Laser Eye Surgery

So, now that Avery's laser eye surgery is over I can calmly talk (write) about it. I was 100% freaked out about it before it happened, as any parent would be. Here's the latest info on Avery:

Since my last post, quite a bit has happened. Avery did get moved to the "grower's nursery" at Jersey Shore. This nursery is for babies who are stable and not as critical. She graduated to the new nursery on Wednesday afternoon when two new admissions came into the NICU and bumped her out. And she reached the 3 pound mark on Monday, March 22nd!

On Friday, March 26th, she had a eye test to look for ROP (retinopathy of prematurity) which is a very common disease for preemies of her birth weight. I found this definition of ROP which explains it better than I could : Retinopathy of prematurity occurs primarily, but not exclusively, in premature infants. It refers to damage to the blood vessels of the developing eye.The factors that cause ROP and determine the outcome are not fully known, but prematurity and the degree of retinal immaturity at birth are major factors. Hyperoxia (high oxygen levels) is also a major factor, but other problems, including respiratory distress, heart disease, infection and anemia may be contributory factors. In general, the lower the birth weight and the more unhealthy the infant, the greater the risk of ROP. It is now known that oxygen alone is neither sufficient nor necessary to produce ROP, and no safe level of oxygen has yet been determined. So, the eye exam was done on Friday and the eye dr. found that she had made good progress since her previous eye exam and he didn't think that she needed the surgery, but he planned to examine her again on Sunday afternoon since he was beginning his vacation on Monday. And guess what??? Sunday's exam showed that Avery was on the borderline for needing the surgery. He felt that it was better to have her examined by a dr. at Wills Eye Institute and let them determine if she needed the surgery. So begins the craziness...Wills Eye Institute does their pediatric laser eye surgeries out of Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia. Loooooong story short - Avery was transported via ambulance to Philadelphia late Monday night (in a horrible storm, of course) and arrived safe and sound very early Tuesday a.m. I arrived in Philadelphia with my mother and Brielle around 9:30 on Tuesday morning. I found Avery re-inutbated for the surgery and she was NOT happy about it. The actual surgery took place around 5:00 p.m. and went great. The dr. who performed the laser surgery was extremely happy with the results and expects a great outcome for Avery. The whole procedure took about 45 minutes and she was sedated the whole time. I saw her afterwards and her eyes were puffy (looked like she got in a fight), but other than that she was perfect. And today she was extubated and was doing wonderfully. They also weighed her last night and she is up to 3 pounds 12 ounces! Only 4 more ounces until 4 pounds - I can't believe it! She has to remain in the NICU at Jefferson until the eye dr. from Wills Eye Institute can re-check her eyes and determine if the surgery was successful. Some babies need additional surgeries to correct the problem. Avery's dr. seemed very confident that she would not need additional surgery, so keep your fingers crossed. I will be making the drive out to Philadelphia every day until she is transferred back to Jersey Shore or discharged. Everyone we have encountered at Jefferson has been great, but we miss our Jersey Shore NICU family. Avery is a "Jersey girl"....she wants to go home ; )

The past few days have been a blur and I could not have gotten through all of this without my family. My mom took days off work to be with me and her grand-daughters. She drove us all out there and stayed with Brielle while I attended to Avery in the NICU. She cried with me when we were so nervous before the surgery began and cried again with me in relief when the surgery was over. And Brielle was so sweet about sitting in the family waiting room all day. She kept telling me "I want to be here for my little sister, Mom." She gave me hugs and kisses all day and snuggled in the bed with me that night. I'm so glad she came with me, it was definitely the right thing to do for her and for me as well.

The attached picture is of me and Avery the day after her surgery. In this pic she is wearing the CPAP, which she hates and fusses about, but she needs to have it. We are hoping that she can go without it beginning tonight. I will keep you updated!