No Biopsies for Beckham!

One of the things I have had the hardest time with during my years as a heart transplant recipient is the heart biopsies. I started out having them once a week then I went to every two weeks, then three and so on until finally I only had to have a biopsy every six months. Now almost 19 year later, I have the luxury of only having a biopsy if we suspect something is wrong. As unfortunate as it is....the biopsy is really the only true way to test for rejection in heart transplant recipients. Unlike some whimpy kidney recipient friends I know who only have to submit to a blood test and urine sample. (the babies)

Anyway.....The procedure goes like this:
The skin on the neck is scrubbed and a local anesthetic is given. When the needle goes in it stings like you wouldn't believe! A thin tube (catheter) is inserted through the jugular vein in the neck and then carefully threaded into the heart. A type of moving x-ray called fluoroscopy is used to guide the insertion. A catheter with jaws in its tip, called a bioptome, is then introduced. Once the bioptome is in place, three to five small pieces of tissue are removed from the heart muscle. (as shown picture above) The heart does not regenerate and scar tissue builds up where the pieces have been removed.

The heart pieces are then placed under a microscope and examined for rejection cells.

I have now had well over 100 of these procedures performed. I still grimace when they insert the needle into my neck and when they pull the heart pieces off it feels like they are going to pull my heart out altogether! I do not have a lot of easily attained heart tissue left.

Nathan told me that Little Beckham will not have biopsies unless it is absolutely necessary AND he will not be on prednisone which has been the second hardest thing for me to deal with.

So, you go Beckham! You are one lucky little guy!