Surgery Day

We are heading up to the Children's Hospital tomorrow morning for Caitlin's 3rd surgery. This time they will be re-doing her lip repair which was done in China. For whatever the reason (we can only speculate) her scar did not heal properly the first time it was repaired, so it is too thick. This surgery is not only for cosmetic reasons, but also because her lip is attached too tightly to her gum, making it difficult to flip her lip up to get to her top front teeth. This could even be painful for her (I have heard from others that it is), although she is such a trooper she has never complained.

Many cleft kids undergo a "lip revision" before they enter kindergarten in order to clean up their scar. The doctors usually try to work on the nose at the same time if it is still partially collapsed (as Caitlin's is). Unfortunately Caitlin's scar is too thick for a revision; they will have to basically cut out her old scar and completely re-do the repair. She will have a splint-type bandage over her nose until her post-op appointment next week, and she will have a stent in her nose for a couple of weeks. She will be on a soft-foods diet and have many other restrictions for a couple of weeks as well.

Our plastic surgeon back at Stanford was adamant that we should do this surgery now, before her peers are old enough to notice differences. I have already had a few children ask me about Caitlin's lip. They were only asking in innocence; there was no malice and their comments did not offend, but they helped me to realize how difficult it would be for Caitlin to constantly have to answer such questions herself. With any luck this surgery will be successful, and she will not need another revision in a couple of years when she starts elementary school.

Our only concern is her nose. The doctors prefer to wait until the children are a little older before they try to work on the nose, but our new plastic surgeon and her resident are going to do the best they can. Although they have warned me that another nose revision is likely on down the road, hopefully Caitlin will be able to wait until she is older.

The surgery is scheduled for 12:30 tomorrow afternoon; we have to be there by 10:30 to check in. Hopefully she will not have to spend the night, but that all depends on her. I am praying that she will cooperate this time so we can get home as soon as possible!

As with her palate surgery last year, I will do my best to update the blog with news as often as possible (assuming the hospital offers wi-fi).

Please wish us luck, and any prayers would be greatly appreciated! Although this surgery is not supposed to be as bad as the palate surgery last year, any surgery or voyage into the unknown is a scary leap of faith and I will be very glad when it is over!