Angio-Seal, StarClose and Vascular Access and Closure Devices (archive)
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Archived Postings: (164): (go to more postings for 2006) • Holy smokes. . .lots to read here. Thought
I'd give my 2 cents on this topic. From what I have read, some of the
pain that we are subjected to is a result that developes from LIMPING!
We tend to "lean" forward in an attempt to "not" place pressure on
the area that was stented. Believe it or not, no one is really use
to walking that way. This increases pressure on your back and the muscles
around the entry site like you would not believe. Some of us can cause
pain to develope by unintentually disturbing the Sciatic Nerve while
placing that load on you back. . . this can explain the pain in the
hip and down the leg. It is important to develope confidence in the
seal as quick as you can, and walk in a normal fashion. Walk slower,
but remain upright with as normal a stride as possible if you're unsure
or feel worried about the entry site. Having 7 recent angioplasties,
my last one (entry site always in the same spot) I was absolutely pain
free simply because I was confident about it holding just 3.5 hours
after the procedure. It still got Black and Blue, and still swelled
to a slight lump, but the pain never was an issue. I am sure it was
all due to not babying it and not causing the excess load of leaning
forward while I walked. Good luck to all. • I had an angio-seal after a heart cath. 11-22-05
and was told to return to normal work duties 11-25-05. On 11-26 pain
in right groin was so bad that I ended up in ER with severe infection
and swelling in the right groin area. I was hospitalized for a week
taking strong antibotics by IV and told that if any symptoms returned
after completing oral medication at home to return and surgery would
probably be needed. I still do not understand everything that is going
on with me! Has anyone had similair problems. • Ray, if you stayed in the hospital overnight
with a heavy weight on the groin area, then you did not get one of
the vascular closure devices discussed on this topic. You had your
femoral puncture site sealed via manual compression. Angio-Seal, the
most widely used vascular closure device, was just coming on the market
in 1996, around the same time you had your angioplasties. The question
would be have you had this pain at all during the past eight years
or is this recent? If this is a new development, it is probably not
be related to the femoral punctures at all, but may be signs of something
else. We always recommend that patients consult their doctors, as you
are doing. Please let us know the results. • Hi: I am a 55 year old male in Ontario Canada.
I had 2 angioplasty procedures done approximately 8 years ago. I have
also had type 1 diabetes for 44 years now. Just recently I have been
experiencing significant pain in my right groin where the incisions
were made about 3 months apart. I am okay as long as I am moving but
when I sit in the car or on a chair for a short period of time the
pain is very sharp when I get up and shoots down my right leg. But
as soon as I get walking the pain is gone. I do not know how the incisions
were closed but on each occasion I had to stay overnight in hospital
with a heavy weight on the groin area. If anyone has experienced this
problem I would be interested in knowing if you have received any answers.
I will be seeing my physician soon on this. Ray, Toronto Canada • I am very relieved to have found this site.
A couple of weeks ago I finally looked up angio-seal online as I realized
that it had been months since the cardiac cath...Feb 2005...and I felt
that I should be feeling better. From the very first I had terrible
nerve pain in my right foot (I did go back to the dr. two days later
from this pain when an ultra-sound was given to make sure there was
no blood clot)..especially the last three toes to the point where I
can hardly put any weight on the right foot making walking very difficult
- I am always on the go so this presents a difficult challenge for
me. The original site and surrounding area throbs non stop - where
I can not sit in one spot for too long..So, now what? Will this go
away at some point? What options are there for relief? Do I return
to this doctor or go to the primary care doctor...Or do I chalk this
up to another medical wonder and keep wondering why I went forward
with this test?! • I had the angio seal put in my right leg after
a catherization and after 3 days had a low grade fever for 4 weeks.
