I Hate Dialysis Message Board

Dialysis Discussion => Dialysis: Medical Breakthroughs => Topic started by: hephziba on May 06, 2006, 06:47:41 AM

Title: Has anyone heard of lifesite for Hemo and Pd
Post by: hephziba on May 06, 2006, 06:47:41 AM
The Hospital that organizes my dialysis, has a renal research institute and they are trying them out, sounds excellent, americans may allready have them so it may be old news to you guys. I found it on a google search engine, Id be interested to hear if anyones using it yet, it means for capd folk no stupid tube hanging out of your stomach, and for hemo guys I think it just guarantees better access for longer...

 ??? ;D
Title: Re: Has anyone heard of lifesite for Hemo and Pd
Post by: Black on May 06, 2006, 08:21:15 AM
The Hospital that organizes my dialysis, has a renal research institute and they are trying them out, sounds excellent, Americans may allready have them so it may be old news to you guys. I found it on a google search engine, Id be interested to hear if anyones using it yet, it means for capd folk no stupid tube hanging out of your stomach, and for hemo guys I think it just guarantees better access for longer...

 ??? ;D

Thanks for the heads up on this device; I had not heard of this.  The links I found indicate it is a hemo access only, (some people do better on PD) for temporary use while a fistula matures, or as a much improved version of the currently used grafts/caths.  Since it uses "buttonholes", it should last much longer than the current grafts/caths.

There is no better access than a natural A/V fistula w/ buttonholes, but this gadget may be a wonderful solution for patients unable to have a natural A/V fistula.

The only two negative things I saw were

1) recommending alternative use of the subclavian vein, which may cause scarring and interfere w/ getting good flow later on from that arm

2) low flow rates, though they are not that much lower than some are already getting w/ their current graft/cath

http://www.vasca.com/healthcare_professionals/nephrologist/neph_10.asp

http://www.vasca.com/pdf_folder/LifeSite_Hemodialysis_Access_System_Instructions_for_Implantation_and_Use.PDF

Anyone here already have one?  Thoughts from anyone else?

Lorelle
Title: Re: Has anyone heard of lifesite for Hemo and Pd
Post by: hephziba on May 06, 2006, 09:04:32 AM
Here is the link for peritoneal lifesite http://www.lifesite.com/products/prod_2.asp it seems they are both the same thing, or very similar , if anyones got one please let me know, Im really interested, there was a detailed analisis by the research people at my hospital ill try to link to that, it seems to imply that pd people can swim and bath and everything as the hole seal between dialysis, or is much easyer to dress.

Blessings

 8)
Title: Re: Has anyone heard of lifesite for Hemo and Pd
Post by: Black on May 06, 2006, 09:25:38 AM
Here is the link for peritoneal lifesite http://www.lifesite.com/products/prod_2.asp it seems they are both the same thing, or very similar , if anyones got one please let me know, I'm really interested, there was a detailed analysis by the research people at my hospital ill try to link to that, it seems to imply that pd people can swim and bath and everything as the hole seal between dialysis, or is much easier to dress.

Blessings

 8)

WOW!!  If that's true, there will be many happy PD people clamoring to get one!
Title: Re: Has anyone heard of lifesite for Hemo and Pd
Post by: hyperlite on May 06, 2006, 07:17:49 PM
Wow that "lifesite" would be pretty sweet to get! It would be the best of both worlds; the freedom of PD, and the simplicity and lack of tube with HD...but it says on the site: "not available in USA and Canada". Well hurry up and make it available in Canada, I'd take one of those and do PD over haemo, any day! (plus its only 1 needle...not 2  ;D)
Title: Re: Has anyone heard of lifesite for Hemo and Pd
Post by: hephziba on May 06, 2006, 08:07:28 PM
im surprised, usually all the cool stuff seems to be in the US first like the nxstage thingy we dont have that in the uk an if we do its not widespread, also presternal peritoneal catheters, I asked my consultant and He said they dont do them, He hadnt even heard of it He said He had to look it up on google. ???
Title: Re: Has anyone heard of lifesite for Hemo and Pd
Post by: ginger cookie on May 15, 2006, 05:10:46 PM
I've used these in pt's, but in January the company stopped making the HD access. click on :
http://www.vasca.com/
and read the "customer letter" in pdf.
Title: Re: Has anyone heard of lifesite for Hemo and Pd
Post by: Black on May 15, 2006, 08:01:47 PM
I've used these in pt's, but in January the company stopped making the HD access. click on :
http://www.vasca.com/
and read the "customer letter" in pdf.

