Friday, April 27, 2012

Quick note on her upcoming surgery

I don't think I said anything about what this surgery is, just said what it's not.  It is not the huge 1st HPLHS surgery called the Norwood where they have to reconstruct the right side of the heart to do the functions of the left side too.  Cayla has been 100% miraculously blessed by God to have her aorta already created on her right side of her heart instead of the left.  I believe I've heard a couple of doctors say it's kind of rare.  I think I said earlier that she will have to have surgery on the aorta to split it from the coronary artery, but that's all part of surgery #2 coming up when she's 3-6 months old.

Her surgery next Wednesday, May 2nd, will be considered much more of a minor surgery.  When she was born, they were expecting her to be pale with a blueish tint since her red and blue blood, oxygenated and unoxygenated, are mixed.  But, she came out looking all nice and pink and healthy, which I guess was a clue that too much blood was flowing through her pulmonary artery.  This surgery is only to go to that artery and tighten it up by banding it.  We're talking about an artery that's probably a couple millimeters or so in size, I don't know, but very small that will have a band that can't be bigger than a thin piece of thread wrapped around to decrease the blood flow.  How you would band something that small and control the flow through it?  I can't imagine.  Dr. Stewart said it's fairly routine for him.   Good to know.  Don't envy him though.  So, there's not even anything going to happen inside her heart, just outside with no invasive surgery this time... minor surgery.  She is one blessed little girl!  God has been very gracious to us and to Cayla.  We thank Him and praise Him for this!