Today at clinic the doctors decided that they didn't like his liver levels so they've scheduled him for a PTC (Percutaneous Transhepatic Cholangiography) and a liver biopsy. There's a chance that he's developed a narrowing in his bile duct (probably where they connected the new duct) and it's causing the bile to back up in to the liver. The "fix" is to place a catheter between his ribs on his side and use it as an entry point for placing stents in the coming months to enlarge the opening. They can also drain off bile with the catheter.
After the procedure, they'll admit him, we're assuming just for a day (good grief, please let it be for just a day) and then it's back on the road to recovery. If there is a narrowing, it can be corrected with stents so at this point, it looks like whatever they find is fixable. Ben will just have to get used to having a catheter on his side for a few months, I can't imagine that it is any worse than the huge, gaping wound on his belly. So, let's all hope that there are no other complications to be found and tomorrow is an utterly boring day otherwise.
OH! And the other news, is that Ben's infection is gone and in the words of one of the surgeons, his wound looks "red and beefy". One battle down, a few more to go :)
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Ok, so I wish they could post your blog comments immediately instead of the usual two hour delay. I was talking to Pat and Cathy about 10:30 pm tonight and they asked me to check the blog for an update. Your lastest had not posted yet. (They had looked earlier in the day) We were all anxiously awaiting an update. Aunt Cathy said your were probably too busy being the wound nurse to add any news from yesterday. They are going to call Uncle Mike in the morning. I will be sure to let them know the lastest info when I talk to them Friday morn. Anyway, as you can tell we are all becoming blog junkies and we need a fix every couple days. Thanks for the lastest news. Another "little setback" but hey, at least his wound vac has helped clear the infection. Who would have ever thought "red and beefy" sounded good!! Love you both. And sweet Juliet too. xoxoxoxoxox
ReplyDeleteHurray for 'red and beefy'! Hee. And hopefully, this newest hurdle will be cleared quickly and relatively easily.
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