Quick clotted graft question??

[Rerun]

On Friday the surgeon did a fistulagram and ballooned a couple of spots on my graft in my lower arm.  But, by the time I got home it wasn't working at all.  And again this was Friday (Do not have a procedure done on a Friday).  So, now I have to wait until Tuesday for a declot.

What is the longest anyone has waited to get a declot and it was successful?

[noahvale]

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[M3Riddler]

On Friday the surgeon did a fistulagram and ballooned a couple of spots on my graft in my lower arm.  But, by the time I got home it wasn't working at all.  And again this was Friday (Do not have a procedure done on a Friday).  So, now I have to wait until Tuesday for a declot.

What is the longest anyone has waited to get a declot and it was successful?

Rerun,

Sorry to hear about your graft.  If you have a clot, timing is important. The longer you wait, the hard/larger the clot can become.  I would think this could be considered an emergency and the interventional radiologist or whoever does the procedure could be called in for the procedure.   They are on call just like any other doc if done in a hosptial setting. If you go to a vascular center, it may be different. But I would ask regardless. 
Why couldnt they do it today instead of waiting for tomorrow ?    Hope all goes well. Let us know how it goes...

///M3R

[Rerun]

Well, it was the weekend     for one thing and my other option was to go in and let some unknown hack at my arm.  Not doing that.  Oh, and my surgeon had "clinic" today so I have to wait until tomorrow. 

I'll let you guys know if it works tomorrow if I live through this.   

[okarol]

Oh man, what a pain!
I hope you get it all worked out tomorrow. 

[sullidog]

Longest was for me a Monday to a Friday and yes it was successful, like rerun I don't want someone dr. to work on my arm that doesn't know it or my history of it, luckily I had a line in my chest so no dialysis was lost and the last time I went from A Saturday til a Tuesday wich one day was lost and I did try to ask them if they could fix it and the response I got from d staff was there's no one there on the weekends.

[sullidog]

I'd like to add the only time I ever had a declot the same day was to walk into the er and say I'm here with a clotted dialysis access, Oh and don't you love it when you call after hours and the answering service answers and you say "I don't have a thrill." And they will ask "What's a thrill?"

[Rerun]

OMG what a long long week.  I lived through the surgery on Tuesday and dialyzed at the hospital for 4 hours on Tues night.  I'm use to 8 but my blood pressure was so low they just couldn't pull any more and then the IV keeps running. My fluid pools in my face so I look like Honey Boo Boo's mother.  My neck is fat too from fluid.  I'm not drinking much and not eating much.  I'm sure they could get 5k off of me if my BP would cooperate.  I just have to wait until 6:30 tonight to get some fluid relief.  I sleep a lot.  My sisters are taking turns staying with me.  Another weird thing is my vision has gone wack-o.  I can type but can't find my pointer mouse for a long time and I just cannot see right.  I'm hoping and praying that will clear up.

                   

[Big E]

Rerun, I'm sorry you have to go through this crap. I already felt kind of bad that you wouldn't be able to go to Vegas, and now this...
 

[MaryJoe]

Rerun - I'm sorry you've had such a rough week.    I hope they get your graft, BP and fluid problems sorted out soon.  I'm glad you have sisters close by to stay with you and take care of you.    

[Rerun]

I finally got into see an Opthamologist today.  He specializes in Glaucoma so He gave me glaucoma drops.  Wow!

I think the pressure in my eyes could be from fluid overload since my fluid pools in my face.  I'm thinking my bp got too low and damaged my optic nerve. 

I have tried for 2 days to get in that place and finally they got me in but wondered why I didn't call sooner.  Really?  They should pretend to be Joe blow and call to get in the same WEEK?  Booked!

[MaryJoe]

Well I'm glad you finally got to see some kind of doctor!  Maybe next time you should just go in, throw yourself down on the floor and whisper "help me...."     Hope you get your graft sorted out soon.  Hang in there.   

[Rerun]

The good news is I have an old cateract that decided to grow on September 25.  Nothing to do with the traumatic surgery I went through.... just a coincidence.  I say Bull Crap!

The Eye doc doesn't want to remove the cateract because my other eye doesn't see much at ALL and he doesn't want risk losing all my vision.

I'm going to get a second opinion.

