Dr. Hammel, the surgeon, just stopped by to give us an update. While he hasn’t begun his process yet, he has been working with the other cardiologists to take some pictures of Grair’s heart and explore as much as possible before operating.

Yesterday, there was concern that the pulmonary arteries had become enlarged and they would need adjusting. Unfortunately, the more adjusting, the greater risks for complications. The initial exploration doesn’t show a large enough growth at this time to warrant adjustments, so the plan is to just focus on the valve replacement and the stent removal.

The new valve will be from the jugular vain of a calf. The hope is this bovine valve will allow for more efficient treatment if the infection returns or continues. It also lowers the risk for a negative reaction.

We should know more soon.