The saturation was now reading zero, and
the heart had stopped. What would happen now? “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus!” Rom 10:13(ESV) For “everyone who calls on the name of
the Lord will be saved.”
Udo was brought by her father, a pastor in
North Central Nigeria, for surgery the day before. I got a call informing me
they would be coming and on their arrival, the necessary tests were done, which all
came out alright. I called my friend the anaesthesia provider, with whom we had
performed so many surgeries to do the procedure the following day and he
agreed. The theatre was informed and they made ready for us.
We ran the surgical safety checklist as usual
before knife-on-skin. Shortly after incising the palatal shelf, I noticed that
the oxygen saturation dipped below 94%. I called the attention of the
anaesthesia provider who had also noticed. After a few manoeuvres which did not
bring up the saturation the decision was made to remove the tube and reinsert
it. It was no longer misting. We had no
appetite whatsoever for any drama. The risk of airway obstruction is very real
in palate surgery and could cause death. The saturation went further down as he
tried to reinsert the tube, but the airway was covered with blood from the
previous incisions made. The heart rate was slowing down, a very ominous sign. “I
need a tracheostomy now!” he told me. “Not a problem” I said in my
mind, “I know exactly what to do”. I had needed to do one for a much
younger patient before and I had done it. How much more with this seven-year-old fit patient? But when I incised, the bleeding obstructed the view. Another
attempt failed. I wasn’t succeeding and the patient was dying on the table.
What would I tell her father? How could I explain to our sponsors who called me
and sent her across? Even if I wished to hide it I could not. Consequences
flashed across my mind.
The heart rate came to zero as well as the
oxygen saturation. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation was on as I called on the only
Person who could deliver us in trouble. Ps 50:15(ESV) and call upon me in the day of
trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me. I had been acting like a professional all the while but not actively
prayed while all this was ongoing. I now called on Jesus Christ whilst doing all we knew to do.
Jesus Christ showed up there. The tube
somehow got into place. Oxygen started entering the lungs. We paused chest
compressions after a while to see how things were going. There was return of
spontaneous cardiac activity: the girl was back with us! Hallelujah!! I had no
liver to continue the surgery any longer. “Let’s recover her and let them go
for now. I will explain the cuts on her neck.” Gratefully we dressed the
neck wounds, watched as spontaneous activity and steady optimal oxygen
saturation indicated the Endotracheal tube could come off safely. She was handed back
safely to her father. An ENT surgeon reviewed her afterwards. Great had been
our deliverance by God. Is59:19(KJV)
So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the
rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the
LORD shall lift up a standard against him.
In November 2021 Udo successfully underwent
the cleft palate repair with us without any incident or fistula. She has
continued to do well. Her father occasionally would have her talk with me over
the telephone. There has been no sign of deficits at all. Glory to Jesus Christ.
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