Amelia Lee was admitted to Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children on 26.06.2009 for her second open heart surgery to take away the muscle underneath her pulmonary valve to remove the outflow tract obstruction.

The operation took more than 4 hours. She was sent to the operating theatre at 11.20am in the morning of 26.06.09 and she was sent to Intensive Care Unit (ICU) Ward straight after the surgery at about 3.45pm.

Picture 1:

She was at GOSH Day Care Ward settling down to the hospital environment. She was playing on the bed. The nurses gave stickers and activity books to occupy Amelia while waiting for her surgery.

Picture 2:

She was at the ICU ward and half conscious. She was breathing by her own with only the help of the oxygen mask and without the breathing machine. She was given morphine to take the pain of her.

She was very irritable and was asking for daddy and mummy all the times to give her water. She was not allowed water because of the anesthetic and the morphine will cause her to vomit.

Amelia’s heart rate was 140-148 and her saturation was 95-100% and the doctors expect it to go down110-115 beats. When she was screaming and crying due to pain, her heart rate increased to 180++, the morphine intake (controlled amount) was increased to calm her down.

Picture 3:

On day two, Amelia was fully awake and was allowed small amount of water each time she asked for it but no food allowed yet. She was more calm and was talking to the nurses look after her all the times, asking questions after questions and told them not to touch her chest wound, no more medicine in her hand it hurts her very much etc.

Picture 4 - 5:

On the third day after the surgery, Amelia was ready to be transferred to Lady Bird Ward, her chest dressing was removed and all the lines and morphine dosage was stopped completely and replaced with Calpol as painkiller.

Picture 6 - 7:

On day 4, she starts eating and drinking as normal. She has had all her X-ray, ECG and Eco Scan done on the day (29.06.09) and the cardiologist was happy to allow Amelia to go home. On the way home, she asked daddy and mummy whether she can have an ice-cream. She was very happy to get to eat ice cream.

The cardiologist suggested to give Amelia’s Calpol every four hours if she complaint of chest pain and she must take a good rest at home until she is well enough to go out to play.

Amelia was taken to a local hospital on 07.07.09 because her chest wound produced yellow fluid (suspect of infection). She was on 48 hours antibiotic at the hospital and another 5 days oral antibiotic at home.