This is a huge change in my life and I am struggling to do anything.  I should not be driving but I need to go to the bank or the store or to the post office.  I will not get on the freeway or Hwy 2. 

I want this web off my eye.   

[okarol]

I agree, get another opinion. Jeez what a pain. Please be careful. 

[MaryJoe]

Oh rerun, this really stinks!  Please do get a 2nd opinion, another doctor could have a whole 'nuther take on your condition.  And if he agrees with the 1st doctor you may at least have a little peace of mind knowing that you've done all you can to try to fix this problem.  Please be very careful if you absolutely must drive, I say this knowing full well that it's easy for me to say and much harder for you to when you have no other transportation options. You were one of the 1st to welcome me to IHD and I always look forward to reading your posts, so I really would appreciate it if you'd take very good care of yourself!   

 

[Whamo]

I'm sorry to hear about your troubles.  I hope your health improves soon.  My monthly labs showed my calcium was a little low, and this morning my left cramped hard.  It hurt like hell.  It's nothing compared to what you're going through.   

[Rerun]

I didn't hear what I wanted to at the 2nd Opinion eye doc.  I wanted to hear 'Yeah, we can take that cataract off and you will see better than ever.'  But, instead he said "You are at higher risk due to the higher than normal pressures in your eye."  He said I have a small cataract on my left/bad eye so he wants to take that one off first to see how I do and then do the right eye.  So, he didn't say no but I have to jump through some hoops first.

I need to get the other surgery on my left upper arm first.  It was what we were trying to operate on when my vascular surgeon decided to balloon my lower right arm graft fist and then Explosion it clotted and then he had to do a whole surgery on it.  OMG

So, get my left upper arm fixed and then do my eyes.

Really?  Can't I just stop doing all this crap.     

[MaryJoe]

Well at least the 2nd eye doctor didn't say, "OMG, there's no way I'm touching that!"  I think the cosmos owes you some good karma, I'm going to assume the surgery on your arm will go well, and that the eye surgeries will be successful also.  Sending positive vibes your way and throwing in some prayers as well!

Jumping through hoops - piece of cake, right? 

[mogee]

I had a similar experience.  My graft was ballooned and the next day it clotted.  In my case there was no use trying to declot the graft because the stenosis that caused the problem was no longer treatable.  Another round of ballooning would have only briefly opened the graft before it shut down again.  Of course your case might be different.  Many things can cause a graft to clot.  Grafts are easier to declot than fistulas and can be declotted after a longer period of time.  I wish you well.

[M3Riddler]

I had a similar experience.  My graft was ballooned and the next day it clotted.  In my case there was no use trying to declot the graft because the stenosis that caused the problem was no longer treatable.  Another round of ballooning would have only briefly opened the graft before it shut down again.  Of course your case might be different.  Many things can cause a graft to clot.  Grafts are easier to declot than fistulas and can be declotted after a longer period of time.  I wish you well.

If your fistula is in your upper arm near the bend in your elbay, you should always hold your arm out strait and not bend it for at least an hour after a fistulagram.  I found out the hard way as after the procedures, I did not know, nor was i told to keep my arm strait. Luckily, After the proceure, I went directly to my nephrologist and noticed. He immediately called the interventional radiologist on his cell and I went right back for an emergency declot... 

[sullidog]

I'm going to asume the same goes for a graft? Thanks for the inofo no I did not know that, what causes that?

[mogee]

I clot very easily.  My hemoglobin is usually 150 - 160 and I have frequent venous spasms.  Right now I am using a central cath and it has been going very well for ten months.  I have never spent so little time at the hospital.  In total I think I've had about thirty fistulagrams, all of them with local anesthetic only.

[sullidog]

I tried a fistulagram with just a local once, not for me, I need to be relaxed.

[Rerun]

I did not know about bending my arm.  OMG I probably did it to myself.  I'm going to tell my surgeon to tell people about that.

Why won't they use stents or stints (sp) that would keep it open.  My surgeon will not in no way use stints.  He says they clot off too.  But, geez they would last more than 2 hours.

IMO my arm is still too swollen to use.  It has been 5 weeks today.  I may be using my arm too much.  When I do sit down to watch the news I prop it up on a pillow.

       

[sullidog]

I have one of those stint grafts, it does seem to help.