilemmas, which are important to respect. Post-resuscitation care for the patient implies care in the intensive care unit, and requires diagnosis and therapy. A professional multidisciplinary approach and health care staff who are highly educated on advanced life support means a high quality of health care and care for the critical patient.