Preemies
Did your LO have PDA surgery?
Just wondering how others' experiences went. Layla's is being set up for this week sometime. It was supposed to be last week, but she tested positive for an e.coli infection. Anyway, her latest culture is clear of infection, so it will be done asap.
She's 29w. Up to 2#8oz from 1#6oz at birth.
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Re: Did your LO have PDA surgery?
Jeni, I was just about to email you to check up.
Is it acting up? I was going to ask this question after Thumper's post about his PDA.
I would like to hear stories about the experiences and how it was the turning point for your baby.
I don't have experience, but I'll echo the others in saying that I've heard it's a relatively minor procedure that can make a huge difference.
Layla looks great in your latest picture! I hope she's doing well!
I know what I was told if he needed to have surgery, but primality results is that the medication closed his.
They would do an inch incision about an inch on his back and clap the PDA shut with a titanium clip. The heal time is up to the baby.
My son had the ligation done at about 3 weeks old. The surgery itself was a piece of cake - it was getting him off the Oscillator and transferring him to another children's hospital for surgery, and then the day or two after surgery that were the issues. But within 48 hours he was making good progress and by the third day we had that first glimmer of hope that he'd turned the corner.
Kevin got sicker for the first 24 hours after surgery. And he was already (to quote the RT at the children's hospital) "the sickest baby she'd ever seen have this surgery". But we were warned that he would get worse before he got better - and that it would happen quickly. Within 5 days of surgery Kevin had breast milk for the first time and he was up to full feeds within a few days.
Good luck to your LO!
Same for us. The first few days afterwards were extremely hard, she was doing even worse than before surgery. But 4 days after they extubated E and she never looked back! No more infections, less reliant on breathing support (still needed plenty of O2), and moving right along to eating more.
Keeping you and your DD in my T&Ps.
My son Aiden has a PDA which they tried to close with meds but it didn't work. The neos ultimately wanted to do the surgery because they thought it was affecting his lungs. We were on week 7 in the NICU and he was still intubated. The surgery is simple and in our NICU they do it at the bedside. We were told the prep takes longer than the actual procedure.
As soon as the surgery was over, Aiden was breathing better. His vent settings were weaned immediately. Then, for a few days they had to go up in his settings again. At the same time he was being treated with steroids for his lungs. And within a week he was extubated. At this point I'm not sure if it was the surgery or the steroids that helped him get off the vent, but he did.
Her sats generally stay up in the 90s, but they'll randomly drop down to 70. Then a few minutes later back up. She's off the oscillator and on a regular vent, and her numbers on that range from 25-50. So she's pretty wonky, but the doctor said she's also on the luckier side because it's not uncommon for sats to drop in a snap down to 40 or 50 in tiny ones with this problem. Hers is more gradual.
They tried her with a sipap a few days ago, but she only lasted with that about 45 minutes. The dr needed to change her tube up a size, and wanted to try it out - she wasn't doing to well with it though, so in went a new tube.
She's doing great otherwise. They suspected infection, but the latest culture was neg, so they're scheduling her for thu or fri this week.
I've been able to hold her a couple times, but they just put in an art line and they won't let her out of the box with that one in so no more snuggles until she's over the surgery.
That must have been scary! Our hospital does her surgery bedside in the NICU, so she won't have to be moved at all. I've heard she may need to go back on the oscillator post-surgery.
DS had his ligation at 10 days old. Like pp'er, he had a few hard days afterwards, but then did much better. His big issue at the time was his blood pressure was too low. He remained on the vent for several weeks afterwards, but he was still so young when he had the surgery that wasn't unexpected.
The procedure itself was quick and easy. I was a nervous wreck though! He was sedated for a few days afterwards to help with pain, but after that the scar healed pretty quickly. It is on his back, just behind/under his armpit. It has grown with him, which is a little strange.
Hope that if your LO does need it that it makes a big difference! Keep us posted.