The operation has been a success!

It is 7am July 20, and I am going to translate the post that Icho wrote late last night:

It is 2am here, and I just got home after being at the hospital since 8 am yesterday! I am just going to write a bit and then go to bed!

The first and most important thing: the operation has been an ABSOLUTE success. Dr. Paley came out of the operating room with an X-ray he had done when he had finished, saying that the surgery had gone very, very well. His assistant, afterwards, said that he doesn't usually show x-rays, but in this case, the results had been excellent.

In the end, he was able to do a Super Hip 2 surgery on Maria, reconstructing the hip to make it as normal as possible, using the femoral head that she had, placing her femur in its place and fusing them together. He was able to give mobility to the hip, making it a functional joint. In the doctor's words, the xray shows that the hip should be functional in the future.

As well as the Super Hip, he also performed a Super Knee, a surgery on her knee to stretch it and eliminate the odd angle her knee gave her leg. This added to the femur in place will help her leg be as "normal" as it can be.

Instead of a cast, Maria has an external fixator that will immobilize her hip and knee, which she must have for 4-5 months. It is pretty big and is embedded in her skin, but will keep everything in place while the bones consolidate.

Tomorrow we will get more details, but it looks like we might be able to return to Spain in 2-4 weeks. after 4-5 months, Maria will have to return to the hospital to have the fixator removed. right now, she won't need much therapy, more rest and care of the screws and nails she has in her skin. In 2012 we will ready for her first leg-lengthening, which, with this operation has more possibilities of success.

We still have a long way to go, but Dr. Paley is very satisfied with this start.

Diana has stayed to sleep in the hospital with Maria, I a going to bed now as tomorrow will be a long day again.
Kisses to you all and we will talk tomorrow.
Icho