On Thursday, I had a visit with my plastic surgeon. We met to review the results of the CT scan I had last month. As you might recall (if you follow along on FB), I received the report shortly after the test but I wasn't sure what the results meant in relation to surgery. The artery was open but the report noted that it was "of small caliber". After several weeks of waiting and wondering, I received the answer.
The good news is that it's not a showstopper. We can still proceed with the surgery but it will now be surgeries...plural. I will apologize in advance because I have been unable to find neither a good explanation nor a groovy diagram online. Sadly, that means you get the patient's description. I'm sure I will oversimplify. So let's do this.
As a result of the wimpy thoracodorsal artery, my plastic surgeon suggested a bit of a change to the surgical plan. I will now have two surgeries instead of one. The first procedure will take place on Monday January 11. On this date, she will make an incision in my back and then release the latissimus dorsi muscle and then close me up. I'll spend a day in the hospital and will leave with a drain. OH YAY! My most favorite thing! The muscle, still attached to its blood supply, will just hang out for 3 weeks. During this time, my body will sense a disturbance in the force and start working to improve blood flow to the area and will actually increase the size of the artery. She said we could expect a 30% increase during this time. This is a good thing - it means our chances for success are higher and, Lord knows, if I'm going through this, I sure want it to be a success.
After waiting 3 weeks (with my friend the drain), I will return to the hospital for the reconstructive procedure. This is the "big" surgery, which we covered in a previous post.

Going to sleep now. So tired!
Love to all
Andee