Looks like someone built a better mousetrap and not enough medical professionals bought it.  It has crossed my mind that that could have happened to the NxStage System One machine, and I suppose it still could if they don't put the needs of the patients first.
Title: Re: Has anyone heard of lifesite for Hemo and Pd
Post by: Rerun on May 15, 2006, 11:27:07 PM
"This is a business decision based on Financial Realities."  There ya go!  The mighty dollar.  Medicare probably wouldn't pay for it.
Title: Re: Has anyone heard of lifesite for Hemo and Pd
Post by: hephziba on May 16, 2006, 01:06:39 AM
well thats a pile of stinking turd if ever I smelt one. >:( >:( :'(

Title: Re: Has anyone heard of lifesite for Hemo and Pd
Post by: Epoman on May 18, 2006, 12:34:03 PM
Yeah that's too bad. That device looked like a viable alternative for people who have no usable veins left. I remember watching this company years ago when the device first came out.

- Epoman
Title: Re: Has anyone heard of lifesite for Hemo and Pd
Post by: jdat on June 13, 2006, 09:46:55 AM
im surprised, usually all the cool stuff seems to be in the US first like the nxstage thingy we dont have that in the uk an if we do its not widespread, also presternal peritoneal catheters, I asked my consultant and He said they dont do them, He hadnt even heard of it He said He had to look it up on google. ???


Most if not all ESRD advances are made in the US but many of these advances take a while if ever to get used in the US.

I found this very interesting article on the subject as to why things are usually better outside the Us (Why is State-of-the-Art ESRD Technology Better Outside of the U.S.?):
http://www.aami.org/publications/HH/ESRD.Leypoldt.pdf

The main issues pointed out in the article preventing advances in the US are:
Regulatory Constraints, Educational Constraints and Economic Constraints ( for profit companies are the main issue preventing progress State side) on on Advanced Technology



Me personally I much prefer getting care in France for dialysis than in the US despite this medical situation has completely turned my life crashing to the ground. But that is a whole different subject matter.
Title: Re: Has anyone heard of lifesite for Hemo and Pd
Post by: Hawkeye on June 13, 2006, 10:19:56 AM
I found this very interesting article on the subject as to why things are usually better outside the Us (Why is State-of-the-Art ESRD Technology Better Outside of the U.S.?):
http://www.aami.org/publications/HH/ESRD.Leypoldt.pdf

I posted this same link about a week or 2 ago in a different post, but your right it does explain quite a bit.  The AAMI website is a great place to go to find out about not only dialysis technology but any medical device out there.  Follow the link from jadt for some dialysis news or goto http://www.aami.org/ for the full medical website.
Title: Re: Has anyone heard of lifesite for Hemo and Pd
Post by: jdat on June 13, 2006, 10:45:46 AM
I found this very interesting article on the subject as to why things are usually better outside the Us (Why is State-of-the-Art ESRD Technology Better Outside of the U.S.?):
http://www.aami.org/publications/HH/ESRD.Leypoldt.pdf

I posted this same link about a week or 2 ago in a different post, but your right it does explain quite a bit.  The AAMI website is a great place to go to find out about not only dialysis technology but any medical device out there.  Follow the link from jadt for some dialysis news or goto http://www.aami.org/ for the full medical website.


Something just occured to me that I had forgotten to mention before just to compare with the US.

Here in France the main supplier of dialysis supplies to centers ( hospitals ), as well as home dialysis ( hd and pd ) is a non profit organisation. They also operate their own centers which are for auto dialysis ( do they use that term in the US? ) where the patient does the setup himself and plugs himself in, but there is still assistance if needed.

They are also the nicest people. I was often late puting my supply orders in and they always took care of me.

