Well we made it through surgery. Deep breath.
Dr. Kanter explained to us everything went as well as he could have expected. They did the Ross/Konno procedure and repaired the coarctation in his aorta. He had 2 concerns.
1) Caden had a heart attack. The tissue around the left ventricle(LV) area appeared to have been depleted of oxygen due to the high pressure in the LV. Long term it doesn't seem to be a really big issue. However, short term it means the recovery is more difficult.
2) His left ventricle was very thickened. The doc described it this way: If you work our your biceps they get bigger. Caden's LV was working a lot harder to get the blood through the narrowed aortic valve, and therefore got thicker. This decreases its ability to effectively pump blood through the body. They are currently measuring his blood pressure to gauge its effectiveness. If they dont believe it is adequate there will likely be more surgery. This is something that Becca and I truly believe will have to be prayed away. We are grateful for going to battle with us and for us and Caden. We trust God will make Caden's LV healthy and effective. Please continue to join us in praying for his LV.
The next 48 hours are extremely critical. His chest is open and we can see his heart beating. He is hooked up to mutiple lines and on multiple medicines. The nurse is encouraged so far by his progress and how stable he is. When we have the emotional energy to post a more detailed update we will. We love you and are so blessed to have you join us on our journey. God is good!!
Adam
Dr. Kanter explained to us everything went as well as he could have expected. They did the Ross/Konno procedure and repaired the coarctation in his aorta. He had 2 concerns.
1) Caden had a heart attack. The tissue around the left ventricle(LV) area appeared to have been depleted of oxygen due to the high pressure in the LV. Long term it doesn't seem to be a really big issue. However, short term it means the recovery is more difficult.
2) His left ventricle was very thickened. The doc described it this way: If you work our your biceps they get bigger. Caden's LV was working a lot harder to get the blood through the narrowed aortic valve, and therefore got thicker. This decreases its ability to effectively pump blood through the body. They are currently measuring his blood pressure to gauge its effectiveness. If they dont believe it is adequate there will likely be more surgery. This is something that Becca and I truly believe will have to be prayed away. We are grateful for going to battle with us and for us and Caden. We trust God will make Caden's LV healthy and effective. Please continue to join us in praying for his LV.
The next 48 hours are extremely critical. His chest is open and we can see his heart beating. He is hooked up to mutiple lines and on multiple medicines. The nurse is encouraged so far by his progress and how stable he is. When we have the emotional energy to post a more detailed update we will. We love you and are so blessed to have you join us on our journey. God is good!!
Adam