Overcoming PTE Surgery (Pulmonary Thromboendarterectomy): 2010

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

It has already been a year....

August 4 was the one year anniversary of my PTE surgery! I feel wonderful! It all seems like a dream. My scar is still a bit dark on top, but has almost disappeared on the bottom. Occasionally, I have a bit of sensitivity when I bend over, but other than that I am great. How has recovery been for you?

Need an afforable place for you and your loved one to stay? Check out "The Bannister Family House!"

This information is from the UCSD website:

"The house has 12 rooms, 8 double and 4 single, each with its own full bathroom. There are several community rooms incuding a TV room, library, living room, children's play room, kitchen and dining room. All guests have full use of these rooms at any time, and are encouraged to eat meals and play games or watch TV together.
The atmosphere in the house is one of a "home away from home" and guests are expected to keep all areas clean. There is a part-time housekeeper who cleans the community areas and prepares rooms for guest check-in."

http://health.ucsd.edu/bannister/housetour.htm

What IS PTE?

(This information is from the USCD Specialties and Programs website -
http://health.ucsd.edu/specialties/pte/desc.htm)

PTE is the surgical procedure to remove life-threatening blood clots—emboli—from pulmonary arteries to restore blood flow to the lungs. The surgery can provide a cure for pulmonary hypertension due to chronic pulmonary thromboembolic disease by restoring normal blood pressure in the pulmonary artery and removing the chance of right-heart failure.

PTE is an eight-hour procedure, performed under general anesthesia, in which the chest is opened and the patient is attached to a heart-lung bypass machine. The patient’s body is also cooled to about 68 degrees Fahrenheit, because this temperature reduces the body's need for oxygen by 95 percent.

Once the patient is attached to the heart-lung bypass pump and the body is cooled, the surgeons open the arteries obstructed by the clots. The doctors then turn off the heart-lung bypass pump to achieve a bloodless surgical field. While no blood is being pumped through the arteries, the doctors carefully extract the clots adhered to the arterial walls. The clots—often more than 10 inches long—are loosened and removed slowly, one by one. The on-off process of the heart-lung bypass pump is repeated until all of the clots are pulled out. Then, the arteries are sewn closed, blood is allowed to flow back through them, the chest is sewn closed, and the surgery is complete.

http://health.ucsd.edu/specialties/pte/desc.htm