Conner is still doing well. The surgery was a challenging one in which very small collaterals were tied together and attached to a shunt creating a right pulmonary artery. There were 8 collaterals in all (a record on one lung for Dr. Hanley). The challenge now is to get the right lung to inflate and clear out. There was a lot of trauma to the right lung during the procedure, so Conner will be on the ventilator for several days to ensure the lung can support itself.So far, so good. Conner is sedated and has pain killer as he recovers.
The curiosity got the best of me yesterday, so I had one of Dr. Hanley's fellows explain HOW they do the procedure. It is facinating!
They made the incision between the ribs on the right side then used retractors to spread the ribs exposing the right lung with an opening the size of an adult palm (hand). The lung was deflated to give them room to operate. They then sequentially removed all the collaterals from the aorta, splayed them lengthwise and sewed them together using an 8-0 needle (they gave me several samples to take home). The needles are incredibly small with polypropylene thread molded on what would be the eye of the needle. They work under 3.5X manginfication called a loop without which they could not see what to sew. They sized the shunt at 4.0 mm to give him some growing room over the next 6-12 months. The shunt is artery material from a cadaver called a monograph. It will be replaced when they tie the left and right sides together. Pretty neat stuff!
Thanks for checking in. We are doing well.
14 comments:
Wow what amazing knowledge these Doctors have. I'm truly grateful for modern medicine and the inspiration for it. Glad everything is going well for little Conner! Seems like you are all in good spirits. Let us know if we can help in any way.
I'm so glad Dr Hanley had so much material to work with. I think that it is a great blessing. Hopefully Conner's lung will heal well and you will be able to enjoy his sweet spirit untill the next surgery. Hang in there--our family is praying for you all.
how amazing. I am so glad you were able to get such a great dr. I am glad he is doing well. we're prayin for him all the time! Hope it doesn't take long for his lung to recover
That is wonderful!! I am glad that fellow took the time to explain it all!! So glad you have a wonderful Dr. to help little Conner!!
We are so glad things are going well! FYI - Sophia is on "Conner Patrol" in every prayer. If someone says a prayer without mentioning him, she calls it to our attention and adds addendums!
We love you guys.
I've done that stuff (microvascular surgery) in the head and neck. 8-0 stitch is so fine that it "floats". Gravity doesn't pull the thread down. If you grab the needle, the "thread" just floats behind it in the breeze. We did our stitching with a dual head microscope up to 10 X magnification which sometimes made the stitch appear as big as your hand. You never know how much you shake until you see your own fingers holding instruments at that magnification. It is neat stuff. We've got our fingers crossed and our hopes and faith high that it is the will of the Lord that this little guy fights through all of this....
So gald to hear that Connor is doing well post op. How is the new CVICU? Prayers for a speedy recovery.
That picture makes me so sad, but what an amazing thing that the doctors were able to do! I'm so glad that he is doing well.
Wow that is so amazing on the surgery. How do they figure this stuff out in the very beginning of learning this technique. God's hands are definately in play. So glad to hear Connor is doing well.
Glad Conner is doing well! Glad you guys are doing well! We are very blessed to have modern medicine and our little children are benefactors of that! Little miracles all around us!
Thhuman body is so interesting to me & it never ceases to amaze me what doctors can do to repair it when it fails!! I'm so glad the surgery went well & Conner is recovering!! We'll continue to pray for all of you!!
Glad all is going well. You are like me, don't want the details until it is over! He looks good, his coler is great. The stories he is going to have to tell some day!
So glad he is recovering well, we are thinking about you. Hang in there. The education you are getting! wow!
I have been thinking of him constantly these past few days. I am so grateful for modern medicine in times like these. We will continue to pray for Conner, You and the rest of his medical team....We pray for a speedy recovery! Love you
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