Leg ached , swelling in the groin, and after 5 mo. it was better. Still
have pains in vein in leg once in a while. Will this continue? Cant
wear anything tight against leg. • Recently been released after angiogram and
stent fitting, this is the second op in two months, in the first one
I had four stents fitted in a row as I had an arterial tear during
a major MI, the first femoral inscision did not have a plug, and healed
up without a problem, the second one which was done about 6 days ago
did have a collagen plug used, at first I had a fairly large swelling
above the cut, about the size of an elongated chickens egg, but not
hard. That has now subsided leaving a hard swelling that is still a
little above the incision and is about an inch long running at right
angles to the artery. it does not hurt a lot but there is some discomfort,
I am hoping that this is perhaps a normal result. For those of you
who have experienced the severe bruising (blue/purple) this is less
to do with the procedure and much more to do with the Heparin injection
you get at the end of it before you leave the cath table, it will dissipate
in about three weeks and is pretty painless. I am a 52 yr Male • I have previously submitted information about
having a perclose that went wrong on 3-10-2005. Could you please put
my E-mail address on this site. This way I can have people respond
to me that have had similiar experiences with the perclose. Thanks! • I had an angioplasty 3 weeks ago. I was told
to anticipate a pea size lump in the right groin. The groin had significant
pain, no redness or increased temp, but a lump about the size of an
egg. I saw my Dr. who could not feel a pulse, and sent me for various
studies. Turned out that they were all negative, but revealed a small
hematoma at the site. I had had an angioSeal device and wondered if
it is common for individuals with this device to have hematomas. I
also have a latex allergy and have wondered if the manufacturer does
use any products in the seal device that could be cross reactive? Now
after three weeks, the groin pain has diminished, but I continue to
have right leg pain, behind the knee. I had an angiogram several years
ago and they did not use a closure device and I did not have any of
these symptoms. • My name is Doug. I had to lay still for 6
hours after cardiac Cath and had an angioseal device used in my femoral
artery. I had a hemorrhage immediately,which stopped with ice and pressure.
Then the next day 2 more episodes of bleeding. Ultrasound revealed
a pseudoaneurysm.The Docs thought it would be OK but pain and swelling
persisted and 6 days after the cardiac cath another ultrasound revealed
the pseudoaneurysm was larger, and then a vasular surgeon operated
to remove the psuedoaneurysm, and he told me the angioseal was floating
inside the psuedoaneurysm.I reported the details to the FDA, and I
hope everybody else does that had adverse events when an angioseal
was used.I don't think Doctors bother to report. • I had stenting and collagen plug in March
03. Almost immediately I developed a large lump in right groin. It
was very painful. I went to ER and things got better, however, I was
never pain free. In August 05 the dull nagging pain turned into pain
that I am unable to walk with. I will be seeing my heart doctor in
about a month for a scheduled check-up, I surely hope to get some answers
and relief. • Just thought I'd post an update on my recovery.
On or about Saturday of last week I has a huge decrease in pain and
discomfort around both entry points. I have continued to progress nicely
and would say that I'm about 90 percent on the right (non-angioseal)
and about 80% on the left (angio-seal). Hopefully, there will be no
surprises down the road. • Hello: I am a female age 45. I had an angioplasty
done on 9/01/05. I didn't have any blocked arteries. Thank goodness!
I did have alot of the symptoms people discussed on this post with
the Angio-Seal (right leg) for about 2 weeks. After two weeks I started
to feel better but for the past week now I am experiencing a warm sensation
and slight burning sensation off and on all day on the bottom of my
right foot running from the middle of my foot towards the back of my
foot and running a little towards the back of my ankle. Does anyone
know if this could be related to the Angio-Seal? Could it be a sign
of a blood clot? Circulation problem? Something else? I don't see any
swelling or anything abnormal on my right foot. Also the seal feels
like a hard pea. Is this normal? The black n blue finally went away.
I sure hope I don't start getting the pains people are experiencing
in the groin, leg etc.. area. I didn't know about the Angio-Seal til
after the surgery. They gave me a pamphlet/card to keep in my wallet
for 6 months that left me scared to death to do my normal excersing,
swimming etc.. fearing I was going to puncture the area and bleed to
death. Appreciate any information you can provide me. ps: I'm glad
I found this site! It is very informative. Kelly • Just to give another viewpoint, I have had
six procedures with the last one about a week ago. The first two were
with manual pressure and the last four with Angioseal (different Dr).
