New Doc and New Info!

 We went in for a consultation about a possible trans-catheter valve replacement for Dylan last week. We learned a LOT and left feeling amazed.

Dr. Bellotti specializes in these kinds of procedures, and he was great at explaining things in detail and answering all of our questions. Here is a quick recap:

This is a harmony valve. It's made of a special mesh material and stainless steel. It can be squeezed and will bounce back out. It kind of feels like chicken wire. In the procedure, they would put a tissue valve from a pig into this harmony valve. Then they'd squish it down to fit into a catheter the size of my pinky finger. They'd put it into the main artery at the top of Dylan's thigh, fish it all the way up the heart, go through one valve, into the other side of the heart, and through the pulmonary valve. Once in the right position, they'd deploy it, and let it expand to fill the space. This would immediately push Dylan's current valve out of the way and fill the space so that the pig valve would start working right away as the new valve.

The part that just blew my mind is that all of this is done while the heart is still beating. THEY NEVER STOP THE HEART! So there will be forces of blood flowing in and out, and the heart muscle pumping the whole time. And it never gets attached in any way. The shape of the harmony valve sits right where the arteries take blood to both the lungs. There are no stitches or glue, nothing to hold it in place, except just the shape and the forces at play. If successful, they leave it there. And over the course of the next two years, the heart tissue would grow over it. 

Things can go wrong, of course. And there is a rescue line attached to it to pull it out if needed. And in the worst-case scenario, if rescue efforts fail, then it would turn into an open-heart procedure.

This particular valve that can be placed in an original valve has only been available for 4 years. It is incredible to me how this medical technology has developed. What a blessing for Dylan!

It was awesome to have him there to learn about his heart, and to be an advocate for himself, speaking up to ask questions when he didn't understand.

So the next step is for him to get a CT scan and angiogram to determine if his anatomy is the right shape for this valve to fit. In a normal heart, it is a Y shape, going from the valve and branching out to the lungs. But some people's arteries are shaped more like a T, in which case Dylan would not be a candidate for this procedure.

So our prayer right now is that he will be a candidate! Otherwise, we're looking at an open heart surgery and 6 weeks of recovery. Thank you all for your positive thoughts and prayers!