How  common is it to aquire a femoral av fistula from a cardiac cath?
143429
I don't have statistics for you, but this is a known complication.\n\nSpeaking very, very roughly, I'd guess that in the facility where I work, it occurs to fewer than one person out of a hundred.  I realize that's no consolation when it happens to you.\n\nIn my experience, it usually doesn't require surgical repair.  The monitoring you describe sounds more typical.\n\nFor what little it's worth, I'm sorry this happened to you.
745931
Hey Christopher!\n\nI think the most common adverse event reported with the external catheters is UTI's... Best way to avoid infections and UTI's is to keep the area and the unit CLEAN!  :)\nOnce you switch, get the manufacturer name, and model of your cath, and the website should provide you with infomation that was reported by people that used the cath while it was still in testing.\nAlso, are you a member of a group or website for paraplegics?  You should join a chat room, where you can talk to others.  You might find a broader audience of paraplegics in that type of forum, who can provide you with their actual experience.\n\nBest of luck to you  :)
793016
Not too common, not rare either.  Hopefully, the surgeon has ligated the common duct where it joins with the pancreatic duct to form the common duct, or there is a risk of the retained stone moving into the common duct, something you don't want to happen!
168676
Yes, see a doctor and let them know how often it happens (keep a journal) and ask for a 24hr halter monitor.  I had similar incidents, and my old Dr. didn't do squat...said it was my smoking.  I switched dr's, she suggested the monitor, they saw something, did further tests and i found out I have a defective heart valve, from birth.  Not to scare you...I'm fine now...no meds, no surgery.  But have it checked out.
1014974
I' m not sure why at this point someone has not addressed surgery. Is she being followed by a cardiologist? Unless something else is the cause of what sounds to be heart failure, it seems like her regurg. is finally become symptomatic. Has no one approached her about surgery? Has she been told for some reason that she is inoperable? You definetely don't want to jump into surgery if you dont need to. I feel like I need more info to adequately answer your question though. What I would do is direct these questions towards her doctor, preferably a cardiologist. Has she had a heart cath yet?  If not, maybe see if its time. Email me if you find out more or if you have anymore questions. Im a RN in the cardiovascular ICU, I specialize in heart surgery. Good luck to you guys!
844301
There is a lot more to this story than you understand, wrote, or were told.  The condition you describe is called cardiac tamponode and it is not a complication that I have ever heard of from angioplasty...ever.  Additionally, I have never heard of doing a pericardialcentisis and re-injecting the fluid (which almost certainly is not pure blood) directly back into the patient's blood stream.  It usually is sent to the lab for evaluation to help determine where the fluid is coming from.  That part of the evaluation is key to treating the condition.  With the use of steriods it sounds like the doctor is treating pericarditis - an inflammatory condition of the bag that surrounds your heart insulating it from the chest wall.  Pericarditis can be an uncomfortable condition that usually responds to steriods or anti-inflammatories or both.  \n\nI agree that it may be time to seek additional help.  If you doctor is truely baffled I would think he would welcome additional input.  Consider going to a university center for a full evaluation - even if it means traveling.  You only get one heart.  Good luck.
205997
It's a port-a-cath, or infusaport.  They numb the skin under your clavicle (coller bone), then use a long needle to insert a catheter into your superior vena cava (large vein feeding into the heart).  They take the needle out, then make a small incision to implant the "port".  So, the whole thing is under your skin.  You then use another needle to access the port, which can be removed after the treatment is given.  It's very nifty.
871009
The risks involved are a bit greater in stenting an existing graft but nothing too high to be concerned about. Not enough studies have been done to show the increases risks.\n\n60% Occluded is minimal and stenting that should not be a concern. It has been caught early enough which lowers the risks involved.\n\nIn the hospital 1 day out the next. Any other questions you can shoot me an email
756290
Yes, you can lie down if you request it.\n\nThey will tie a rubber band around your arm at the bicep.  This causes the veins to swell a bit, making it easier to find them.\n\nThey will insert a double ended needle into the vein and then put a vacuum tube on the other end.  It will fill with the correct level of blood.\n\nDepending on what tests the Doctor ordered, they may fill several of these tubes.  The use of the double ended needle means they only have to poke you once.  They may ask you to make a fist.\n\nAbout the time they are done they will remove the rubber band.\n\nYou get a cotton swab and then a small band aid and you are finished!
