Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Details

I've had some people ask exactly what the liver cell transplant is all about.  I got some details from the doctor so I can share the steps with you...
When we got here a few weeks ago they did a CT Scan on Katelyn.  Then they spent days doing calculations to make sure that the upcoming radiation treatment is aimed in exactly the right place.  Once the right liver cells become available Katelyn will be admitted to the hospital.  They'll hook her up to an IV, take some blood and then we'll spend some time waiting for the procedure to start.  When the liver arives at the hospital the doctors will start working to harvest the cells.  They'll take Katelyn back to the room where she got the CT Scan.  They'll get her back in the exact same position as last time and prepare her liver for the cells by doing the radiation treatment.  This step is very important.  It will prep the liver so that it will accept the cells.  Right before the procedure starts the doctors will use the IV line to administer medicine to make her fall asleep.  They'll make a one inch incision above her belly button... that's where the major artery is that runs to the liver.  They'll give her 3 different injections of liver cells through that artery over the course of 24 hours... roughly 8 hours between injections.  Once the entire procedure is done she'll wake up and spend about a week in the hospital so that they can monitor her progress and work to get her medication at the right level.  Right now she's on phenobarbital, which will counter act the anti-rejection medication.  The doctors will slowly lower the phenobarbial while they raise the level of the anti-rejection medicine until they get everything just right.  Within a week or two the new liver cells should start to become active.  The plan is that she'll be able to spend less and less time under her light each day.  Then she'll be released to the Ronald McDonald House for about 2 more weeks until she is released to go home.
When Katelyn is done we'll go through the same process with her little sister, Zoe.

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