A mother of two who attended what she believed was a routine heart check-up has had both hands and legs amputated after doctors discovered a life-threatening condition.
Leslie Caoili, 41, from San Diego, was diagnosed with a Type A aortic dissection, a tear in the main artery carrying blood away from the heart. She underwent emergency surgery in an eight-and-a-half-hour operation involving cardiopulmonary bypass and extensive reconstruction of her aorta.
Emergency surgery saves life
Her husband, Lee Caoili, said the seriousness of what doctors had found only became clear as the emergency unfolded.
“Most people who suffer an aortic dissection usually happens pretty quickly, and they don't survive. So the surgery was necessary in order to save her life. She probably had maybe hours left to live, and we wouldn't even, we didn't even know it,” he told ABC.
Leslie had been a healthy, competitive strength athlete and is a mum to two daughters with Lee. But in the weeks following the operation, further complications emerged.
Circulation problems lead to amputations
She suffered severe circulation problems, with blood flow to her hands and feet becoming critically restricted.
“We didn't really know how her body was gonna respond to the initial surgery, but she ended up losing blood flow to her hands and her feet, and by the end of the first month there, her hands and her feet were blackened and shriveled,” Lee said.
Doctors were eventually forced to amputate Leslie's hands at the mid-forearm, as well as both of her legs.
Ongoing fight and recovery
Lee described the ordeal as an ongoing fight for his wife, who has spent months in hospital. “Every day has been a battle for her. Every day has been a fight,” he said.
According to the family's GoFundMe appeal, Leslie has required intensive life support during her recovery, including a ventilator, dialysis and ECMO. The fundraiser says the family is now facing mounting medical, travel, childcare and household costs, alongside the prospect of long-term rehabilitation.
The family has also been preparing for Leslie's eventual return home. Their house needs significant modifications to make it suitable for her new needs, and Lee is appealing for skilled volunteers including carpenters, electricians, roofers, flooring installers, painters and HVAC technicians.
Appeal for support
For Lee, making the property accessible is about giving his wife something she desperately wants after everything she has endured.
“She just wants to come home to her family and her kids and her dog and me and wants to get back to living life as normal as we can make it for her,” he said.
A GoFundMe appeal set up for Leslie's recovery has a target of $140,000, with money intended to cover medical and recovery expenses, travel and accommodation during her hospital stay, household costs and long-term rehabilitation.
The appeal describes Leslie as “a loving wife, devoted mother, daughter, sister, and friend” and says she has always been someone others could rely on.
Her family is now asking for support as they prepare for the next stage of her recovery, while hoping to make her return home as safe and comfortable as possible.
