Brody's surgery took a little over an hour. He did really well. The next couple of days are going to be rocky as his heart gets used to the new way it needs to manage the blood flow throughout his body. Basically, he is going to get sicker before he gets better.
He has a chest tube, which is placed in his chest and goes out of the incision. It runs down to a box that has water circulating in it. The reason for the tube is mostly precautionary. The nurses are watching closely to see if any blood or fluid starts to come out. Then, the situation is evaluated to see what is going on. Seeing the fluid is better than having fluid build up in the chest cavity and not know it. The chest tube also allows air to escape as opposed to building up in the chest. The picture below was taken just after surgery; they did move the box out of the way, further under his bed so it can't get kicked by accident.  |
| Before Surgery. Prep is done and surgeon is on his way |
At about 1:00 p.m., about an hour after the surgery, Brody had his first big problem. His oxygen saturation dropped and he needed to be switched to a different type of ventilator called an oscillator. Instead of the old 40 to 50 normal breaths per minute, this other ventilator pumps hundreds of little breaths per minute. It vibrates and sounds sort of like a quieter version of a jackhammer. It ensures his lungs stay inflated and he is getting the oxygen he needs.
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Mom and Dad "holding" Brody before surgery |
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| Brody after surgery; still pretty sedated |
Thinking of little Brody and sending up lots of prayers! Thanks for the blog update - it's good to know the surgery went well and now Brody can ficus on getting bigger and better. Hugs!!!
ReplyDeleteHi Jen, Russ and Brody, I am not sure if you will remember me, but I was the student observer that was with Brody about 3 weeks ago on the weekend. Well, I didn't want to say anything that day, but I am also a mom to a preemie (29 weeker) born at the SCH. He developed NEC within 3 days and too was transfered to the U of M.
ReplyDeleteYesterday I was working in another area and saw the U of M NICU staff walking through. First, my heart sunk and I just had a feeling they were here for Brody. I searched for your blog and wala here you are.
You are in the best place ever at the U of M!!! I looks like it may have been Dr Saltzman that was your surgeon by the pictures you posted. He is the BEST. He literally saved my little boys life and that is no lie. I also recognize some other familiar people as well and can not speak highly of the NICU nurses at the U of M.
My little guy was on the oscilator too. He did much better on this machine than the traditional ventillator.
Mostly, I wanted to write you to support you and to let you know that I am thinking and praying for your entire family. I know first hand exactly what you are going through as a family and most importantly as a mom!
One thing I would highly encourage is getting involved with the support group if they happen to meet while you are there. Ask the social worker about it and they can make the arrangement. It is a huge support to talk with other parents on the same roller coaster ride and in different stages.
Hang in there guys, Brody is already a fighter. If you need someone to talk with please don't hesitate to get in touch with me at fudalij_t@charter.net
Many prayers and thoughts are being sent your way.-Jessica