There are …show more content…
My friend was diagnosed after a simple gym class activity was difficult for her. She was sent to the nurse's office where the nurse said she should get a further observation of it from a doctor. When doctors test for PAH, the only way to accurately diagnose PAH is with a test called cardiac catheterization. When getting a cardiac catheterization test, a thin tube called a catheter, is inserted into a major vein in the groin or neck and then inserted into the pulmonary artery, where the pulmonary arterial pressure is …show more content…
An atrial septostomy is a procedure where a small hole is made in the wall between the left and right atria of the heart. The hole can be made using a cardiac catheter mentioned above. Atrial septostomy reduces the pressure in the right side of the heart,and allows the heart to pump more effectively which helps blood flow to the lungs. A transplant of the lungs which my friend received is very beneficial to the quality of life however transplant surgery is a high-risk operation which can result in issues, like organ rejection and infection. Usually transplanted lungs from a donor do not last a recipient the rest of their lives and they are required to be on numerous steroids and eventually many need another transplant in the future. My friend’s lungs started to fail 6 years after her transplant and because of that she needed to have a tracheostomy which should last her until she is strong enough to be put on a new transplant list. A tracheostomy is a surgical procedure which cuts an opening into the trachea so that a tube can be inserted into the opening to assist breathing with the help of extra oxygen from an oxygen tank, or