Vascular surgery need help!

chick1962

Registered User
Apr 3, 2014
11,282
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near Folkestone
My OH has only got 50 % blood flow in his left leg as there is a blockage just under the aorta where it branches off! His leg and hip are very painful due to this condition and his foot is always cold . Been transferred to vascular surgery but with his AD and Vascular dementia can they do by pass and can it be done with a spinal tap? Otherwise he will have to have his leg amputated ? What are the risks? Can anyone help?


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Sue J

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Dec 9, 2009
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Ohhh Chick sorry to read your post. I would think that it is possible under epidural but only anaesthetist can confirm this. Can you ring the surgeon or anaesthtists's secretary?xx
 

chick1962

Registered User
Apr 3, 2014
11,282
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near Folkestone
Ohhh Chick sorry to read your post. I would think that it is possible under epidural but only anaesthetist can confirm this. Can you ring the surgeon or anaesthtists's secretary?xx

No not yet but we ll have an appointment to discuss treatment with the vascular surgeon but I am quite worried as its in the main artery !


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Chuggalug

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Mar 24, 2014
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Norfolk
My OH has only got 50 % blood flow in his left leg as there is a blockage just under the aorta where it branches off! His leg and hip are very painful due to this condition and his foot is always cold . Been transferred to vascular surgery but with his AD and Vascular dementia can they do by pass and can it be done with a spinal tap? Otherwise he will have to have his leg amputated ? What are the risks? Can anyone help?


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Phew, woman. Don't it come in spades :(

Before my hubby was noticeably ill, he had some sort of device inserted through his leg into his groin. They had to use a balloon to stretch one of his veins. He had local anesthetic to get him through, and stayed a night in hospital. Should have stayed longer, but, as always, he put his parts on, (as we say around here) and had to be discharged.

There were no lingering effects that I can remember.
 

pamann

Registered User
Oct 28, 2013
2,635
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Kent
Hello chick so sorry that you have yet more problems, something you could do without, l am sure something will be done, surgery is so successful today try not to worry, better said than done thinking of you
 

chick1962

Registered User
Apr 3, 2014
11,282
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near Folkestone
No, they are talking about a bypass as its already so narrow that the risk is too high to stent it ??? . I didn't understand it all properly but will get more information from the vascular surgeon when we see him x


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Chuggalug

Registered User
Mar 24, 2014
8,007
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Norfolk
Hello Chuggalug

It sounds as if your husband had a stent inserted, I think it is called angioplasty, it is what I have been told I need. It lets the blood flow more easily

.

No, he didn't have anything left in, just the balloon to try and stretch the vein in his leg. We never heard any more because he was so ruddy grumpy, and wouldn't allow the doctors to finish treating him. They even used me to cover him leaving hospital. Devious, that was.

Howz you, Lexy?
 

Izzy

Volunteer Moderator
Aug 31, 2003
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Dundee
Sorry chick. No experience of this. Just saying sorry to hear about it. x
 

Spamar

Registered User
Oct 5, 2013
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Suffolk
Hi chick
OH had a black toe! Emergency referral to hospital, followed by stents in both iliac arteries ( one of the arteries that go down the leg). We didn't know there was a problem with the right leg, but they did it as blood flow was restricted. As far as I know this was just done, but may have used local.
This wasn't enough treatment for the left leg, though foot was noticeably warmer! Three weeks later he went back in to have a femero - popliteal vein graft, which means they took a vein from the calf and used it to create a new pathway for the blood to flow down the femoral artery, another of the arteries of the leg.
This is a more major operation ( the scar on his thigh is a foot long), but dont know what anaesthetic they used. He was in hospital a week. The actual operation was fine, but the standard of nursing care was appalling, though I vented a lot on here still the time ( a year ago).
When he came out go hospital his bladder and brain had got disconnected, so to speak, but got that sorted in a month. The wound also got infected, completely a nurses fault, so we had DN visiting for the next 2 months,
Up til now his leg has been fine, but foot has gone cold again. Have a routine appt with consultant next week, so will see.

But on the whole, the thing went well. If it fails, and it does, not sure where we go next. Will need to look at options for 82yo advanced dementia sufferer. Could be a family conference!
 

Chuggalug

Registered User
Mar 24, 2014
8,007
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Norfolk
I'm okay thanks. The balloon thingy is the stent, did they not leave it in because your husband wouldn't let them? A stent usually stays in place and is supposed to work quite well, but it only lasts about a couple of years if you smoke. I'm not a smoker but the hospital had to ask me.

Haven't a clue what they did, Lexy. All I was told, probably by hubby himself (it's so long ago!) that he was having this done to his vein. I wasn't given the full details. It's amazing how people will abdicate any responsibility when there's a wife to blame for a husband's stroppiness. I didn't see it, then, but looking back, it was the beginning of the full blown dementia beginning.

He wasn't supposed to drive for a period of time, to which his comeback was: "No one tells me when or not to drive." You can't help someone like that, can you. I told him he ought to be ashamed of himself since they're only trying to help him.
 

Beate

Registered User
May 21, 2014
12,179
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London
Oh my dear friend - you are not having the best of times right now! So sorry to hear about John's medical problems and the useless social worker. It never rains but it pours! Wishing yoy strength. Sending virtual hugs and chocolate.
 

Lawson58

Registered User
Aug 1, 2014
4,333
0
Victoria, Australia
Whether your husband can have an epidural instead of a general anasthetic will depend on if he has been on warfarin for a long time. Even though he would be taken off the blood thinners in advance, there is a huge risk of bleeding at the site of the epidural. My OH has to have surgery for a hernia sometime and an epidural is definitely out of the question.
 

esmeralda

Registered User
Nov 27, 2014
3,083
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Devon
Heike Chick dear, so sorry to hear of all your problems. Computer is still dumping my posts if I type more than a couple of sentences so I just have to send you lots of love and hope things will turn around very soon. Es
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
 

chick1962

Registered User
Apr 3, 2014
11,282
0
near Folkestone
Thank you all for your support, means a lot! Spamar what you describe sounds very much what John will have to have ! The blockage is just under the aorta before it goes and splits into either side. I am facing such difficult decisions anaesthesia with dementia ? Spinal tap? Wish I knew what to do? But we can't leave it as he will loose his leg if we do! Just have to go through the options when we meet the vascular surgeons and our GP has been fantastic. He said once we know all the options from the surgeon we will sit down all together and he will explain them all and the risks involved. I am just so worried xxxx


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Grey Lad

Registered User
Sep 12, 2014
5,736
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North East Lincs
Thank you all for your support, means a lot! Spamar what you describe sounds very much what John will have to have ! The blockage is just under the aorta before it goes and splits into either side. I am facing such difficult decisions anaesthesia with dementia ? Spinal tap? Wish I knew what to do? But we can't leave it as he will loose his leg if we do! Just have to go through the options when we meet the vascular surgeons and our GP has been fantastic. He said once we know all the options from the surgeon we will sit down all together and he will explain them all and the risks involved. I am just so worried xxxx


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Good morning chick see you are an early bird today. Not surprising with all the things you need to think about and the decisions you need to make. Hope you find some comfort from the support of us lot on T P and those around you. Shame you are so far away or I would be down to see you. G L