Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Wednesday update

Rachel is back from the heart-cath and in her room.  This cath was more risky because of the arrityhmias that she has been having but fortunately she did not have any issues in the cath lab.  The cardiologist that did the cath lab did find what the surgeon and team of doctors suspected, that the aortic valve is leaking a lot, causing blood to back up into the left venticle thereby causing the left ventricle to not properly relax.
There are two issues that the surgeon and the team of cardiologists will have to address.  1.)  Whether to go ahead and replace the aortic valve, thereby meaning that she will have to undergo another major open-heart surgery and having to replace it every two/three years or perhaps whether she might need a heart transplant, and, 2.)  Replace and relocate the pacemaker b/c of the pacemaker lead needs to be replaced b/c it has worked itself loose. 
Also, the arrityhmia issue is of conern as well but it might be able to managed with medication. 
The surgeon and a whole team of cardiologists will be getting together in the morning to decide what is the best option at this point. 

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