I Hate Dialysis Message Board
Dialysis Discussion => Dialysis: General Discussion => Topic started by: smcd23 on October 30, 2015, 05:41:18 PM
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My husband has a Hemo-Flow tunneled catheter. He has had it since his failed transplant in 6/2012, so for almost 3.5 years - no infections, great flow. It's working out well for him.
Except now both clamps have broken. Awhile back the red clamp broke. We saw a doc (not the doc that put it in but a local doc) who basically found another tube in the office that had a clamp that was big enough to slide over the end of the cath, took it off the tube it was on and then slide it over the end, clamped it and removed the rest of the broken red clamp. Granted the new clamp was 3x the size as the old one, it did the job. When we saw the transplant team and the surgeon that had been involved in putting the catheter in, he kinda chuckled in disbelief that this was their "fix" and said if it worked and the bulk of the clamp didn't bother him, we'd leave it be.
Now tonight I get a text message that the blue clamp has now broke. The nurses at the unit were acting like this was life or death needed to be fixed right now type thing. Still have not heard back from his nephrologist (they had been trying to reach him) but husband is not concerned.
So, my question is - has anyone had this happen? And is there a way to fix it with reasonable sized clamps without having to remove the entire thing? He has great flow like I said, no issues with infection (probably because he showers which I know is a no no but he covers it in the shower and then changes the tegaderm or gauze covering the site just in case) and his neprhologist said he can do any and all activities as long as he feels comfortable because it's so well healed. So I would hate to go back to square 1 and have limitations again (like lifting and whatnot) and have to go through the discomfort of having a new one placed. Especially since he is still so sensitized and needs such a perfect match that there is no kidney in site for a LONG time.
I did find on the manufacturer webpage that they make a "repair kit" and when my husband was on PD they had to repair his tube a few times by cutting the end off and putting in a new one, which appears to be how this would work, but would also allow new proper sized clamps to be slid on (and in fact the instructions for use mention broken clamps) Anyone ever have it done? Did it work? Did you get the same flow and durability out of it?
Anyone's experiences would be appreciated. He isn't worried but I am for obvious reasons - if the cap somehow comes off, there is no clamp and you know, infection, bleeding out, air embolisms... not good things that we want to experience.
Thanks!
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I know there exists, but I don't know what the brand is, a repair kit specifically for when the clamps break.. the clamps in the kit have a slit in the back of them, so you can pop them onto the line without having to cut it.. the clamps broke several times on my line while I had it, and this is what they used... I was actually one of the first they used it on, at the time... they keep the kits close at hand now...
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I called the transplant unit and they connected me to the interventional radiology department and they are mailing me some of those clamps I guess. I hope they are as easy as they sound!