Surgery Is Over

Braeden had his surgery yesterday. The procedure went well, the doctor was extremely pleased, and Braeden was a brave little guy. We were home 4 hours after the surgery began, so it wasn't a long stay. It was sad seeing them wheel him into the discharge room. All we could see was his little face since they had him strapped to the gurney and he was covered with blankets. He was sobbing, his whole body shaking. Once they unstrapped him and I could hold him, he settled right down.

They gave him what they call a "caudal" - an injection in his lower back to numb the surgical area, something that lasts 4-5 hours post surgery. He couldn't walk at all while the caudal was still active - his legs were numb and he couldn't stand up. Once it started to wear off, I took him outside for a few minutes. He could hear the neighborhood kids out there and wanted to go out to see them, but didn't want to stay outside long.

After the caudal wore off, Brae had considerable pain. You could tell when he walked that it hurt very badly, and he couldn't bend down to pick up a book. All he wanted was to snuggle on the couch with daddy, hanging on tight to his blankie and teddy, then trying to get up and walk again. We got a prescription for Tylenol with codeine, but so far haven't given it to him, but have stuck with simple Tylenol drops. They seem to take the pain away, and the surgeon suggested using those first, and saving the strong stuff for those times when he might really need it.

He's slept through the night, which surprises me. I'll get him up at his usual time, change his diaper and get some Tylenol in him before his breakfast. He vomited once after we got him home yesterday, which they said was very possible, the car ride upsetting his tummy, but after that he was holding down juice, water, yogurt, and eventually his dinner (we kept it on the light side).

I know he'll still be very sore today, but he's allowed to have a bath Wednesday, although I think we'll stick with sponge baths a few more days, and goes for his post-op check-up the 16th. The sutures are the dissolving kind, so no suture removal in his future.

And so the hypospadias repair is over. The surgeon didn't have to repair Braeden's urethra, so no catheter or anything. He straightened the chordee (bend), and completed the circumcision nature started, and that was it.