Owen's transplant is complete and he's doing great! After a long nine hours in the operating room, I am sitting next to our boy again. We headed down to the PACU around 9pm last night to get things moving along. After a quick IV placement and lots of love, we sent Owen off to the OR. He has a GREAT team in his corner and we all felt good vibes going in. Owen was excited to "get the sedation started!"
Our first update was at 12am: The visual on the donor heart looks perfect and will be here around 3am. Intubation went well, all lines are in, and Owen is doing great!
Due to Owen's historical antibody sensitization, the team did a round of plasmapheresis in the OR to flush his antibodies from his blood. The donor match was perfect!
Our second update was at 3am: The heart has arrived. Owen is doing great on bypass and is ready for his new heart
The next update was at 5am: The Heart is in and beating well!!! Owen is doing great! They are closing him up and then he will get settled into the CVICU.
Our final update was from the surgeon himself. Maeda told us that it went perfectly! The heart started beating right away and he had no issues on bypass. His kidney function was struggling in the OR so they placed a peritoneal dialysis catheter in case they needed to utilize dialysis. It looks like we won't be needing it as of now. His SVC has been stented for a while, so the surgeon used the donor's SVC to create a new one for Owen.
At 7am: Owen was settling into his room. I grabbed some breakfast and a quick shower and have been bedside with him. He is zonked out! Rest up little man.. it's going to get busy starting tomorrow.
The medical stuff:
Owen has a pneumothorax in his right lung, so the surgeon will place a pigtail drain bedside in a bit to help re inflate the lung. He has two chest tube drains. The ventilator is at 40%. He has a PICC line still, two art lines (radial and femoral), peritoneal dialysis drain, transthoracic right atrial line in his abdomen, pacer wires, and five PIVs. We have plenty of access. He is on Milrinone, Epi, Dopamine, Nipride, Diludid and Dex (for pain and sedation). He is getting Platlets to help with his bleeding. He is a little oozy from all the anticoagulants he was on prior to transplant.
Then plan is to let him rest up today, especially after his third chest tube is placed. We are aiming for sprints on the vent this evening and extubation tomorrow morning. We all know that plans can change but we are so thrilled with where he is now. Keep the prayers coming, they are working!!!
Due to Owen's historical antibody sensitization, the team did a round of plasmapheresis in the OR to flush his antibodies from his blood. The donor match was perfect!
Our second update was at 3am: The heart has arrived. Owen is doing great on bypass and is ready for his new heart
The next update was at 5am: The Heart is in and beating well!!! Owen is doing great! They are closing him up and then he will get settled into the CVICU.
Our final update was from the surgeon himself. Maeda told us that it went perfectly! The heart started beating right away and he had no issues on bypass. His kidney function was struggling in the OR so they placed a peritoneal dialysis catheter in case they needed to utilize dialysis. It looks like we won't be needing it as of now. His SVC has been stented for a while, so the surgeon used the donor's SVC to create a new one for Owen.
At 7am: Owen was settling into his room. I grabbed some breakfast and a quick shower and have been bedside with him. He is zonked out! Rest up little man.. it's going to get busy starting tomorrow.
The medical stuff:
Owen has a pneumothorax in his right lung, so the surgeon will place a pigtail drain bedside in a bit to help re inflate the lung. He has two chest tube drains. The ventilator is at 40%. He has a PICC line still, two art lines (radial and femoral), peritoneal dialysis drain, transthoracic right atrial line in his abdomen, pacer wires, and five PIVs. We have plenty of access. He is on Milrinone, Epi, Dopamine, Nipride, Diludid and Dex (for pain and sedation). He is getting Platlets to help with his bleeding. He is a little oozy from all the anticoagulants he was on prior to transplant.
Then plan is to let him rest up today, especially after his third chest tube is placed. We are aiming for sprints on the vent this evening and extubation tomorrow morning. We all know that plans can change but we are so thrilled with where he is now. Keep the prayers coming, they are working!!!
11 comments:
Andi,
We are all here pulling for Owen! He is a very strong boy who just keeps going!!! All of us are keeping all of you in our prayers! Sending tons of love and hugs!!!
Love, Suz
So incredible. I absolutely love that boys attitude. Hoping recovery will go just as smoothly. So many prayers and so much love.
We have been praying every day for him. Thank you God!!
He is amazing! Lots of prayers from our family to yours!
Our God is an awesome God! Prayers continue for your strong amazing little boy and of course your family and the doctors and nurses who are caring for Owen along with the donor family. Thank God also for giving these doctors and nurses the talent and knowledge to do what they do, it is just amazing. So, prayers for recovery, your rest and anxiety levels to be low. Giving all the thanks and glory to our Lord. A friend in East Texas, Pam.
Thrilled for you, so happy it is going smoothly so far!! Get some rest if you can. Continued prayers for Owen, you and Carson, the new donor family, Aly's family, and his medical team.
WOW. Your family's emotional stamina is absolutely astounding. I am so thankful the surgery went well. I pray for blessed memory for the donor family. Get well soon, Owen!!!
So glad everything went smoothly! Lots of prayers coming from north of Boston!
So happy Owen has my daughter and son-in-law for parents. They are strong and amazing. You can see where Owen gets his positive attitude and strength. Kamryn is an amazing sister and is doing an awesome job with her little brother here at home in Arizona. Support from the entire extended family and all of Andrea and Carson's friends at church, work and the heart moms sustains them. God has answered everyone's prayers going up from throughout the world.
I now pray that Aly's family and the new donor family have the support of family and friends like we have. Let us all pray for their comfort and send an outpouring of love in their time of loss.
My prayers and thoughts are still with you, you're family and Aly's family. His will be done!
Praise the Lord! Owen has his new heart. I'm praying for Owen and the family. O:)
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