EK here:
Sareana had a successful surgery yesterday evening and is recovering well. The neurosurgery team first removed her old mesh and associated hardware, then removed some cement and plaster-type stuff that was in there for form and to hold mesh in place. They reported no obvious signs of infection, which is good. The various items/materials that were removed were swabbed and/or sent to Infections Diseases for analysis. {My understanding is that they take a culture and then allow it to grow into a bacteria (which can take a few days) which will then be identified and specifically targeted with the most appropriate antibiotics.} Then the area was cleaned and irrigated, followed by application of an antibiotic. Then the Plastic team closed the incision. The surgeon (who everyone seems to think of pretty highly) determined that there was sufficient healthy tissue to close the wound "conventionally", i.e. no skin graft or flap required. However, being a plastic surgeon, he did it with a different method and type of suture such that there is less tension on the incision itself and a greater portion of the load is carried by adjacent healthy tissue, thus allowing a better healing process.
Meanwhile, standard first night in the hospital: lots of interruptions, and it has taken awhile to get the meds figured out to get Sareana's pain under control. Looks like we're getting that squared away and she is currently getting some much needed sleep. She is lucid and already able to walk without assistance, so overall in pretty good shape under the circumstances. Although she has quite a bit of pain, it's less than her last surgery and over a smaller area of her head and neck. Looks like we may be in hospital a few days until they get the culture and resultant antibiotic plan figured out. That's all for now. Best,
Erin