They were so great taking care of me I sent them a christmas card !  :)


I wonder if Epoman ever sent a christmas card to Davita????  >:D
Title: Re: Has anyone heard of lifesite for Hemo and Pd
Post by: Epoman on June 13, 2006, 01:07:13 PM
I found this very interesting article on the subject as to why things are usually better outside the Us (Why is State-of-the-Art ESRD Technology Better Outside of the U.S.?):
http://www.aami.org/publications/HH/ESRD.Leypoldt.pdf

I posted this same link about a week or 2 ago in a different post, but your right it does explain quite a bit.  The AAMI website is a great place to go to find out about not only dialysis technology but any medical device out there.  Follow the link from jadt for some dialysis news or goto http://www.aami.org/ for the full medical website.


Something just occured to me that I had forgotten to mention before just to compare with the US.

Here in France the main supplier of dialysis supplies to centers ( hospitals ), as well as home dialysis ( hd and pd ) is a non profit organisation. They also operate their own centers which are for auto dialysis ( do they use that term in the US? ) where the patient does the setup himself and plugs himself in, but there is still assistance if needed.

They are also the nicest people. I was often late puting my supply orders in and they always took care of me.

They were so great taking care of me I sent them a christmas card !  :)


I wonder if Epoman ever sent a christmas card to Davita????  >:D

I would not give Davita the sweat off my.......  Nevermind  :-[




 >:D ;D
Title: Re: Has anyone heard of lifesite for Hemo and Pd
Post by: hyperlite on June 13, 2006, 09:12:59 PM
I'm really surprised that this idea hasn't been developed further, for PD applications. By making some sort of "access-port" just below the skin, a PD tube could be accessed with a needle. This would get rid of the external tube, which is a main deterant for people thinking about doing PD. Really it would be just like a fistula, except for PD. I guess the main problem would be making a port that could withstand being "poked" continuously...And I guess infection could be a problem, but you wouldn't think that it would be much more of a problem compared to normal PD, or even hemo (for people with grafts).

-Maybe we should put our heads together and invent something, start selling it, and make millions!  ;D
Title: Re: Has anyone heard of lifesite for Hemo and Pd
Post by: Epoman on June 14, 2006, 02:03:08 PM
I'm really surprised that this idea hasn't been developed further, for PD applications. By making some sort of "access-port" just below the skin, a PD tube could be accessed with a needle. This would get rid of the external tube, which is a main deterant for people thinking about doing PD. Really it would be just like a fistula, except for PD. I guess the main problem would be making a port that could withstand being "poked" continuously...And I guess infection could be a problem, but you wouldn't think that it would be much more of a problem compared to normal PD, or even hemo (for people with grafts).

-Maybe we should put our heads together and invent something, start selling it, and make millions!  ;D

Sticking the same hole continuously is not an issue, due to the fact that the "Button Hole" technique is well established as being the best choice for a fistula. With the button hole method you stick the needle in the EXACT same spot.

- Epoman
Title: Re: Has anyone heard of lifesite for Hemo and Pd
Post by: hyperlite on June 14, 2006, 06:41:40 PM
no...because you would have to have a tube going in right? so there would have to be something on the end of that tube that you would be "sticking into"...thats what I'm talking about. Not the skin part...the internal tubing...if you kept sticking something like plastic, it would eventually deteriorate...so you would need some sort of metal mechanism or something that would open when the needle comes in, but then close after... see what i mean?
Title: Re: Has anyone heard of lifesite for Hemo and Pd
Post by: jdat on June 14, 2006, 06:59:33 PM
what you're describing hyperlite sounds like the Matrix  :D

You like that movie by any chance  ??? >:D >:D >:D
Title: Re: Has anyone heard of lifesite for Hemo and Pd
Post by: hyperlite on June 14, 2006, 08:17:48 PM
haha the matrix...yeah i guess that movie(s) was ok. I liked the idea behind it, but Im not a big Keanu fan.

But I've got a pretty good plan for how this thing could work, when I get home I'll scan my "design" it put it up. See what you guys think.
Title: Re: Has anyone heard of lifesite for Hemo and Pd
Post by: Epoman on June 14, 2006, 08:19:23 PM
haha the matrix...yeah i guess that movie(s) was ok. I liked the idea behind it, but Im not a big Keanu fan.

