Got my AV fistula today

[kellyt]

I was at the hospital at 6 a.m., surgery promptly at 8 a.m. and we drove out of the parking lot at 11:45 a.m.  No problems!
I am starting to feel the pain a little now.  Nothing I can't handle, but my hand is still a little numb.  Apparently, my doctor does a "different version" of the fistula and I don't have the "thrill".  Maybe it will come later when the medication and such is gone.  For those of you without fistulas, I have about a 2" incision on my left wrist (vertical)  just below the wrist bone and directly below the base of my thumb.  I see my doctor again in about one month.

Was your (anyone with a fistula) "thrill" present immediately following surgery or did it take a while?

I'm glad to be done with it.       Now I begin praying I have no future trouble with it.   

[jbeany]

How can you not have a thrill?  Either the blood is going thru and you should be able to feel it, or it's stopped and it's not working.  I've never heard of one that didn't have a thrill right from the beginning.  I was sent home from my surgeries with instructions to check for the thrill constantly.

My doc opened up my wrist at the same spot, but my veins weren't big enough at that spot - all he managed to do was nick a nerve while he was poking around taking a look.  We've got matching scars though!

[kellyt]

I don't know.  I asked the nurse and she said that this doctor does a "different kind of fistula" and they've never felt the "thrill" with any of his fistulas.  The doctor has only been at this hospital for a short time and the nurse I spoke with said she has just never asked him about it.  When they check it with the sonogram or ultrasound (whatever they use) they hear everything fine.  Actually, they checked it once in the recovery room and then once again before I left the hospital and I heard it through the machine.   

No one's heard of this?  Maybe I'll call the doctor's office tomorrow and ask for myself and then I can give you more info.  I must say I was a little disappointed.  I wanted to feel the "thrill"!

[BigSky]

I have always heard or felt a thrill after having the fistula put in.

I would be interested to know what this new type of fistula happens to be.

[keefer51]

My first two fistulas had a thrill right away. I too have the the scars. They were on my right arm. they never took. Pardon the pun but, The thrill is gone. However another doc. worked on my left arm and was successful. I again felt the thrill right away. This time i really spent allot more time with the rubber ball they give to squeeze. My hand was sore from it but it worked.

[kellyt]

Okay, I just called the doctor's office and spoke with his nurse.  She didn't tell me the type of procedure, however, I told her I didn't feel anything and asked how I'm supposed to know if the fistula stops working.  She told me "just look at the incision sight and make sure there is no oozing, redness or swelling and that I didn't need to worry about anything else".

I made my appointment for follow-up and a fistula scan on Oct. 26th.  I'll see the doctor then and I'll be sure to ask him what he did that's different and doesn't cause the "thrill".

The nurse at the hospital did say something about his fistula's being "deeper" or something like that.  

[Ang]

i  suggest  you  get  the  name  of  the  procedure,head  off  to  get  a  second  opinion,why  there  is  no  thrill,sounds  strange  that  nobody  knows  of  this"different  procedure"
remember  the  most  important  thing  to  remember  now  that  the  journey  has  started
"INFORMATION  IS  POWER"
Either  you  leave  your  care  to  others  or  be  involved  and  have  input  in  whats  occuring  to  you.
good  luck  with  it  all   

[kellyt]

I agree.  I just put in a call to my neph and I'm going to get his opinion (whom I trust completely).

Again, let me reiterate that the blood flow was heard clearly through the ultrasound or whatever hey use before I left the hospital.   My main question is - if it's working now then fine.  BUT how do I know if it stops working in the future if there is no "thrill".  I will definitely find that out!   

Thanks so much guys and gals!

[bolta72]

I have the same fistula as you and had a thrill right from the start. As others have said it must be something new. Have it checked out each time you go to the clinic.

  Hope it lasts you a long time with no set backs.

[boxman55]

No thrill seems odd. I had a wrist fistula and it failed then they vein mapped and made one in the upper right arm and it thrilled from the start. Your nurse's comment was nuts ("just make sure of no swelling or redness"). what do you do after it heals....Boxman

[silverhead]

If the thrill is there, but you cannot feel it I would be concerned that the fistula is so deep that cannualtion would sure be a challenge for anyone doing it.......Large black and blue marks anyone?
Tom

[Sluff]

Kelly make sure if there is a name to this new fistula that you post it for future reference. I'm glad that so far everything seems fine.

[Black]

Sounds to me like the fistula is deep.  Maybe "safer" from injury, and maybe last longer, and maybe without aneurysms, but probably not fun for cannulation.

Since you can't feel the thrill, I suggest getting a stethoscope ASAP so you can listen for it -- and check it often!

Also, you need to find out when you can start using the squeeze ball.  I don't recall for sure but I think Mike started at two weeks.

[*kana*]

I know this is an old post, but I just had my fistula done last week and I can't feel a thrill in that arm either.  Mine is deep and I am very much swollen so hopefully that is the reason.  I also don't know what I am suppose to be feeling. 

[monrein]

If you can't feel the thrill you need to go see your doctor asap.  Don't wait or a minor problem could become more serious by far.  Don't mean to scare you but this is so very important. 

[sullidog]

Strange, never heard of this. Yes I'd get a second op on this one.
Troy

[MooseMom]

I had mine created two weeks ago, and the first thing I felt when I woke up from surgery was the "thrill".  I know that's supposed to be a good thing, but frankly it is driving me nuts.

My fistula is further up my arm...not so near the wrist...and apparently the vein was quite deep.  To compensate for that, the surgeon actually lifted the vein up a bit and stitched it to the underside of my skin.  I remember reading a post here on IHD not too long ago in which the poster said that he/she had to go back into surgery to have her fistula "lifted", so I was glad to hear that my surgeon had already done this.

I went today to get the stitches out, and the surgeon asked if I could feel the blood going through the fistula.  When I said, "oh yes!", he smiled and looked very self-satisfied.  So, if you're not feeling it, I'd go straight away and ascertain whether or not it's in good working order.  Can't hurt to ask!

[kellyt]

That was my first fistula created in Sept 2007 in my wrist.  It never worked.  One month later I had my 2nd fistula placed in the elbow.  It worked great, but fortunately I never had to use it.  Transplanted in Nov 2008. 

[Quickfeet]

I couldn't hear or feel mine. The surgeon put gel on my arm and used an ultrasound thing to listen to it. He said I wouldn't hear or feel it because it was so deep. Below my fistula, my arm was week and cold. So I knew the blood was being diverted. It clotted off a week later, my strength and warmth came back.