Phineas had surgery yesterday, May 6th, to reverse his ileostomy and reconnect his small intestine. Everything went well. He looked great before he went into the procedure at 1:30 in the afternoon and he looked great when we saw him back in his room at 6:00 in the evening. He was intubated during the operation but when we saw him, there was no breathing tube, and he was doing fine on his own. The doctor said all the internal tissue looked good and clearing the old scar tissue was the most time-consuming part. But he used the same incision as before and Fin tolerated the whole thing very well.
The only down side is that they were unable to save the ileocecal valve. This is a small sphincter muscle that regulates the flow between the small and large intestine. Without it, Fin will have some digestive issues as he grows and the possibility of bacterial overgrowth and backflow from the large intestine into the small. These things are manageable, but not ideal. We are a little bummed about it, but considering all Fin has been through, it seems a small price to pay.
The next steps are bowel rest for a few days, pain regulation, fever watch, and making sure he's happy and comfy. Phineas is a real trooper and despite the numerous challenges in his ten months of life, he continues to improve. We are so glad he has the fighter's spirit. It has certainly helped him so far!
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