I think they are great. I am up in a few hours. The bruising and lumps
disappear after a few weeks. Obviously I tolerate them well. My second
doctor does an average of six procedures a week and is older. I think
that his experience also counts. • Rex -- your post gives new meaning to the
phrase "side-by-side comparison" -- sorry, couldn't help
it. Seriously, you are certainly doing all the right things: from having
the nurse examine you before you left to having a physician look at
you if this doesn't resolve itself. It sounds like you are experiencing
what is called a hematoma (a caveat: please do not use this or
anything you read on this site or the internet in general as a substitute
for professional medical advice). A hematoma is a collection of
blood under the skin -- a known complication from femoral punctures,
whether vascular closure devices like AngioSeal are used or not. Sometimes
they are minor and resolve themselves. However, we would recommend
that you call the cardiologist who did the procedure to report this
and have someone on his staff talk to or examine you -- they would
be more familiar with this complication than a GP, but see what they
recommend. And please, let us know how you fared -- the outcome would
be of help to other readers. • I just recently had two separate heart
caths done on back to back days. The first was to take care of a
90% blocked artery and the second to take care of a 65 % blocked
artery. I actually had to different doctors perform the two procedures.
The first Doctor went up through the right hand side femoral artery
and chose to use the pressure technique to close the site. The second
went up the left side and used the Angioseal. It is now 5 and 6 days
after each respective surgery and I have to say that I'm becoming
worried about the Angioseal site. The doctors and nurses assured
me that the pain and discomfort of the Angioseal would subside in
a day or two. This has not happened and is still extremely painful.
The bruising on that side is much worse than it is on the other with
severe purple and black discolorization all the way to the base of
my genitals with my left testicle being completely black and blue.
Before leaving the hospital, I had the nurse examine that area and
was told that what I was experiencing was not uncommon. The pain
is basically confined to the pubic area and my left testicle. It
also extends upwards into my lower abdomen to just below and to the
left of my navel. I am scheduled to be off from work until this next
coming Monday and if things don't improve at least slightly by Saturday
I will be going in to talk to my GP. Ironically, my right side is
healing quite nicely. • I had an angiogram fitted with angioseal
nearly three weeks ago and have been in agony ever since. I revisited
my cardiologist who gave me strong antibiotics, visted my doctor
twice, given pain killers which don't work and asked advice on the
cardiology careline. Where to go now? I told myself the results of
test were wonderful, no blockages, but was it worth knowing this
for all the pain I have received? Today is thursday and I will be
ringing cardiologist for another appointment tomorrow, Friday. • My mother died on June 4, 2005 from
complications of an Angio-Seal device that failed to seal. I would
like to provide everyone that looks at this site information about
reporting the failure of medical devices. These failures can be reported
by patients to the FDA on their "MedWatch" site at: www.fda.gov/medwatch.
Perhaps if enough people report these failures, something can be
done about their misuse. • I am so glad I found this site!!!!
I had a heart cath done 4 years ago (2001). I have had such pain
in my right groin area. Went to Doctor after Doctor. Found nothing
wrong one Doctor even suggested it was all in my head. When this
was done they put a angioseal in. I ask my heart doctor if this pain
could be from this. I got a fast NO from him. I have heard from other
women that they have the same pain. Could it be the seal is bad or
placed wrong. Help help help!!!! One night after not being able to
sleep i turned the TV on, there was a commercial on from a lawyer
saying if you had a heart cath and an angioseal was placed at groin
site call this number for class action lawsuit. By the time I found
a pen number was gone. Has anyone else seen this. I am 56 years of
age and this is the only problem I have thank the Lord. I cannot
use my right name because I work at the hospital this was done at
in Ashland, Ky. • Catherization was recommended by my
primary because he thought my cardiogram was irregular. I had catherization
in August 2004 by an experienced cath team. The angio seal was used
to to close the right groin artery site. Finding was,only 20% blockage
widely scattered. Upon leaving the hospital I was given a folder
on the angio collagen seal. The folder read that I should carry the
information with me for six months, in case of emergency. I had no
problems initially, but, at the end of the sixth month, trouble started
with my right leg. Severe burning pain in the center of my right
upper thigh upon exercise, especially stairs, stepping down, rolling
over in bed, sudden movements, also hip pain,etc. I have seen 3 doctors
four times since April. The first 3 diagnoses were bursitis. Nothing
turned up on xrays or sonar gram. I was given cortizone shots and
oral prednisone. Nothing helped. After an MRI the ortho doctor said
I had a herniated disk. Now sending me to therapy. When I say I have
not had one back pain through this whole episode, they tell me that
is not unusual. My whole right half of my pelvic and hip area are
swollen, now that area is painful with exercise. When I do any of
my slow activities, gardening, walking, standing more than 10 minutes,
the burning pain in my upper leg really kicks up and my leg feels
very heavy, sometimes it feels like needles in my right leg with
cramping in my right toes. I relate all of my pain to the angio seal
that was placed in my right groin. Reading some of the post angio
seal usage problems that are posted on this site. I feel better knowing
I am not crazy, because I think all the doctors so far are wrong.
