Today we had another fetal echo to take another look at how everything in the heart is growing. We were hoping to have some more definitive information about how delivery is going to go and whether or not the 1st surgery will be necessary. Unfortunately, we didn't come away with the decisions we hoped for, but we didn't come away with bad news either, so it was kind of a mixed bag of emotions for us.
The blood flow through the pulmonary valve and arteries is the indicator as to whether or not the 1st surgery (the BT Shunt) will be necessary. Right now both the valve and arteries are measuring on the smaller side but not tiny. If they continue to grow at a good pace between now and birth, they might allow enough blood to flow to the lungs that the BT shunt wouldn't be necessary. The doctor seemed to think it could go either way at this point, so we'll have another appointment in about 5 weeks to see if he's able to see any difference one way or the other. Right now, we're pretty much counting on not knowing for sure about surgery until after the baby is born and they can do tests that will be much clearer than while he is in utero.
It also seemed apparent today that delivering in Colorado Springs might be more of a possibility than we thought. It sounds like the first few days after birth will be a lot of testing whether it is in CS or Denver, and if transport to Denver is necessary for surgery, it is unlikely it would create a critical situation. We're still struggling with what to do as far as that goes. The doctor had confidence that going to Denver for delivery is not really necessary but said that if we really wanted to do that then we could. He did recommend that if I deliver in the Springs, that I do so at Memorial Main Hospital- my OB doesn't deliver there, so I'd have to find a new OB for delivery (yet another doc to add to the mix!)
So no specific plan quite yet, but we're very glad to hear that there's still a possibility of skipping the first surgery all together! Thanks for your prayers!
Go with your gut! Do whatever makes you feel the most confident and comfortable.
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