We met up with Mr Barron (Thomas' surgeon) and Pauline (our cardiac liasion nurse) last Friday at Birmingham Childrens' Hospital. Mr Barron said the results of Thomas' catheter were as they expected and so he talked us through the next planned operation which is called a cavo-pulmonary shunt. During this operation he will remove the gore-tex tube, that he placed in Thomas' heart during the first operation, and take the upper body vein (the vein that drains the blood from the top half of the body back into the heart) and connect this straight to the pulmonary artery so the blood goes directly to the lungs and by-passes the heart. It's mind boggling isn't it!!!
Mr Barron said the operation is major, it's open heart surgery so Thomas will have to have his chest opened this time and go on a heart and lung machine during the op but the results are generally good and babies are usually in hospital for about a week. BUT, as they always say, every baby is very different and therefore it all depends on how the little fella copes with it all. I'm absolutely dreading it but have every faith in Mr Barron and his team and I know that this is the next stage in Thomas' journey.
Mr B is planning to do the operation before Christmas, which doesn't feel very long away at all, and we should be notified 2-3 weeks before the planned date. We have also agreed to go on the cancellation list meaning we could be in called at short notice - which, to be honest, is probably better so we don't have as much time to think i.e. panic about it.
All in all it was a good meeting - it was good to go and check our understanding of the next operation and gave us a chance to ask all the questions we had looming around in our heads. We just need to hope that our little man can be a star once again and come through with flying colours!
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