I was a very physically active 69 year old, previously, very healthy.
I am very afraid that to ski, swim, bike, walk, golf, go to the gym
or ride a bike are all now in my past, because of the collagen angio
seal. I am thinking of asking about having an arteriogram procedure
that should show if something is wrong in the artery, but worried
that might make things worse. My next step will probably be a neurologist,
who may understand all the nerves that run through the area of a
catherization. Like all medical procedures and products and drugs,
everthing cannot be the right thing for everyones' bodies. But, we
will probably never hear all the problems that have happened. Thanks
for sharing and listening. • I am a 58 yr. old female who 5 days ago underwent
an angiogram. I, too, was not told or given a choice in how the puncture
in my femoral artery was to be closed. While on the table at the end
of the procedure my cardiologist explained that he was going to put
in a collegen plug which will be absorbed by my body and I will be
up on my feet in an hour and a half. I could return to work on Mon.
(today) and he did not need to see me for a couple of months. I should
just continue with the statins ,Plavix and baby aspirin as the blockage
in my left coronary artery was between 40 - 50%. My right femoral artery
was the procedure site. I have been limping due to pain. When attempting
to arise from a seated position I feel like I have a wooden stake in
my groin. My groin and pubic area have turned indigo blue. I have pain
when I attempt to get behind the wheel of my car...so I still am not
driving. I have no signs of infection thank God but do have a lot of
discomfort...especially at night. I usually sleep on my belly or side
and cannot do that. I put a pillow under my knees and lie flat on my
back to reduce traction on my pelvic area. I had an abdominal hysterectomy
in '97 and had less discomfort recuperating from that than this diagnostic
procedure. I am definitely not a happy camper. I don't want to be a
whiny complaining patient but I will call my cardiologist if I don't
feel better tomorrow. Enough is enough. • Dear all, If you are having problems
after your heart cath from a closure device find a vascular surgeon
in your local area. They deal with issues like this frequently and
can help you as they fix these types of problems. Make sure that
they report back their findings to your cardiologist and most importantly
the hospital where you had your heart cath so they know what happened
to you and prevent it from happening to someone else. • Any problems with an angioseal device
should be reported by patients to the FDA Medwatch form 3500 or FDA
form 3500 voluntary reporting. Just get on the FDA website and and
you will be able to find out how to do it. Its just one page to fill
out. Angioseal devices have been found in pseudoaneurysm of the femoral
artery. I don't know if physicians report adverse events so the patient
needs to do it. The FDA cannot recall anything if there are enough
complaints about problems. • Hi, I'm a 41yr old type 1 diabetic
female. I had a cardiac cath procedure 8/19/05 with the Perclose.No
bruising,bleeding and very little pain. Sorry to hear about everyones
problems after this procedure. Guess I'm the lucky one. Feel great.
Maybe it was the hospital, DR.and staff? Cheers for St. John's Medical
Center. • MedWatch Form 3500 or called FDA Form
3500 which you can download off the computer and give the details
to the FDA. Everybody that's had a problem with the angioseal should
report it to the FDA. The physician may not have reported it. The
angioseal has been found also floating inside pseudoaneurysm's that
develop on the femoral artery. • I had a angioseal put in after a cardiac
catherization on 12 August 2005. The surgeon said there should be
no pain but I was in pain for a week after and walked with a limp.
Since then a lump has appeared though it's not painful. I really
do think physicians should stop saying there's no pain after one
of these devices is fitted because looking at this site this is obviously
not the case with many patients. • I had a cath done in March 2004. I now
experience pressure pain in my right femoral area. The Dr. used Perclose
on me. Has anyone found any articles on side effects like this so
long after the procedure? • My Father-in-law had an angioplasty
done on 23 June. Angioseal closure was attempted but some part slipped
into the femoral artery (don't know the exact details). So a normal
proceedure was used to close the artery. Doctor assured him that
there is no problem that part of angioseal is floating in his artery.
