Apr 5 – Tracheostomy Update

• Today was the big day – Olivia had surgery to have a tracheostomy placed, which was successful and unremarkable
• The surgery was less than two hours, including the prep
• For the first time in her life, Olivia’s face is free
• She will still have to have a feeding tube placed, but she is temporarily being withheld from breastmilk. She should restart feeds via an NG tube this evening
• Olivia is on a paralytic again, for five days. On Monday, the surgery team will change out her trach for the first time, and she will be woken up. Becky and Max cannot wait to see her smile.

In Other News…

• Olivia is 106 days old
• Olivia’s X-ray post reintubation (on Sunday) showed two fractured ribs that are healing.
  • The team described this as not unusual for preemies due to weak bones
  • It isn’t hurting her
  • Likely they were broken at BIDMC if she got CPR there, or even just from being moved, and they were re-aggravated when she got CPR on Sunday
  • Becky was still allowed to hold her – the ribs are not an issue according to her NP and attending doctor
  • She’s going to get a blood sample tested through endocrinology just to make sure it’s not a calcium deficiency or anything else.