Surgery #3 & #4 - Friday, June 14

Cam had a few hours of surgery to remove the EVD and place a shunt. While under they also placed a port.  For those of you who are as familiar with these terms as I was - an EVD (external ventricular drain) is the device that was placed into Cameron's skull when we were admitted on June 3.  The EVD relieves elevated intracranial pressure when the normal flow of cerebrospinal fluid inside the brain is obstructed [by the tumor].  The shunt effectively replaces the EVD.  The shunt is an internal device that helps Cameron regulate intracranial pressure by taking cerebrospinal fluid from the brain and draining it in the stomach.  The port is an central venous catheter that goes into a vein in your chest and ends at your heart - it will be crucial for him during the next phase of treatment during chemotherapy.

The surgery involved two surgical teams.  Cam's neurosurgery team removed the EVD and placed the shunt, and the pediatric general surgery team placed the port.  It started in the afternoon and he was back to us that evening.