Atresia Repair Revision

We arrived at Waverly Surgery Center in Palo Alto at 6:30 AM - we were the first surgery of the day.  The waiting room was full of people.  By 7:00 AM, we were in the pre-op room where the beds with the curtains are.  That place needs a bigger pre-op room!

Ann was the first nurse to help us - she had an Irish accent and was very sweet to Ben.  He had opened up his present from his aunt.  It was an NRG Ben 10 toy with an additional maleable plastic block that's supposed to go into the head - I couldn't figure out what purpose it served.

Ben did not want to change out of his pajamas into the hospital gown (he does not like "wearing dresses.")  Also, he definitely did not want to drink the medicine that makes him sleepy (it tastes awful - and they're not allowed to drink water to wash it down).

Dr. Bowman, the anesthesiologist introduced himself to us.  We told him about Ben's loose tooth and his ear that had been experiencing pimple-like explosions.  We told him about the violent post anesthesia experience he had last time.  He said he'd change up some of the anesthesia (and use propofol instead - yikes!)

Both Dr. Bowman and Dr. Goldstein were mid-range on the bedside manner scale.

I was able to change Ben into his hospital gown, and they wheeled Ben into the OR on time right as he was starting to feel sleepy.

At around 10:00 AM, Dr. Roberson came out and talked with my husband about Ben's surgery.  He said the surgery went well, that Ben was resting in the post-operating room, that he was able to go through the ear canal, that they decided to remove the Malleus and Incus and put in a prosthetic between the Stapes and the ear drum and that they had to use some cartilege which they harvested from the Tragus that Dr. Lewin had made.

We asked the nurse if we could have the Malleus and Incus that were removed but they said that it's against the law to remove "hazardous material" from the site and that in the surgery, the time bones are broken up so there's nothing to see. :(

At around 11:00 AM, we went into the room with Ben where he was waking up.  He was very groggy.  When we asked him if he wanted apple juice, he didn't know what it was.  He didn't want to drink anything.  He saw the bag of pastries that my husband had bought and was very excited about it, but then he couldn't bring himself to take a bite.  Plus the nurse (I think this one was Tess) said to not eat initially.  He discoverd the IV that was in his hand, and he asked that it be removed.  After it was removed, he fell back asleep.

Dr. Goldstein came to tell me what had happened during the surgery (I had not been there when Dr. Roberson explained it to my husband).  During our pre-op visit, when we were asking him about the possible surgical options and then asking him clarifying questions, he had said something like: "I'm answering these questions because you're asking them, but I just want to let you know what most patients don't ask these questions."  He had the same approach this time... When I tried to ask him a question (I forgot what it was - but it was about the procedure) his response was to rub my back and say, "Don't worry about it.  Everything will be fine."  As if wanting to understand what surgical process your 6-year old just went through represents excessive

Ben was sleeping soundly, and I wanted him to get some good sleep.  However, after Dr. Goldstein came by, the nurses were heavily hinting that they wanted me to wake up Ben and leave - so we did.

Ben went to sleep for a couple more hours, and then he woke up very hungry.  He ate some yogurt (liquid food only at first) and then an egg and some apple sauce.  After some time, he started to cling to his head, and he then started vomitting profusely.  Mop up time.

A little later, he tried to eat a little more.  Had some scrambled egg.  Mt. Vesuvius again.

In the evening, he grasped his head, and shortly after, he threw up a lot again.

It was brutal.

He went to sleep feeling pretty lousy and having thrown up a lot and starving hungry - and he was coughing all night - probably from having thrown up so much and also having had a breathing tube down his throat during the surgery.