2 Surgeons and Counting

Well, nothing's every simple with Aerin.

We met with the plastic surgeon, Dr. Pozez. After a brief examination, she informed us that Aerin will need an additional surgeon to perform part of the removal (hemangiomaectomy?). The hemangioma extends below the surface and has its own blood supply. Dr. Pozez wants to make sure that the veins are tied off or removed without affecting Aerin's shoulder or arm and the best person to do that is a pediatric surgeon with vascular specialty. We have an appointment with him on Monday (he's in surgery today and tomorrow). She also discussed our options for the closing. We've decided on a skin graft. The reason we chose this was because it has the fastest recovery time and the least time under anesthesia. She'll also be able to come home sooner - the other option (V.A.C. therapy) requires several weeks hospitalization. The skin will most likely be taken from Aerin's thigh.

Dr. Pozez was very thorough and really listened to all of our concerns and explained all of our options. She personally prefers minimal hospital stays and told us that Aerin might be able to go home the same day. She also said that as preemie parents with wound care experience, she would feel more comfortable releasing Aerin earlier than she might with term baby parents. We knew this wouldn't be a mole removal, but we had kind of hoped to avoid the multiple surgeon/multiple specialty epic. C'est le vie.

During the consult, Dr. Pozez said that she's recommended against removing hemangiomas in children many times before, but that Aerin's needs to come off now. She also gave us a wonderful new dressing made of silicon that truly is non-stick. It's also porous, so the scabs hardly melted at all. This is a great help to us. Dr. Pozez also remarked on how beautiful Aerin is. It isn't unusual for us to hear nice things about Aerin's looks, but when a plastic surgeon tells you that your child is beautiful, it's pretty much official.

Aerin was her usual calm self. She just loves to look at new people and things. She let Dr. Pozez examine the hemangioma without a peep - she went right on drinking her bottle. The highlight of our day was when, to our astonishment, Aerin said hi to an elderly lady in the waiting room. The lady was shocked and asked us, "Did she just say hi?" It was hilarious. It was the first time she's said hi to anyone other than Andrew and me. Aerin also calls Andrew "Daddy" or "Dad," but not "Dada."