Sunday, June 24, 2012

Operation

The operation is scheduled for tomorrow morning at 7:30. Due to the infection present in her stomach, the neurosurgeon has chosen to do a different procedure, called a Ventriculo-Atrial shunt. Basically, instead of the shunt going to the stomach cavity and being reabsorbed, it will now go to the atrial vein.
These are a couple of illustrations:

The shunt pictured on the left is what she had until the externalization took place. The shunt on the right is what she will be getting tomorrow. The best description that I can find of how it works is -"
What is a VA Shunt and what does it do?
This is a device which drains the extra fluid in the brain into the right atrium of the heart. A shunt catheter is placed into a vein in the neck and threaded down where the vein joins a larger vein called the Superior Vena Cava. This large vein returns blood to the right atrium of the heart . The cerebral spinal fluid is added to the blood supply and is absorbed."

This type of shunt is not used as often as VP shunts. She will probably have to take a baby aspirin every day to help keep her from getting a blood clot. 

Sorry this is so incomplete...I feel like I know so little about all of this that I can't really put it into words.

2 comments:

Heidi said...

Praying for all to go well. We love you all!!
Heidi and Ethan

Amanda said...

Praying, Praying, praying!!
Josh, Amanda, Ethan, Evan and Caroline

 
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