3rd Day Suspense! Myelomeningocele Repair Surgery

                                     Outside of the Operation Theater

On the 3rd day...Monday dated 27th December 2010...my daughter went for her first surgery for repairing her spine due to Myelomeningocele Spina Bifida. The surgery must take place as soon as possible due to the thin layer of membrane developed on her back (despite of a normal skin). Therefore as advisable by the neuro doctor it must be done on the 3rd day.

She went to the operation theater on 10 am..i wasn't unable to reach there before she was admitted in the OT. The surgery took about 3 hours plus...i was there waiting for her to come out form the OT...

Alhamdulillah...the surgery was a success...my baby only slept throughout the rest of the day...

What did the doctor do?? From what the neuro doctor said..they pushed back her spinal nerve fibers to where they belonged ( spinal cord ) and  covered her spinal cord  ( dura mater ) and it is water tight. 

Then the neuro surgeon closed the muscles around the spinal cord  and finally closed back the skin on the opened area. They take skin for the graft from her back to close up the area of the myelomeningocele opening. This is an important procedure as to prevent infection and further injury to her spinal cord and nerves.

There is an addition reading material on this procedure which can be found here complete with illustrations... 

http://www.thebarrow.org/Education_And_Resources/Barrow_Quarterly/205215

May Allah protect my daughter and heal her..May she recover soon...Get well my princess...

What is Hydrocephalus ?

Hydrocephalus is a brain condition which occurs when cerebral spinal fluid ( CSF ) is unable to drain from the brain and then pools causing a backup of fluid in the skull. Hydrocephalus can cause babies' / children heads to swell accommodate the access fluid.

Cerebral Spinal Fluid ( CSF ) is a clear and water like fluid that surrounds and cushions the brain and spinal cord. CSF is responsible for delivery of nutrient to the brain and taking waste away from sensitive area where it will eventually absorbed into the bloodstream.

The fluid build up in the brain puts pressure on the brain, pushing the brain up against the skull and damaging or destroying brain tissues. 

May God protect and heal my daughter...Amin...

source : http://kidshealth.org

What is Spina Bifida ?

We are not doctors...so we might not know what spina bifida is..so let me explain a bit about it...What is spina bifida..

Spina bifida is an incomplete development of the spinal cord or its covering on babies..Normally it occurs at the end of the first months of pregnancy when two sides of embryo's spine fails to joined together, leaving an open area.

There are two types of spina bifida...

1. Meningocele : Involving the meninges, the membrane that responsible for covering and protecting the brain and spinal cord. Meningocele is a condition when meninges pushes through the hole in the vertebrae ( a small sized ring like bones that makes up the spinal column ) and the sac is called meningocele.
2. Myelomeningocele : Most severe of spina bifida which occurs when the meninges & the spinal cord push through the hole in the back. Most babies with myelomeningocele also have hydrocephalus.

As for my baby case..she has a myelomeningocele type...the most severe spina bifida...

Below is another pic showing myelomeningocele spina bifida..which my daughter had...May God protect my daughter....

Source : http://medical.yourdictionary.com & http://kidshealth.org

On the 2nd Day..

The 2nd day started off with a meeting with surgeons at the NICU with my wife concerning the procedure that need to be done to my precious on Monday ( 27/12/2010 )..The explanation on her condition was done by Dr Azizi ( Neurosurgeon ) and the surgical plan that need to be executed on Monday...to repair her myelomeningocele...

MasyaAllah...after hearing what the doctor explanation...its hard to imagine what my princess will experience at the age of only 2 days !!! SubhanAllah...May Allah protect her and lessen the pain that she will gone thru...me and wife can only pray to God and accept His trial to us and to her...May Allah protect our baby...

A Surprise On 25th Dec 2010..

25th December 2010...

It is a date which i shall remember for the rest of my life...

On this day...
A new chapter in my life...
A new beginning...
A new adventure...

This is the day which my wife has safely delivered our newest member in my family...A surprised arrival of our baby girl at 1350 hours at O&G Operation Theater...

Alhamdulillah..The happiest moment of my life..even she was born premature at 35 weeks...

Ibu & Daddy's little princess....

Despite of the unexpected arrival and the happiest moment of my life...my little princess is under 2 complications...Spina Bifida & Hydrocephalus...what are they?? well..i shall explain them later on...

May Allah protect daddy's precious princess...