Ultrasound today on fistula

[jennyc]

Hi,

Had an ultrasound on my fistula. I was worried becuase my surgeon said i might have to get two veins tied off becuase my fistula didn't appear to be growing. Well, saw the other vas surgeon (my surgeon dubbed him the fistula genius) and he said that it is a lovely fistula, growing nicely but there is a narrowing mid arm, so he is going to try to fit me in either before xmas or in the first two weeks of January to have a balloon put in. He thinks i should be pretty right to go after that!.

Can anyone else who's had this procedure done let me know about it?

thanks

[tubes]

I had a narrowing in my fistula. I dont remember what was used to open up the narrowing. My surgeon said it was difficult because he had to go in through my armpit.  So I dont know if it was difficult because of the location or if I forgot to wash my armpit that morning.     
Besides the location it was a pretty simple surgery. I was in & out the same day. I was completely put out. It was done over a year ago so I dont remember much.

~Robert

[jbeany]

The ballooning - or a fistulagram is a pretty easy out patient surgery.  Most docs will give you something to help you mellow out without completely knocking you out.  I was never more than a little sore the next day.

[jennyc]

Great, thanks.

I wont have to worry about smelly armpits, it's halfway up my forearm 

[Brianna!]

The fistulagram is where they put dye in your fistula and see how narrow the veins are. The angioplasty is where they put the balloon in your fistula and "blow up the veins." That's how they explained it anyway. I was put to sleep during it, because they said it might be painfull. When I woke up my arm was sore, but it only lasted a day. I still had my catheter in so they used that. Ask them to put you to sleep if possible, because I heard horror stories about the angioplasty! Your arm might be swollen after, and maybe bruised.

Good luck!

[jennyc]

i'm not sure they are going to do a fistulagram. The vas surgeon did it all with ultrasound, he was able to use the (doplar?) imaging to measure the narrow area. It actually looked pretty cool, he was even able to show me the internal sutures that hadn't quite disolved, and the join in the artery and vein, the narrowing and the wider area. I'm not sure if he plans to knock me out, it was the first time i've met this surgeon. I see the other surgeon today after lunch so i'll know when i'm getting booked in.

[Maker]

Hey Jenny!  How did they know there was a problem with the fistula?  What was the reason they even scheduled the ultrasound?

Hope the procedure is a piece of cake!

[jennyc]

Hi Lori,

When i saw my surgeon the other week he felt the narrowing with his fingers, he also heard other veins drawing off blood from the fistula (using stethescope). The other surgeon said that it was becusae of the narrowing that the blood was going down the other vein (they initially wanted to tie them off, but the other surgeon said it isn't necessary and wouldn't fix the problem but the balloon will).

So yeh, bit of a bumpy ride with this thing but the 2nd dr has said that it will be perfectly fine to use straight away after the angio and that otherwise it's a good fistula.

[Maker]

I see...I asked because I wondered if there is anything I should be looking for.  I have a follow-up with the surgeon 1/19, at which I HOPE he says I can use it!  I am seeing some crazy looking veins popping out all around it.  This week I went back to work, so that means hours spent every day while I'm driving, so I'm getting in some good ball squeezing time!

Jenny do you have an appointment yet?

[jennyc]

I saw my first sureon yesterday and he was pleased, he's trying to get me booked in now. The 2nd surgeon's team will apparently call me and let me know when i'm booked in. Wont take long, he said he could try and get me in before xmas or he's got openings in the first two weeks of Jan.

I just really want to hurry up and get on with it, getting sick of doing all the extra hours of PD, plus my weight is yo-yoing from the extra dwells (weight gain) and the down from being uremic.

You can sort of feel the narrowing (now that i know where it is), if i follow the vein up my arm i can feel the difference in size.