Friday, May 25, 2007

Surgery Tomorrow

Well they did the catheterization today and everything went well. It seems that Bailey has a PDA. This is information I received from the National Heart Lung and Blood institute.
Before birth, the two major arteries—the aorta and the pulmonary artery—are normally connected by a blood vessel called the ductus arteriosus, which is an essential part of the fetal circulation. After birth, the vessel is supposed to close within a few days as part of the normal changes occurring in the baby's circulation. In some babies, however, the ductus arteriosus remains open (patent). This opening allows blood to flow directly from the aorta into the pulmonary artery, which can put a strain on the heart and increase the blood pressure in the lung arteries.
So my shortened version, Bailey will have surgery tomorrow to correct this defect.
We were told that after the catheterization she would be removed from the ventilator, but when we arrived in the room she was still on it. That was a scary moment for me. I understand why she needs to be on it, but it's difficult to see 17 day old baby on one.

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