Possible Surgery Change

A last minute update on the plans for tomorrow. Jess and John were informed by the neurosurgeon that there was an alternative surgery that he said Katelyn was a good candidate for. The surgery is called endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV). Basically, this surgery involves drilling a hole between the ventricles on the left and right side of the brain so that they are connected and can better regulate the pressure. The benefit is that if the surgery is successful then Katelyn would not be shunt dependent and this could allow the pressure in her brain to come down. The downside is that the surgery does not have a high rate of success - decreased pressure in the brain - and that she may still need a shunt later on. The good news is that ETV seems to be slightly less risky than VP shunt surgery. The real concern is whether this surgery will be enough to allow Katelyn's brain to recover. That might not be clear for another 3-6 months.

The neurosurgeon suggested this surgery just this evening. As Jess and John had been emotionally preparing for the shunt surgery, this change threw them off. They spent the last 2 hours searching the web for more information on this surgery and found a lot of contradictory statements about the surgery. Yet, while some of the first information about the surgery had been negative, they were feeling a little more peace about it after continuing to do research, as they found that the risks were fairly equivalent to shunt surgery and that while this is not always effective, they always can have a shunt placed later.

Jess and John will meet with the neurosurgeon at 9:30 to discuss the risks and benefits of this surgery and the surgery will likely occur following this consultation (probably around 10 or 11). Pray for them as they decide whether to give consent for this surgery. Pray for Katelyn's health through the surgery. May God watch over our precious daughter.