A month later he has major problem in his right leg. Scan showed
severe stenosis at the trifurcation of the right popliteal artery
behind the right knee. Pulse in the right leg was very poor.. So
an angiogram of right leg was done only to find a jelly like substance
causing blockage in the artery behind the right knee which they realized
is the part of the angioseal which was floating around from earlier
angioplasty. They tried to remove the blockage using various methods
during this angiogram but were unsuccessful. Since this proceedure
was done in India where they don't have much experience in treating
the complications of angioseal, we have been given conflicting advise
for removing this blockage. We have been told that a surgery to bypass
the blockage should be done. Other advise is to cut the artey and
clear the blockage and put a vein patch to repair the artey. We were
wondering if it would dissolve on its own since it has been in the
artery since 50 days now. We are obviously confused. • I had a heart cath on July 21, 2005
and had an Angio-Seal inserted. For the first 48 hours I seemed fine
with little bruising and pain. Then I started to feel pain, as if
I had pulled a muscle above the incision and have been experiencing
pain in my groin area and both hips almost daily, especially towards
the end of the day. I was treated for a bladder infection (blood
and bateria) and took Bactrim, but I don't think the infection is
the source of the pain I am feeling now. I feel that the Angio-Seal
has contributed to pain in my hips and lower back since I suffer
from arthritis. Could I be allergic to the collagen and is that intensifying
my arthritis? I don't see my cardiologist for 3 weeks and am getting
sick of taking OTC pain pills every day. • This is Jane again. This seemed too
simplistic to mention in my second posting, where I reported that
the pain subsided in a week. However, I did something different on
Night 6 after the AngioSeal was implanted. Normally at night, when
I first lay down in bed, I tense and relax all my muscles and stretch
as well as I can, simply because it aids in my relaxation so I can
fall asleep. I hadn't done my stretch since the AngioSeal was implanted
because I was afraid of opening the wound. On Night 6, I figured
it would be safe enough to stretch, and I'd been hurting so badly
I felt I needed it. While my leg and hip hurt more doing the stretch,
I pushed past the pain and did it, anyway. The next morning all pain
was gone. Again, it seems awfully simplistic, but many of the best
things in life are. If it did help in "fixing" me, I hope it works
for others, too. • I have an angioseal on my right thigh
done 2yrs ago and like most of you I have pain and now I have like
a sore that leaks all day every day for two weeks. I thought that
may be something else but reading from all of you it has to be the
angio seal because since the first day I have cramps in my legs and
some days are better than others • Krystal- My 34 year husband had an
angio-seal placed after having a stent placed in his brain August
04 He was in pain after the 90 days and then he started to get better
and he was in little to no pain. Now a year later and he is in terrible
pain in his right hip, they have done x-rays and found it not to
be muscular or joint pain. Nobody seems to have any answers for his
pain, it grows worse everyday! The doctor has ordered an MRI but
no one wants to do it due to the stent in his brain. Why is his pain
so sever a year later? • My name is Janine. My mother had an
angiogram in Feb. 2005 and is still recovering from complications.
Shortly after the procedure she began bleeding internally, the bleeding
site could not be found and consequently she required exploratory
vascular surgery. I was told by the cardiologists that he misplaced
the angioseal stating that fascia can mimic the feel of the artery
and that the vascular surgeon find the seal in the fascia. My mother
wound up in the ICU, experienced life threatening conditions post
this procudure, including almost 2 weeks on a ventilator. After doing
some rsearch, including getting a copy off the OR report, I learned
that the angioseal was found coming out of a muscle in her groin.
