Post Surgery Details

Dr. Duhaime was very pleased with how the surgery went. Oliver did need a blood transfusion because his blood count was low. This was expected.

She took out everything that needed to come out without touching the motor or sensory strips! Thank the Lord! These strips were actually mapped further back in Oliver probably due to the tuber in the area.

No significant tubers were taken out because (as we have said before) the tubers themselves don't appear to be a problem; it is the tissue around them. When electrodes are put into tubers, they are silent (meaning they aren't the spark of the seizure). They are abnormal brain tissue, but the hypothesis is that the area around the tuber is the area of seizure origination.

They did leave a small ball of tissue that did not seem to be participating in Oliver's seizures. This area was left because (as we've said before) you can't put it back once it is out. Presumably, this area should be fine. The need to do another surgery seems less likely now than it did yesterday, since the eloquent cortex wasn't exactly where they thought it was.

So far all of Oliver's motor abilities seem to be intact, and he has said three words. We'll feel much better when he says more words and begins to act more like himself! We also have to remind ourselves it is less than 24 hours after the surgery, so there is much to still learn about Oliver's long term prognosis.

Oliver is in pain due to the new area of bone they had to cut. This is also why his eye will most likely swell shut again (sigh). The good news is they did not have to make a new incision, so the scar will remain the same as the one from last week. That is great :)

So now we wait to see if it worked. It is so exciting. It is amazing. We feel so blessed. We feel nervous, we are still holding our breath a bit...

First cuddle after the surgery