400787
im from edmonton alberta and yes you are right, We have many hospitals here that are world reknown for heart surgery primarily the university of alberta hospital. I want you to go to this site http://www.capitalhealth.ca/EspeciallyFor/HeartSchool/Treatments/ADC.htm . and call them Reviewed by Alberta clinical experts. For more health information call Capital Health Link at (780)-408-5465 24 hours a day, seven days a week.as you see area code is 780.
1168601
My dad is going through the same problem right now.  He had a scan done, and they are setting up for the vascular surgeon to go in and put in a stent.  He has had this done once before, we were told too much plaque build-up, cholesteral.  He is on Lipitor for that, but the Dr. said it HAS to be done!!  His other side is blocked 80%!!  So try to get in touch with your family Dr. to get set-up for tests ASAP to get a professional problem.  Someone go with the patient to write things down because the patient is usually pretty stressed out to remember what was said!!  Good Luck for Good Health.
1161628
Generally IV's are started at the most peripheral site that is available and appropriate for the situation. This allows cannulation of a more proximal site if your initial attempt fails. If you puncture a proximal vein first, and then try to start an IV distal to that site, the fluid may leak from the injured proximal vessel. The preferred site in the emergency department is the veins of the forearm, followed by the median cubital vein that crosses the antecubital fossa. In trauma patients, it is common to go directly to the median cubital vein as the first choice because it will accommodate a large bore IV and it is generally easy to catheterize. In circumstances where the veins of the upper extremities are inaccessible, the veins of the dorsum of the foot or the saphenous vein of the lower leg can be used. In circumstances in which no peripheral IV access is possible a central IV can be started.\n\n*** NO NO NO no central line for just IV contrast.  You've got to be kidding me!!!
875233
It means that there is a trivial amount of backflow of blood thru both of these valves. The abnormal flow of blood is backwards from the ventricles back to the atria, I use the pleural because it involves 2 valves. Only you know if this medical information will keep you off the force, and since it is so small, it may not even show up as a heart murmur. To put your mind at ease you would want to talk to a doctor, but it does not sound like it is a problem currently. Check back when you get older as heart valves tend to get stiffer, and calcify with age and this may become a larger leak as you age.
923823
My Dad had a heart cath done to see where his blockage was.  He had so many they decided that stents would not be for him so they did bypass surgery on him.  Here is more on it.  \n\n\nIn most cases, cardiac catheterization is recommended when a partial or complete arterial blockage is suspected. It is used to evaluate how well the heart is functioning and to obtain information about blockages. \n\nCardiac catheterization is performed in a hospital. Usually, the procedure takes 2 to 3 hours to perform and patients are required to remain immobile for 4 to 6 hours following cardiac catheterization. \n\nIndications \nIndications for the procedure include the following: \n\nAngina that is not easily controlled with medication, that disrupts daily routine, occurs at rest, or recurs after heart attack \nHeart failure with suspected coronary artery disease \nHeart valve disease with symptoms (e.g., shortness of breath) \nMarkedly abnormal stress test results \nRecurring chest pain of unidentified cause \nNot everyone with angina needs a cardiac catheterization. Patients who have very rare or easily controlled episodes of angina may desire to continue with medical therapy rather than undergo angioplasty or bypass surgery. Many patients who have suffered a heart attack can initially undergo a stress test rather than cardiac catheterization. \nCardiac catheterization usually is not performed in patients who have infrequent episodes of angina (chest pain) or angina that is easily controlled.
433573
It depends on why the "superpubic catheter" was placed and your individual anatomy after any surgeries and your disease process. Best talk to your MD.
460755
any increase in ef is usually good.It means your heart is pumping more efficiently. The main thing you should worry about is why(leaky heart valve, virus, alcohol consumption) your heart was dilated in the first place and try to fix it. The aortic size is harder to evaluate the place I work at now that would be large but other places use different measurements and that could be normal. Go to www.seemyheart.org its a web site by the American society of Echocardiography for patients to understand there results
67889
Yes, but how serious depends on how fast the leak is.  The heart sits in a tissue sac called the pericardium.  If the leak is slow, the pericardium will expand over time to adjust for the fluid.  This is usually referred to as a pericardial effusion. If the leak is fast the pericardium cannot strecth fast enough to account for the fluid and the heart is essentially sqeezed to death.  This is called Tamponade.  Tamponade usually requires immediate intervention either by surgically opening the pericardial sac, or more commonly, a pericardiocentesis where a needle is passed through the chest into the pericardial sac.  In both cases, the fluid is drained to relieve pressure on the heart.