Tracheostomy - The DL&B Update

As you know Austin had outpatient surgery on his second Trachiversary. Sorry for the delayed update, but I needed to get a few things clarified before I shared them.

Essentially this surgery was done for one reason: to assess the stability of Austin's airway without his Trach. So that means they took a camera and peeked from his mouth down to his lungs to make sure that "if" his tracheostomy tube were removed (decannulated) there would NOT be any obstruction in his airway.

The medical term for the procedure is direct laryngoscopy and bronchoscopy (or DL&B). Although the surgery itself is only about 15 minutes in length, Austin was sedated; so it calls for an OR, an IV and recovery, the whole nine yards. He had an entire team that consisted of his ENT, the resident ENT, Anesthesiologist, OR Nurse, Recovery Nurse and his very own room on the surgical floor before & after surgery. I guess that's what a Trach gets you these days.





We arrived at 8AM and left the hospital at 3:15PM. We hung out in surgical admitting for longer than I cared for. Austin killed some time climbing up and down the fire truck bed and watching dvds.  After a few hours Austin took his nap, which was a blessing. The nurse and I swapped places so we could both grab a bite to eat.

Then at 12:30PM we went up to Pre-Op on the 2nd floor and watched some I Love Lucy before the procedure, it reminded me of our hospital stay back in Texas. Really laughter is the BEST medicine...well, at least it helped me!

Here is what they found:

{Warning: Graphic Pictures, may not be suitable for children}









What you are looking at is Austin's Trach Tube (right, white) and some fibrous tissue/granuloma (left). That granuloma tissue was removed which resulted in slight bleeding, but was not in anyway painful to Austin. According to his ENT the granuloma nwas caused by a reaction to the trach tube (plastic) rubbing in his airway for 2 years, he does not believe it will grow back.




The second picture is the entry to his lungs...ALL CLEAR on both sides!


Read more: Tracheostomy - Should I Stay or Should I Go? to find out what Austin's ENT did with this information.


Thanks for peeking,