Anyone Got LifeSite Caths?

[Python]

Anyone using LifeSite caths and if so, how good are they, what are the drawbacks and what is your overall experience of them.  My son may have to switch from PD to haemo but he refuses to have a fistula made, so I'm looking into all the options at the moment.  He lost his appendix this week so is temporarily back on haemo, but whether he will be able to return to PD we have to wait and see.

Any info would be gratefully appreciated.

[Hephs-little-lady]

There is a lifesite thread here: http://ihatedialysis.com/forum/index.php?topic=512.0

Apparently according to this article, lifesite for hemo has been discontinued: http://ihatedialysis.com/forum/index.php?topic=512.msg3780#msg3780

[Dr. Evil]

Anyone using LifeSite caths and if so, how good are they, what are the drawbacks and what is your overall experience of them.  My son may have to switch from PD to haemo but he refuses to have a fistula made, so I'm looking into all the options at the moment.  He lost his appendix this week so is temporarily back on haemo, but whether he will be able to return to PD we have to wait and see.

Any info would be gratefully appreciated.

Now, normally I would not be this harsh with patients.  However, that is not the purpose of this web site.

I don't know your son, but there are "very few-to-none reasons" why someone with ESRD should not have an attempt at a fistula.  If he is young and doesn't have a lot of other things wrong with him, it is a no-brainer to get a fistula.  Any other alternative is worse.  If he doesn't like the idea, I would suggest get tough with him and tell him too bad....it is what he needs and that is that.

LifeSites are off the market....if some are still around, it should be criminal to put one in.  Way to high infection risk, including deaths from such infections.

...just giving you the truth here...no hard feelings....

[Rerun]

There is a doctor on dialysis at my center who refuses to get a fistula.  He has a tunneled catheter.  So, I point to him when they give me crap about using my fistula instead of my catheter.

I figure I have my fistula for the rest of my life.  I might as well use the catheter until it goes bad.

[Python]

Dr Evil.  Thanks.  That's what I like.  People who come straight to the point and don't beat about the bush

Snag is, son (Ian) will be 20 in November and will never be swayed in 100 years to have a fistula, hence I was doing some research into viable alternatives.  Obviously, there was a major problem with the LifeSite caths and I believe the company who made them, VASCA may have gone bust.  Certainly, I e-mailed them from their website yesterday and it bounced back as undeliverable.  It was a really good idea in principle, but obviously they were prone to infection more so than say, a Tessio.  I wonder why that was, as they work in a similar principle to a fistula.  Perhaps in the future someone will come up with a better design that isn't so prone to problems as medical science and technology advances.

Rerun.  Do you know why the doc at your centre refuses a fistula and does he have Tessio caths?

[kevno]

This set of Tescio Caths I have had in since October 2003 (touch wood! Where's Reruns head ). Had a couple of infections but have cleared up OK. Up to now from 2000 this is my 3rd set the other two lost because of infection( very Painful) I know that the set I have in now is on the way out. But my fistula is 26 years old. In 2000 I got too dry and the fistula stopped. But the surgeons waited one year before they had a go to start it. After the operation to restart it a cut from my wrist to the top of my arm 44 staple. I only have a two inch stretch which at a push one needle can be put in. (But I only let the Nurses use the Tescio Lines)

A fistula is a 100% better option than tescio lines. It is only a small operation, mine I only had five stitches in. You can use your arm as normal. I always did right down to climbing. Plus I have a very bad needle phobia

I have had veins looked at to see if another fistula can be formed but it can not my veins are too small and too weak. Plus my legs can not be used because I have vascular damage in both legs.

