Seth's Angioplasty

We just met with the doctor, and she said Seth's procedure went wonderfully. When they tested his gradient, they found a difference of about 30. (The gradient is a mathematical ratio that measures the pressure above and below the narrowing. Zero, of course, is a gradient with no narrowing.) Seth's initial gradient before surgery was 47. The doctor reported that the gradient is currently 5. She is very pleased with this number.

The doctor showed us photos and printed hard copies showing the coarctation before and after the angioplasty. We'll upload some images later, but it was interesting to see the balloons that they used to stretch the artery. First, they used a 6 mm balloon, then a 7 mm balloon. On the x-ray type images, it looks exactly like it sounds-- it's a tiny balloon.

Now we are waiting for Seth to wake up. His blood pressure was alarmingly high when we first saw him (174/100), but has dropped to a manageable 119/55. That's still high. They think he may be upset, though he's not showing any physical signs of discomfort. He is currently laying on Natalie's lap moaning as he tries to wake up. He was too "out" to feed yet, even though he is allowed to eat whenever he can.