Hole-y cow!

Here is the latest update from the surgical team at 1215pm:

• Luke is hooked up to the heart-lung machine and according to the nurse he is "rock stable".
• The Dacron graft is prepared and ready to go, but they have not started the installation yet.
• The surgeon spent a lot of time performing a transesophageal echocardiogram, which allowed him to see very clear views of the aorta and valve. This will allow him to be much more precise when creating the leaflets as his valve is sewn into the graft.
• While performing this echo, the surgeon found a small hole in Luke's heart. This had been discovered over a decade ago, but had gone undetected since. With that discovery, the doctor was able to suture it up and close it for good. What a blessing that he re-discovered this and we hope that this will aid Luke in his recovery and overall future heart health.

KAAL