We have friends who's daughter is in surgery this morning to close her PDA. Mom is a woman I met through our mutual affliction with preeclampsia.
Here's a bit of what she wrote...
"She's been followed by a pediatric cardiologist since she was born, because she was born with a congenital heart defect called a Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA), which is essentially an open artery in the heart that should be closed off. It causes a loud murmur, and allows oxygenated blood to flow the wrong way back into the lungs and right ventricle, instead of off into the body where it's supposed to go. This causes her heart and lungs to work extra hard just to keep up. Because it didn't cause problems with her breathing and eating when she was little, they chose to watch and wait. We are very thankful that she didn't have to have the surgery when she was so little and fragile, when she was first born. By 11 months old they warned us it probably wouldn't close on it's own, and would have to be closed around age 2.
They are planning on doing catheter surgery which is minimally invasive, running a line up the leg vein in through the middle of the heart to the artery, and inserting a device that will help clot and seal over the artery. The device will be forever implanted in her heart and is made of nickel and titanium (very small & lite). There are of course some risks, but the procedure is highly recommended at this time due to her increasing complications. And of course there are risks if the procedure isn't performed."
So please send good thoughts to Avery and her parents for a quick recovery.
*Update: She's doing well, and should be coming home in the morning!
2 comments:
Oh many prayers for Avery. I was wondering if her PDA closed or not.
Wish Avery and her family all the best. Of all the heart procedures to have done they do say this is the easiest! You gotta love when the docs tell you that.
Fiona @ www.momentbymoment.com.au
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