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flutie

phillyandashleyphillyandashley
in 2nd Trimester
When I went to the doctor she told me they think it's truncus arteriosis. Talk to me about it.. I must have blocked out what he said or he wasn't clear. :(
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Re: flutie

  • flutiefrostieflutiefrostie member
    Do you know any more specifics? The severity depends on the artery affected.
    DS May 12, 2009 DD September 7, 2011
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  • phillyandashleyphillyandashley
    Bear with me here... Supposedly it's supposed to look like a candy cane with another behind it, but it's open instead. It was towards the top of her heart, if I remember clearly.
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  • flutiefrostieflutiefrostie member

    Okay, so the heart has four chambers: 2 on top called atria and 2 on bottom called ventricles. One ventricle sends blood to the lungs, which comes back and ends up in the other ventricle to be pumped to the body. Usually there is one artery for each ventricle to carry the blood wherever it needs to go. Early in fetal development, those arteries begin as one since blood doesn't need to go to the lungs. That artery is called the truncus arteriosus. In most babies, it divides into the aorta and pulmonary artery. However, in babies like Chloe, that doesn't happen. The problem is that blood is pumped to the body before the lungs so it doesn't have oxygen. Basically, the heart has to work much harder for the body to get the same amount of oxygen.

    Symptoms vary based on which type it is, but the main one is cyanosis (low oxygen levels). If it's not taken care of within 4 to 6 weeks, more symptoms pop up, but I'm sure they'd take care of her before that happens. 

     Sorry if that wasn't very clear. Please ask for clarification!

    DS May 12, 2009 DD September 7, 2011
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  • phillyandashleyphillyandashley
    No it was perfect! So does that mean she'll have a hard time breathing when she's born? Will her lungs still develop properly?
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  • flutiefrostieflutiefrostie member

    She'll be fine breathing and her lungs will be fine. The cyanosis will be because her heart isn't spreading around all the oxygen she's breathing in.

    There can be other abnormalities in babies with truncus arteriosus, but lungs don't seem to be affected at all. If Chloe has any other problems, the doctor probably would have seen them.

    DS May 12, 2009 DD September 7, 2011
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  • phillyandashleyphillyandashley
    So, once she has the surgery, will the cyanosis be fixed too? What other problems could there be? I really appreciate your help. You're the best labor buddy a girl could ask for!
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  • flutiefrostieflutiefrostie member

    Yep, the surgery will fix it! She might need surgery later on in life as she gets bigger, but her surgeon should be able to tell you for sure.

    Other problems babies with truncus arteriosus can have are skeletal abnormalities, and abnormalities of the urinary, genital, and gastrointestinal tracts. However, those aren't caused by the truncus arteriosus, they're just found more often in babies that have it. 

    DS May 12, 2009 DD September 7, 2011
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