Here we go again...
Monday we go in for another surgery for Theodore. The Corematrix valve that they put into him was a more or less experimental procedure. They'd had a lot of success with it on the pulmonary side of the heart, but the pressure from the aorta is higher. As a result, this means that this valve needs to be replaced. There's a bit of regurgitation (where blood goes back into the heart when it's supposed to go out). That means that his heart is working harder.
So, Monday they will replace this Corematrix valve with a new mechanical one. He's big enough now that this is an option. They'll also be replacing the conduit to his pulmonary arteries. The surgery is pretty low risk, actually. This should be the last surgery he needs for 5-10 years. He'll be on Warfarin/Coumadin after the surgery.
This means no high-impact sports for him before the next surgery. If Theodore decides that he wants to play baseball or football or whatever when he gets older, we have some options that we can pursue then. The mechanical valve is the choice because it means fewer surgeries. Which is what we want right now. When he gets older, we can discuss alternatives that would mean more or less regular valve replacements via the cath lab, but that mean no anticoagulants.
Teddy should be in Monday morning at 6, and out sometime between Thursday and the Monday after that. Or at least, that's the goal. I will be updating this blog throughout the surgery and throughout his stay at Children's to keep everyone up to date. Also, you can follow me at Twitter for shorter updates (though they may not all be related to Theodore).
So, Monday they will replace this Corematrix valve with a new mechanical one. He's big enough now that this is an option. They'll also be replacing the conduit to his pulmonary arteries. The surgery is pretty low risk, actually. This should be the last surgery he needs for 5-10 years. He'll be on Warfarin/Coumadin after the surgery.
This means no high-impact sports for him before the next surgery. If Theodore decides that he wants to play baseball or football or whatever when he gets older, we have some options that we can pursue then. The mechanical valve is the choice because it means fewer surgeries. Which is what we want right now. When he gets older, we can discuss alternatives that would mean more or less regular valve replacements via the cath lab, but that mean no anticoagulants.
Teddy should be in Monday morning at 6, and out sometime between Thursday and the Monday after that. Or at least, that's the goal. I will be updating this blog throughout the surgery and throughout his stay at Children's to keep everyone up to date. Also, you can follow me at Twitter for shorter updates (though they may not all be related to Theodore).
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