Surgery
This page is dedicated to all of Carter's surgery's. Please be aware that the images on this page might be hard to look at.
On September 14, 2005 Carter had open heart surgery to correct his heart defects; transposition of the great vessels, vsd, and coartation of the aorta.
On September 20, 2005 Carter went on ECMO, a machine that oxygenated his blood for him, 15 days later he came off ECMO. While on ECMO Carter's hands turned black due to lack of blood flow to the extremities(fingers/toes) this is common while on the Eppy drip and ECMO.
The right side of Carter's heart is stiff and was not pumping enough blood through his heart, so on October 5, 2005 Carter went to the Cath Lab for an ASD.The ASD is a doctor made hole in his heart which allows some blood to pass through instead of being pumped through.
Through out Carter's stay in the CVRU his weight fluctuated a lot. He was constantly gaining fluids and then losing them. Carter had 7 chest tubes, and pace maker wires while he was in the CVRU. He also went on dialysis. Carter had many procedures while in the CVRU, one of which his stomach was cut open to look for internal bleeding.
On November 28, 2005 Carter got a G-Tube, a feeding tube that goes into his stomach.
On February 17, 2006 Carter had an out patient procedure, he got a Mic-Key Button. A Mic-Key Button is a long term feeding tube port. Instead of having a tube attached to him Carter has this button which we hook a tube up to, to feed him.
On August 11, 2009 Carter went to the Cath Lab to try and close his ASD. Most of his viens had scar tissue so they we unable to get where they wanted to get.
September 21, 2009 Carter will go back to the Cath Lab for a Transapatic Cath (they will go in through the liver).
9/10/05 Day After Carter was admitted
9/14/05 The Day of Surgery
9/22/05 Carter's 1month birthday, on ECMO
10/2/05 Almost off ECMO, slimming down
10/31/05 Celebrating Halloween
11/3/05 breathing tube came out!
11/12/05 Carter in his big bed in his new room
11/28/05 G-Tube.
Carter no longer had a feeding tube going down his nose
11/28/05 the two fingers that stayed black
11/28/05 IV put in Carter's head.
They put IV's in Carter's head when they couldn't find good veins in his body anymore.
12/7/05 Carter got to go for a wagon ride!
12/9/05 Santa Came to visit
12/9/05 Braces, so Carter wouldn't hold his thumb .
Heart babies tend to be stressed which makes them hold their thumbs which is bad for hand development.
2/14/06 Carters fingers now.
Carter lost part of the tip of the middle finger
2/17/06 Carter got a Mic-key button instead of the G-Tube
9/9/06 Mic-key button removed 9/1/06