Following the first operation, the doctors told the family Beto needed to grow a bit more in order to fully repair the heart defect. Similarly, there was not a surgeon in El Paso at the time who could confidently do the repair on a child, as the procedure was more common in adults.
In 1997, Beto would be scheduled for his second surgery, this time an open-heart operation. This would be performed by Dr. Santoscoy at Providence Memorial Hospital.
While the cardiac repair went well during surgery, Beto would awake from the surgery with neurological affects, with a prognosis of cerebral palsy. He would leave the hospital with a gastrostomy feeding tube, due to struggles with swallowing and digestive issues, as well as a starting routine of neurological medicines for his uncontrollable movements.
In Marcela’s Words
This is the drawing Dr. Santoscoy used to explain the procedure to the family.
