Nathan has what is called Heart Block. There are three different degrees of heart block and right now he has the third.
What is third-degree or complete heart block?
Complete heart block (complete AV block) means that the heart's electrical signal doesn't pass from the upper to the lower chambers. When this occurs, an independent pacemaker in the lower chambers takes over. The ventricles can contract and pump blood, but at a slower rate than that of the atrial pacemaker.
These impulses are called functional or ventricular scope beats. They're usually very slow and can't generate the signals needed to maintain full functioning of the heart muscle.
So the easy version is that the right and left ventricle are beating at different times and whenever they want. The surgeon came in this morning and took Nathan off the external pacemaker to see if there was any correction and there was not. They will keep him on the external pacemaker for a week, unless he starts to beat in normal rhythm, then after a week if there is no improvement he will need an internal or permanent pacemaker.
The original plan was to move Nathan out of the ICU after two days if he was stable. Due to him having the external pacemaker he will stay in the ICU.
Please pray that the damage done from the surgery heal and be reversed!
I do have some pictures and will post them when I can. Right now I am blogging from my cell so no posting of pictures at this point. We will continue to keep you up to date.
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