But I've got a pretty good plan for how this thing could work, when I get home I'll scan my "design" it put it up. See what you guys think.

Now this is going to get interesting.  :)
Title: Re: Has anyone heard of lifesite for Hemo and Pd
Post by: hephziba on June 20, 2006, 03:27:34 PM
Hyperlite the whole point of this post was that there is allready a pd internal system called lifesite, I was simply asking if anyone had it or had heard of it. they are doing testing on it at my renal hospital. and Im slightly jelous. cos you dont have to have a capd tube sticking out of your belly, its just as you said though, they have a metal titanium part under the skin and the needle goes into that, takes a lot of sterilising though....

below link to peritoneal lifesite. I want it, baths, swimming, no tuby thing to tape out the way.......ahhhhh :-X

http://www.lifesite.com/products/prod_2.asp
Title: Re: Has anyone heard of lifesite for Hemo and Pd
Post by: hyperlite on June 21, 2006, 01:54:50 PM
Yeah I understand that they already have a system...but it didn't really work. And they stopped making it...that's why we need to "invent" a new system...  ;D
Title: Re: Has anyone heard of lifesite for Hemo and Pd
Post by: hephziba on June 22, 2006, 01:25:37 AM
really, that sucks >:(,thanks for letting me know.....
Title: Re: Has anyone heard of lifesite for Hemo and Pd
Post by: grumpygramp on July 18, 2006, 05:27:31 PM
In the clinic i go to the Dr. used lifesites in all the patients and they all got infections and had to have them removed.I nearly died from blood   sepsis----they asked the family about life support--so i would not personnally reccomend them to anyone---but if you do decide do all the research. The device is implanted under thr skin(2 of them) and a tube goes to the heart--mine did --so if you get an infection you know where it goes .But if you do go for it--good luck.
Title: Re: Has anyone heard of lifesite for Hemo and Pd
Post by: Hephs-little-lady on July 19, 2006, 12:15:21 AM
Oh my goodness, grumpygramp, sounds like a terrible experience! Was that hemo or pd?
Title: Re: Has anyone heard of lifesite for Hemo and Pd
Post by: Run8 on September 08, 2008, 12:55:31 PM
Lifesite Dialysis
A kidney dialysis device made by Vasca Inc. has been the subject of 129 complaints involving death or injuries since it went on the market in 1998, federal regulators say. The device, LifeSite, is implanted under the skin and connects a dialysis machine to the patient's blood vessels so the machine can remove wastes from the blood and return cleaned blood to the patient.

In a letter sent to the Tewksbury-based company on Nov. 29, 2001, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) accused the company of reporting some incidents late and not investigating some deaths properly, The Patriot Ledger reported Thursday.

LifeSite reduced some side effects�including infection and blood clots�that are associated with dialysis, the company said. Thomas Glover, president of Vasca, said patients eligible to use the device are extremely ill. But in 20 cases, FDA investigators "found information to reasonably suggest'' the device "may have caused or contributed to a death or injury'' or that the device malfunctioned in a way that could hurt a patient if the problem recurred, the letter said.

The company filed 14 of the 20 reports with the FDA after a 30-day time limit and did not file six reports at all, the FDA said. The letter, which was posted on the FDA's website, warned that the agency will take regulatory action if the company doesn't address the problems.

Glover said the company has responded to the letter and is in discussions with the FDA. He said the paperwork problems came from a misunderstanding of agency regulations. "There were things that we didn't think had to be reported," he said. "So some of our reports were late.''

The FDA also reported in the letter that the LifeSite device is misbranded in that its labeling �does not bear adequate warnings against use in�pathological conditions, or against unsafe dosage or methods or duration of administration or application, in such manner and form as necessary for the protection of the user.�

The device was approved in Canada in 1999 and in Europe in 1998.
Title: Re: Has anyone heard of lifesite for Hemo and Pd
Post by: nursewratchet on February 07, 2009, 06:41:43 AM
This is old, but I just saw it.  Bear with me.  Lifesites are the cause of many infections, and many deaths.  We used them several years ago at a clinic I worked in.  Scary, dangerous, horrible.