We left today's appointment with positive feelings. We didn't get a lot of new info, but sometimes no news is good news. There were no signs of distress, and Ramsey's weight is good. He's approximately 2 lbs/2 oz and he measures in the 43rd percentile. The doctor measured the lungs and attempted to obtain a Lung-to-Head (LHR) Ratio, however he wasn't sure he was calculating it right. He'll try it again at our next appointment; I'm wondering if the surgeons at Children's may also be able to determine the ratio. LHR is a numeric estimate of the size of the fetal lungs, based on measurement of the amount of visible lung. High LHR values are associated with a good outcome. One of Ramsey's lungs is visible, the other is still hard to distinguish because it's blending in with the bowel on the sonogram.
Another factor in successful outcomes is the position of the liver. Because Ramsey has left-sided CDH, I believe his liver is less likely to herniate, which will also help to improve his chances. About 75% of all CDH patients do have some portion of the liver herniated into the chest. Let's hope his stays right where it is!!
We were given this 3D image of Ramsey today. I assure you, he does have an entire head, but the 3D images don't always appear complete!
We will finally meet with a doctor from Children's on November 18. This is also our next appointment at West Penn.
