Sam had an internal defibrillator implanted just before he turned 11 months-old (see sidebar entitled Sam's Story). This defibrillator is a tiny little device that can fit in the palm of your hand. If Sam's heart starts beating too quickly for too long, the device will shock his heart in order to "reset" it. Sometimes that works on the first shock, sometimes it takes two or three.
This device is actually placed in his belly, just behind his breast bone and towards the right side of his body. The device has a battery which needs to be replaced every three to five years, and what this actually means is the entire device needs to be removed and a new one implanted.
On Wednesday, November 27, Sam will undergo surgery to replace this device. They will not touch his heart at all this time, but instead, they will cut through the breastbone a small amount, pull out the device, unplug it and plug in a new one. The doctors will have to send his heart into an arrhythmia in order to test the integrity of the new device, which means, he will be shocked during surgery.
Please post any questions here or on FB. I will do my best to answer them or find the answers.
Sam's pre-op appointment is Tuesday at 10am, so we should know more then.
2 comments:
Praying God's hand over this special boy! Praying for the Doctors has they do the surgery. Praying for Mom and Dad has they have the strength to pull through and trust in the Lord. We love you all!
Thank you for taking the time to explain what is happening to Sam. We are praying for a smooth replacement and managed pain for him and comfort for you and Bill. Your are loved and God is watching over your whole family.
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