Rachel Baumgartner Lozano Update: An infection in the right thoracic cavity (where her lung used to be) is what eroded the tissue, causing the bronchopleural fistula. The infection could be Mycobacterium Kansasii, which was present in both lungs and the right thoracic cavity at the time of her last surgery, or something different altogether. There is not a definitive timeline for being able to make this determination. Regardless, the only priority right now is to eradicate this unknown infection from the cavity before repairing the fistula, as it’s the only means by which to prevent another bronchoplueral fistula from occurring. To combat the infection in the empty cavity, this Thursday they will perform a low-risk surgery to remove part of a rib and create a “window” that provides consistent access to the cavity. They will then pack the cavity with antibiotic-soaked gauze. (Side note: one reason nailing down the infection sooner than later will be to help them decide on what antibiotics to use.) Following this procedure, they will continue to change out the antibiotic-soaked gauze daily. For at least the first few days this will happen at the hospital. Once the area toughens up and if her health is stable enough, they will send her home, but they will leave the “window” open and continue to change out the gauze daily until the infection is cleared. This could take weeks or longer; there is no timeline. Once the infection in the cavity is 100% cleared, she will have another surgery where they will use her omentum to repair the fistula, as well as to fill the cavity with healthy tissue. This is a bit down the road, though. The good news is that today’s bronchoscopy showed that the left lung, which is still infected with Mycobacterium Kansasii, appears to be improving. Thank you everyone for the continued amazing support. The thoughts, prayers, and kind actions are all greatly appreciated.
Posted on: Wed, 07 Jan 2015 00:27:05 +0000
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