Riley Norton's Weblog: Still a few more hours

Thursday, March 02, 2006

Still a few more hours

We just got a page. Everything has been going well, Riley is asleep and comfortable. They've found collateral blood vessels and want to close them out. Collateral vessels are created naturally by Riley's body to adapt to the low oxygen levels. Unfortunately, that's working against the upcoming Fontan procedure, so they will be destroyed by coils. The cardiologist is scrubbing in now, Riley's cardiologist will assist. They can take a while - "at least two or three more hours." We've been asked to call the lab again at 2 o'clock for an update if they don't page us in the meantime.

No comments:

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

Riley's Medical Condition

Riley was born with congenital heart defects that were detected shortly after birth. He has a condition called heterotaxy which means his internal organs are reversed. His heart is on the right side of his chest. He is also missing a spleen, a cardiac-related condition called asplenia syndrome. Riley's heart only has a single ventricle and a common valve. Before treatment, oxygen poor blood mixed with oxygenated blood causing severe cyanosis ("blueness").

There is no cure for Riley's disease but a three-stage palliative treatment is commonly performed. A few days after birth in April 2003 surgeons at UCSF performed the first stage, a BT Shunt. In May 2004 surgeons performed the Glenn Procedure. In March 2006 Riley underwent the Fontan Procedure, the third stage. Riley developed protein losing enteropathy and in March 2007 received a Fontan fenestration which failed, followed by the Fontan takedown in April 2007.

In 2014, Riley began developing arteriovenous malformations in his lungs. That's an indication that his Glenn circulation is not holding up. In October 2014, Riley went to Stanford for a 1.5 ventricle septation repair.