The following will include a vivid description of a medial surgery that is quite extensive. If reading things like this bothers you, stop reading now. If it bothers you to read it imagine how scary it is for me to consider having the surgery done to me! Crazy surgery.

What is Pulmonary Thromboendarterectomy? This description from the UCSD website probably explains it in the simplest to understand terms. Here goes:

What Happens During PTE Surgery?

PTE is an 8- to 10-hour procedure that involves opening the chest and attaching the patient to a heart-lung bypass machine, then cooling the patient’s body to about 64-68 degrees Fahrenheit. The cold temperature reduces the body’s need for oxygen and provides organ protection during this unique surgery. For the critical parts of the surgery, the surgeons turn off the heart-lung machine, stopping circulation for up to 20 minutes, to create a bloodless surgical field. Then the surgeons open the arteries blocked by chronic clots and scar tissue. They repeat the on-off process with the heart-lung bypass machine until all of the obstructing material is removed.

 

So there you have it. The good news is that they’ll be able to do the open heart valve surgery that I need to replace the aortic valve that is malfunctioning. I had a TAVR procedure a couple of years ago and the bio-prosthetic valve they put in me is failing. It’s showing stenosis and leakage. It’s part of why I’m so tired all the time.

The surgery is scary. If I don’t die during the surgery, there’s a chance I could die during recovery. It’s risky because the lungs, injured in the surgery, fill up with fluid. Pneumonia is a real risk. You’re kept in a coma for 3-6 days depending on how long you need to be intubated and then they slowly bring you around.

I’ve been awake on the tube before. I can handle it if I have to. I certainly don’t want to so I’m hoping they get me off the tube really fast.

I’m terrified and excited all at the same time.

I’ll be doing a fundraiser for the surgery as well. I have to meet a 2k co-pay on this one. Which isn’t bad since it’s a million dollar surgery!

Keep me in your thoughts. Pray if you pray. Send good juju if you have a juju maker! I’ll take all I can get! Thank you.

I love and need you all!

Love and stuff,

Michy