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On Monday evening, February 18th, Randi became very ill and diagnosed with a a dissection (tear) in the Aortic valve where it protrudes from the top of the heart. Randi was transferred to Intensive Care where we were told that she would be having emergency open heart surgery due to the location and severity of the tear. At 7:20 Tuesday morning, with only a few moments to process the information, Randi was prepped for, and wheeled down to, the operating room.
Over the next 9 hours, Randi was operated on as the surgeon, Dr. Kummerer, found the tear in the crescent and descending portion of the aorta, an aneurism at the portion of the aortic valve that attaches to the hear and a diseased aorta. The entire aortic valve was replaced including the portion that attaches to and enters the top of the heart. After 6 hours, we informed that the procedure had concluded and the staff was waiting until all of the bleeding (normal) stopped. They worked for the next 3 hours trying to stop it but could not. The decision was reached, at that point, to take her back to her room in ICU, leave the chest open and fill it with a special wound vacuum dressing. She would stay that way, overnight, until the bleeding stopped and then she would be taken back to the OR where she would be closed up.
Thank G-d, everything went as planned from that point on. Wednesday morning we were informed that the bleeding had stopped. It took unti 3:30 PM for them to be able to take her back into the OR to close her, but when they did, everything went as planned. She was returned to her room at approximately 7:00 PM with her chest cavity closed and all vital signs looking good.
With each day, we are seeing more and more improvement. Randi is well on her way to recovery due to the phenomenal care she has been receiving from her medical team. We are now faced with the prospect of sending her home earlier than we anticipated, and in need of hiring around the clock home health care. We feel the need to estabilish a GoFundMe in Randi’s name, and would appreciate any monetary donations to help us with Randi’s medical bills and recovery process.
Over the next 9 hours, Randi was operated on as the surgeon, Dr. Kummerer, found the tear in the crescent and descending portion of the aorta, an aneurism at the portion of the aortic valve that attaches to the hear and a diseased aorta. The entire aortic valve was replaced including the portion that attaches to and enters the top of the heart. After 6 hours, we informed that the procedure had concluded and the staff was waiting until all of the bleeding (normal) stopped. They worked for the next 3 hours trying to stop it but could not. The decision was reached, at that point, to take her back to her room in ICU, leave the chest open and fill it with a special wound vacuum dressing. She would stay that way, overnight, until the bleeding stopped and then she would be taken back to the OR where she would be closed up.
Thank G-d, everything went as planned from that point on. Wednesday morning we were informed that the bleeding had stopped. It took unti 3:30 PM for them to be able to take her back into the OR to close her, but when they did, everything went as planned. She was returned to her room at approximately 7:00 PM with her chest cavity closed and all vital signs looking good.
With each day, we are seeing more and more improvement. Randi is well on her way to recovery due to the phenomenal care she has been receiving from her medical team. We are now faced with the prospect of sending her home earlier than we anticipated, and in need of hiring around the clock home health care. We feel the need to estabilish a GoFundMe in Randi’s name, and would appreciate any monetary donations to help us with Randi’s medical bills and recovery process.