Surgery Tomorrow

Riley is having surgery tomorrow and will be in the Pediatric ICU for a few days after for recovery. She is having new ear tubes put it and they are doing a repeat muscle biopsy to hopefully help point us toward a diagnosis. But the main reason for this trip to the O.R. is for a Nissen Fundoplication - the doctors will take the upper curve of her stomach (the fundus) and wrap it around her esophagus and sew it into place so that the lower portion of her esophagus will pass through a small tunnel of stomach muscle. This surgery will strengthen her lower esophageal sphincter (the valve between the esophagus and stomach) which will keep food and stomach acid from backing up into the esophagus as easily. This will help us be able to feed her directly into her stomach instead of her small intestine which will have alot of benefits - it will prevent reflux that leads to aspiration and pneumonia, she will have the sensation of hunger/full, we can feed her at a faster rate that will allow for more play time and less time on her feeding pump, and hopefully this will take us one step closer to being able to eat by mouth some day. It is a Laparoscopic surgery (which means they will only make 3 or 4 very small incisions and then perform the entire surgery using a small camera and thin tools rather than it being a full open surgery . . . nuts right?!) We know that this surgery will be for the best for her but it is still so hard to see your baby have to go through this. Please be praying for a peaceful, pain-free, perfect surgery for Riley and strength & peace for me and Josh. We will keep you guys posted on how everything goes.

Much Love,
Becca and Josh