I Hate Dialysis Message Board
Dialysis Discussion => Dialysis: General Discussion => Topic started by: Katonsdad on February 22, 2012, 09:01:41 PM
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Okay , So my graft in my arm has clotted for the second time in a week. Lucky me , Off to the vascular surgeon for
a cath in my chest. Make me look like Frankenstein. I hate it. My graft is in my upper left arm but also extends down
to my elbow. I think that is the problem . When I bend my arm (ie while sleeping) it cuts off the
blood supply
I am thinking about having them place the new graft in my upper leg. Anyone else doing this?
Katonsdad
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If you already have a working access, whether ideal or not, I seriously doubt a surgeon will look at the leg. I had one patient while I was still practicing in internal medicine who ran out of access sites and had a right upper thigh graft placed. She suffered repeated infections from this graft which is one of the issues with leg grafts. She ended up having a permanent catheter for the last several years on dialysis. I believe she lived a total of 11 years on dialysis, the last 1-2 years on home hemodialysis with NxStage.
The short answer is the leg is only a last resort placement and can be very problematic. I knew another patient who ran out of access and they placed it in his abdomen. There are even accesses in the chest as well, but these are last resort placements done by specialty vascular surgeons in medical school centers usually.
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my v surgeon will only do this as a last resort do to the unsanatary conditions, also someone from my center had one and had lots of issues with it, what I don't know.
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That is probably what is next for me. My left arm fistula is wearing out and my right arm fistula needs to be brought up to the surface but they are not sure it will work. But, I have to have some access so they can repair the left fistula. They are looking at my leg. My chest has had too many catheters so can't go there. Ugggh. What do you do but keep trying. Also having two working fistulas is hard on the heart. Oh joy!
:flower; There is a girl at my center that has one and she said she has no problem.