[hyperlite]

Python, why is your son so against getting a fistula? I know when I started dialysis and I saw some people with huge snake-like fistula's, i was a little hesitant to get one...But after having a central line for a couple months and not being able to have a real shower (plus living in residence at school), I started to realize that a fistula is the best option. I've had my fistula now for almost 2 years, and you can't even notice it. I've built up enough scar tissue so I barely feel the needles anymore, and I'm still able to do everything that I did before I started dialysis (such as playing hockey, wakeboarding, soccer...etc). If your son is worried about people staring at the fistula, you should tell him that nobody is really even going to notice. He's young enough so it probably wont balloon out like a lot of the fistula's that he might have seen. And if pain from needles is what is scaring him away from the idea, just tell him that there are lots of ways to get around the pain. I used to use Emla cream before every treatment for about 6 months. By then i had enough scar tissue built up that i didn't really need to use it anymore. If your son has any questions just post them here or PM me.

[Python]

Thanks Hyperlite.  Ian's seen the lumpy ones (mostly on older people - he's the youngest at the unit) and said they turned his stomach.  He is also needle phobic although not so bad as he used to be.  He still takes persuasion to do his EPO - and that's a needle that's only about 1/4 of an inch and the thickness of a hair!  He still gets the paediatric ones because the adult ones are slightly too big - his legs (where he does the EPO) are really skinny, not much flesh on them at all.  Overall, he is very slim, well umm, skinny (I didn't say that )   Ian's one of those people who once he's made up his mind about something, nothing will persuade him otherwise.  We all hope he'll be able to go back on PD because he does really well on that, but just incase he can't we're exploring every option available.

[MattyBoy100]

Hi Python,

I got my fistula done two weeks ago under local anaesthetic.  If you want, I can give you or Ian a blow by blow account of what it`s like when they start to use it.  I`ve got permission to put the needles in my arm myself once my fistula has developed and the nurses have trained me on it.  Why does Ian inject EPO in his leg?  I inject mine in my stomach and it`s not so bad.

[Python]

Hi Matty

Ian was taught to do the EPO in his leg only.  Could be something to do with him being on PD dialysis, but I'm not really sure.  I think if I suggested doing his EPO in his stomach he'd run a mile.  His whole abdomen is just a little bit tender at the moment.  He's used to doing it in his legs and that seems to work fine for him.

He'll be joining the site probably sometime tomorrow.  I meant to e-mail the links to him (he's got his own PC in his bedroom - runs piggy-back off ours) and forgot

[angieskidney]

Hi Matty

Ian was taught to do the EPO in his leg only.  Could be something to do with him being on PD dialysis, but I'm not really sure.  I think if I suggested doing his EPO in his stomach he'd run a mile.  His whole abdomen is just a little bit tender at the moment.  He's used to doing it in his legs and that seems to work fine for him.

He'll be joining the site probably sometime tomorrow.  I meant to e-mail the links to him (he's got his own PC in his bedroom - runs piggy-back off ours) and forgot

I have put Epo in my legs and abs but if his is tender then might as well stick with what he is used to. My legs used to bruise (I guess I hit blood vessels) so that is why I just stuck with my stomach after awhile.

[Python]

Ouch with the bruising.  Ian seems to know where to put the needle so he is able to miss the blood vessels.  I don't think I've seen him bruise yet with it.

[MattyBoy100]

Hi Python and Shades,

my unit just told me yesterday the EPO injections are no more in a couple of weeks cos they`re going to put it through the machine.  Now I`m on haemo dialysis so I don`t know if it`s the same if you`re on PD.  But after all the excitement of injecting myself last week I only got 2 more weeks of it!!!

[Python]

Hi Matty. 

That's how they do it on haemo.  On PD you have to inject yourself.  Any medication you need like iron for example  they put through the haemo machine.  When Ian goes back on PD he'll have to inject himself again (that'll please him - not).

[angieskidney]

Hi Matty. 

That's how they do it on haemo.  On PD you have to inject yourself.  Any medication you need like iron for example  they put through the haemo machine.  When Ian goes back on PD he'll have to inject himself again (that'll please him - not).

Ya that is true! But with IV Iron tho .. you have to get an IV line in .. where is on Hemo .. everything is done through the machine

[Python]

Ian's never had to have IV iron.  The last time he was on haemo, they put the iron through the machine.  When he went back on PD he was given iron tablets but they took him off them as his iron levels went too high.  Normally his iron levels are fine.