As I am writing this, I am actually at a pediatric hospital waiting for my daughter to come out of open heart surgery.

As I am writing this, I am actually at a pediatric hospital waiting for my daughter to come out of open heart surgery. From beginning to end, this procedure has been handled with so much care and compassion and I will always be grateful for everyone involved with her care. 

My daughter has subaortic stenosis. According to the University of Kentucky, only 1% of infants are born with this heart defect (n.d.). The condition is treated through open heart surgery, under anesthesia and a lung bypass machine (n.d.). The cardiologist made sure her father and I knew everything that was going to happen and answered any questions that we had. The nurses were incredibly caring and treated my daughter with so much compassion and respect. The whole team came in to check on her numerous times and ensured that we were well informed every step of the way. 

Although open heart surgery may be “routine” for the cardiology department, I could tell they understood how scary of a situation it was for my daughter and myself. They never once dismissed her or our feelings regarding her procedure. 

Resources

Subaortic membrane resection. Subaortic Membrane Resection | Nicklaus Children’s Hospital. (n.d.). Retrieved December 6, 2022, from https://www.nicklauschildrens.org/treatments/subaortic-membrane-resection#:~:text=Subaortic%20membrane%20resection%20is%20an,left%20ventricle%20to%20the%20body.

Subaortic stenosis. UK HealthCare. (n.d.). Retrieved December 6, 2022, from https://ukhealthcare.uky.edu/gill-heart-vascular-institute/conditions/adult-congenital-heart-disease/subaortic-stenosis#:~:text=Overview,born%20with%20congenital%20heart%20defects.