I'm posting a new thread about Bassett's surgery, in case people haven't been keeping up with the "Some not so good news" thread. It's the same information as the other post, just in a new place.
Ok.. I'm finally able to give you that big update I promised before.
On Friday Bassett went in again to have another 150cc drawn off. I have now started thinking about the surgery options. I talked to a surgeon on Friday, and I really really liked her. She explained everything to me in a clear way without dummying it down.. she did not make me feel stupid or anything. I would be very comfortable with this woman giving Bassett her surgery.
The surgery is very extensive and invasive. They have to open up Bassett's chest cavity (thoracotomy) and then there are three procedures that take place.
1) First the pericardium, or the sac that the heart sits in, is removed. Dr. Schiller (the surgeon) says that in removing this sac, the flow dynamics of the blood and lymph fluids (the chyle that accumulates in Bassett's chest is a lymph fluid) is changed. In removing this sac, the heart does not have to work as hard and therefore the pressure on the vessels is less. She described it as "removing an avenue for the fluid to accumulate."
2) The next step is the thoracic duct ligation. This means that the thoracic duct would be tied off just where it enters the chest cavity, forcing the fluid to find another place to dispel and then be absorbed by the body's fat. Where it is accumulating now, there is nothing to absorb it, and that's why it's just sitting in Bassett's pleural cavity rather than being absorbed.
3) The last part of the surgery is some omentum, which is fat from around the small intestine, is brought up through the diaphragm and into the chest cavity, so that if fluid does accumulate, the omentum fat can act like a wick and draw the fluid out of the chest.
After the surgery, Bassett would have to stay in intensive care for at least five days, and then I don't know if I would take her home or if I would have to leave her at my own vet for a period of time (this surgery would be done at the same critical care unit that Bassett had her ultrasound). The surgeon said that this is Bassett's best chance at making it through this disease, and even at that the success rate is only 30-50%. I don't know if that means a complete recovery or if it includes even a partial recovery. What I mean by that is this procedure sometimes is a complete cure, a partial cure meaning fluid still accumulates but medical managment and drug therapy can control it, and sometimes if cures the cat for a while and then the disease can come back. Also, there is a chance it won't work at all.
Now for the final blow.. Dr. Schiller wrote me up an estimate, and the total came to $4750. That does not include my other expenses like travel, finding a place to stay, etc. I still have a lot of questions for the surgeon and so I'm not 100% sure this is what I want to do, but I'm leaning this way. Bassett is so happy and chipper otherwise, that I feel like it would be unfair to not give her this opportunity. However, it's a very expensive chance. I still feel like I need to talk to the surgeon about the risks and everything.
I'm also going to ask you all a favour. If you could, try to put yourself into my situation, and think of the questions you would have for the surgeon. I'm so overwhelmed because I'm so involved with this that I'm sure there are things I should ask that I am not thinking of. Then I can print them out and call the surgeon about it. That would be a great help to me.
So, I think that's all I know so far. I will be getting in touch with the bank tomorrow to see if I can take out some kind of loan. I need to set up the money in case I decide to do this.
Thank you all for the continued support and prayers.
Naomi
Reply With Quote
(pronounced: Marley). 
Our little angel.
Bookmarks