Surgery Update

Cousins!

Yesterday I received a call from CHOA's surgery scheduler, Tracy. She informed me that they received all of Emma Kate's cath information from Dr. Law and they were ready to schedule her Glenn. Her surgery will be on Friday, January 23.

I am so ready for this surgery. I know that sounds dumb, but Emma Kate is getting more and more blue. Her oxygen sats are getting lower. She seems to be getting tired a bit more easily; she sleeps a little more. I know you can't really tell in pictures and you might not be able to tell even by just looking at her in passing. But trust me, she is a lot more blue than she was even a month ago. I know this surgery isn't going to "fix" her, but I feel that it is another step to her getting better.

Tracy said that the main thing with this surgery is getting through the scar tissue from the last surgery. Depending on how long that takes, the procedure will take about 3 to 4 hours. During the Glenn, "the shunt is removed, and the superior vena cava (the large vein that brings oxygen-poor blood from the head and arms back to the heart) is connected to the right pulmonary artery. Blood from the head and arms passively flows into the pulmonary artery and proceeds to the lungs to receive oxygen." Apparently she will still remain "mildly cyanotic" (blue) after this procedure. "This operation helps create some of the connections necessary for the final operation, the Fontan procedure."

We've been told to be prepared for a pretty fussy baby after the Glenn. Because of the redirection of the blood flow from the top half of the body, they think that these babies get headaches. This fussiness lasts a couple of weeks. :( One good thing about this surgery is that it generally has a pretty quick recovery time. We were told that she will probably be in CICU for 2 days and recovery about 3 or 4. So maybe just one week total!

Please keep Emma Kate and her surgeon, doctors and nurses in your prayers as we prepare for this next big step!