Post-Op Pictures

I wanted to share some pictures of what Alyson looks like post-op. After her first 2 surgeries I really didn't want to post any but this surgery I decided that I would. When I was pregnant and a nurse took us on a tour to show us what a baby would look like post-op I started to bawl. I thought it was so sad and Frank told me that he didn't think it was very sad because the baby looked good and was alive. When I saw Alyson after her 1st surgery and all surgeries up to this point that experience really prepared me for what she would look like. I don't know what I would have expected her to look like and I am sure a lot of people don't really know what it looks like either or what to expect.

Sorry, I tried multiple times for the picture to be enlarged when you click on it but didn't work out too well. I will try to figure it out soon to see why some some will/won't enlarge when you click on them.

1. Internal Jugular (right side of her neck) - This is a central line that goes almost to her heart. This delivers her medicines right now and she is currently on 2 which is crazy! The most she has ever been on is 12-14 when she got really sick after her 2nd open heart surgery.

2. External Jugular (left side of her neck) - This is a line that goes into the SVC (superior vena cava) and measures the pressure in her lungs.

3. Incision Site - It is covered up right now under sterile gauze. This will come off in a few days.

4. Heart Line (underneath Incision Site) - Measures the pressures in her atrium.

5. Breathing Tube - This helps with her breathing during and after surgery. Normally kids are on it for just a couple of days.

6. Pacing Wires (partially hidden above her diaper) - The pacing wires are put in place just in case her heart goes into weird rhythms and they need to pace her. Her surgeon put in 4 wires this time instead of 2 given her history!!!

7. Arterial Line (white cuff on her right wrist) - Measures real-time blood pressure instead of using a blood pressure cuff.

8. Pulse Oximeter (brown cord going up to her foot and wrapping around it) - Measures the oxygen levels in her body.

9. Catheter - Hopefully I don't need to explain the main purpose of this! :o) It also checks her internal body temperature.

10. Drainage Tubes - Drains any fluids that are around her heart and lungs. These will normally come out after a few days post-op.

11. Pacemaker - This is readily available if she needs it as long as she has the pacing wires in.

Here is a picture of the heart/lung machine. When the surgeon is actually doing work on her heart she gets hooked up to this which basically is doing the work for her and keeping her alive. Just thinking about it is so weird and mind boggling that this machine kept her alive throughout the surgery while her heart was stopped!!!

Here is a diagram of a normal heart but it will help give an idea of what the Glenn procedure did. The surgeon disconnected the SVC (superior vena cava) from her atrium and connected it directly to her PA (pulmonary artery). Before she had this procedure done her heart was pumping blood to her whole body and the Superior/Inferior Vena Cava acted as the return system to take blood back to her heart (which is how a normal heart works). The only way she was getting blood to her lungs was through her BT Shunt. After the Glenn, the surgeon blocked the BT Shunt and her heart now pumps blood to only her body. The SVC will now drain blood to her lungs and the IVC will return the blood back to her heart. After the Fontan surgery the IVC will be hooked up to her PA as well.

*The SVC is the return system for the upper part of the body and the IVC is the return system for the lower part of the body.