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Harvey George is my father and is a retired business man from Redvers; a rural town in Saskatchewan, Canada. Twelve years ago he had emergency surgery on his ascending aorta and two years after that he had another procedure done on his aortic arch. He will be having his lower aorta replaced in an operation in Vancouver in the very near future. He is a top notch man and hopefully all will go well for him.
9 July 2006
My father Harvey George is 68 years young. Twelve years ago he underwent successful surgery to repair an ascending aortic aneurysm. Two years after this initial surgery he had a second similar operation done on his aortic arch. We were told during these operations that dad's entire aorta was dissecting and in poor shape. Since these two major operations he has been receiving regular CAT scans and his condition has been monitored.
After his most recent scan his cardiologist has strongly recommended that he fly to Vancouver from our home in Saskatchewan to have his aorta reconstucted - artificially replaced. My father has no choice as he has been told his aorta will rupture within 18 months without this surgical procedure. Indeed, a time bomb waiting to explode.
Our surgery date will be in the very near future and dad is awaiting it with a great deal of courage and understandably much anxiety. We understand that his core body temperature will be reduced to about 60 degrees fahrenheit during this procedure. We realize that this will be a risky operation and that his life in in the hands of God and his surgical team. Could any of you help to address the following questions that we have:
Exactly what are the risks involved in this
procedure? I have read that the possibility of paraplegia is
significant. What may be some of the other risks that we should be
prepared for? I would think that the possibility of certain organ
failure may also be realistic.
How long might this particular operation take and how long should
we anticipate my father being in the hospital for his recovery
phase?
What medical problems could perhaps occur during his recovery
phase?
Does anyone have any statistics or information on the success rate
and failure rate of this particular procedure?
We are looking forward to the day when my father no longer has to worry about the condition of his failing aorta and are praying that all goes well during his operation.
We have found strength in the stories that we have read on this web pagy. Any information that anyone could give us would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
Update: 21 July 2006
My father has recently had some heart and respiratory tests done. The information from these tests was sent to a surgeon at Vancouver General Hospital. This surgeon has informed us that my father is not a good candidate at this time for this extensive surgery.
We have been told that he has a 6.6 cm aneurysm in his aortic arch and a 5.5 cm aneurysm in his abdominal aorta. Both of these aneurysms have grown very quickly and are now termed 'massive'.
My father will undergo similar tests in mid-September and again the results will be sent to Vancouver general. Hopefully his physical condition will have improved in this short amount of time. At this time a decision will be made as to whether this surgeon will procede with the surgeries. My father will need two seperate procedures to address the two aneurysms.
I am afraid that if his application for surgery is turned down there is no alternate plan. Our family is trying to patiently wait until mid-september and is hoping/praying that he will be accepted as a candidate for these operations.
If my father's application is turned down how long can he be expected to live with these progressive aneurysms? Is there a chance that these aneurysms could stabilize in size thereby decreasing their chances of rupturing? Are there some steps that my family could take if my father is not accepted for surgery at Vancouver general? We would appreciate any advice or suggestions you may have.
Thank you.
God bless.
Update: 29 September 2006
My father Harvey is 69 years young. Twelve years ago he had major surgery to repair an aortic aneurysm on his arch. Two years after that he had a similar operation to repair an aneurysm on his descending aorta. We have been blessed since that time as his aortic condition remained stable and we all really enjoyed life. His latest CAT scan showed that they have returned. He has a 5.8 cm aneurysm on his upper aorta and a 4.4 cm one on his descending aorta.
Sadly his entire aorta is badly dissected, which was not news to us. We were referred to an excellent team of physicians in Vancouver. My father visited them this past week. He requires two very major surgeries to repair his problems. One team surgeon stated that the success rate of each surgery to be only 50%. The many complications were also discussed. Do the rewards outweigh the risks? That is what must be decided.
Both surgeries are very intrusive and will require almost a year to recover. My father's health is excellent but his lung capacity is below average and the surgical team are afraid that he may not be strong enough to get off of the respirator in recovery. His will to live is very strong.
If these aneurysms are left unchecked we must put our faith in God but also realize that he will most likely be with us only a short amount of time; perhaps a year or two at the most. However, medical miracles do occur.
If anyone can offer us some advice we would appreciate it. Are there some futuristic medications out there that could help us? Is there anywhere we can go for a valid second opinion? The surgical team in Vancouver are top notch and treated us with the utmost of respect and gave us all of the time we needed to understand our situation. We appreciated their professionalism and excellent manner. Still it is very difficult for all of us to simply 'give up the fight' and accept the inevitable outcome.
Thank you for your responses and prayers.
Update: 24 May 2007
Our father was told last July that he had an 11 cm aneurysm in his aortic arch. The surgery needed to repair it would be his third. He was refered to Vancouver General Hospital and Dr. Michael Janusz. We are happy to announce that my father underwent 12.5 hours of successful surgery on May 10th. He is still in Vancouver General but will hopefully be returning home soon. Our family would like to thank the excellent staff at Vancouver General and Dr. Janusz in particular.
As is often said, 'the waiting is the hardest part.' How true; the last 10 months have been tough on our family and on my father in particular. It is still necessary for him to receive a stent to the mid-section of his aorta and he will have to return to Vancouver to have a similar surgery on his lower aorta; more waiting and praying.
To all of those families who are in the midst of (patiently) waiting for upcoming surgeries we pass our best and hope that all turns out well for you. Patience is indeed a virtue...
© Copyright 2006 Don George
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