The surgeon

Dr. Linkus, the surgeon, just came by. He says:

Dad's bilirubin is elevated - which is a little curious - it could be from the transfusion of blood products, bleeding during surgery, or it could be a gallbladder issue. They're going to keep an eye on it.

An arrhythmia is pretty common in right ventricular infarction patients; it's controlled right now, and his heart rate and blood pressure look great. Sometimes the arrhythmia can recur a couple of times until the heart becomes less irritated. Rarely, the arrhythmia sticks around, and people have to take meds to keep it under control.

The amount of sedatives in his system is such that he's going to be some sort of sedated for 2 weeks to a month. So we shouldn't necessarily expect the Versed to wear off quickly. However, his neuro status is still a big question; one that can't be answered until he wakes up enough to respond to commands.

The surgeon wants dad off the ventilator soon, even if it means a tracheotomy. The pulmonologists seem more comfortable keeping him on the ventilator for longer, until he is appropriately responsive. I wonder how that's going to play out.