In addition an artery was severed with pulsating blood flow. One
thing I would like to mention to the others who are having pain,
stiffness and weakness....find a good physiatrist(rehab doctor),
and try some physical therapy. Through massage, stretching and strengthening
exercises you may have some luck and be able to reduce your symtons. • This is Jane from Rochester, Michigan,
writing back to advise that all the pain I was experiencing in my
right thigh and hip and lower back is gone. Mainly, I wanted to let
others who are logging on to this site for the first time not to
get too scared too quickly. While I was told there would be NO pain,
there was plenty, but it was over in about a week. • Cilia -- Sorry to hear about your complications.
we would call your attention to an
article published in the Journal of Invasive Cardiology in
June 2004 (J Invasive Cardiol 16(5):247-250, 2004) titled "Impact
of Gender on Femoral Access Complications Secondary to Application
of a Collagen-Based Vascular Closure Device". It does show that
there were significantly more complications with collagen-based closure
devices (in this study, AngioSeal) in women than in men, although
the overall rate was still low for both (1.6% vs. 0.2%). As we've
said before, there have always been a certain number of complications
with femoral closure, whether manual (with sandbags and pressure)
or with the newer collagen devices. The benefit of the latter is
to allow the patient to ambulate within a couple of hours as opposed
to lying flat for 8 or more. But as with any medical procedure there
are times when things don't work right -- and yours seems to be one
of those. The JIC article speculates that smaller arteries in women
may account for the increased complication rate, but we are not aware
of any type of "ban" that has been placed on their use
in some states as you have written. Could you be more specific? • Hi, I'm Cilla,and I had a heart cath
on 10/05/04,the angio seal was used,I was not given the choice of
which device to be used,I was not even aware of which device was
used, I was never told that there were complications with this device,and
that in some states,the usage of this device is banned from being
used on women,because their arteries and veins are smaller than a
mans.Right after my procedure was done,through my right groin,I had
severe pain in that area,I was given a mild pain pill,which did nothing,I
was then given something stronger,and of course I was sent home.To
this day,I have pain almost daily,I have had reactions to pain medications
and to the neurontin,the MRI ruled out blood clots,other tests ruled
out other complications,but there is still pain which is not normal,I'm
also a nurse and followed the post op instrutions to a tee.THERE
IS PROBLEMS WITH THIS DEVICE AND ONE DAY I WILL FIND OUT MORE,I've
already started my own research,and I will continue.Could the fact
this device takes less recovery time,so more are done,per day?Who
is really benfiting from this quicker procedure?????.NOT the patient
who has the problems,my life has been altered,I can only work part
time,now.I can't even put my own socks on or stockings.This is my
second heart cath,the first one done with the sand bag method,no
problems at all.I'm only 47,but have a high risk for heart disease
on both sides of my family.Both parents had quadrupal bypasses at
65,my 32 year old brother had a quadrupal bypass,he died at age 40
with heart problems,my 35 year old brother had a heart attack,and
had stent placement last year,my sister has WRP,I will never allow
the usage of the angio seal again,I feel in some people they are
very unsafe....... • AngioSeal was inserted into my femoral
artery 10 days ago after PTCA w/ double stent in my heart's left
circumflex artery. As for the catheter site, I am experiencing bruising
that is triangular in shape, approxiamtely 8" inches on each side.
The bruising ranges from pale yellow/green to patches of red to deep
purple. I assume its normal post surgery injury. The incision site
feels like a hard pea or small marble. As for pain, Its mild to moderate.
Some times it feels like I have been kicked in the groin, sometimes
it feels like a charlie horse in the bruising area. I also have some
right thigh and right lower back pain.I have to walk with a limp
and am unable to sleep well at night. I am unsure how long these
post surgery symptoms will last. I thought after a couple of weeks
they would be minimizing but that isn't happening yet. • I am a 44-year-old female in good health
who underwent a cardiac catheterization on July 8 (no blockage was
found). The femoral artery was sealed using an Angio-Seal vascular
closure device. The bruising today is about 25-30X the size it was
on the 8th, and the pain I experience varies from high to mid-grade.
Today is July 11 and, even though the discharge instructions I received
from the hospital advised me to notify the doctor of increased bruising
and discomfort at the insertion site, he seemed uninterested during
my visit this morning. I am walking with a limp. The doctor said "you
should be better in 2 days". If I'm not, I will contact the doctor
again. If necessary, I will seek another doctor's assistance. I was
not informed that I had any choice in the type of closure performed
and did not know treatment included an implant device. This is, at
times, extremely painful. Reading the information on this site is
scary, since I don't know how long I will have to endure the pain
in my right thigh and hip. Also, I cannot find any information advising
me what can normally be expected during the healing process. If St.
Jude's can advise, I would really appreciate knowing what is normal. • Ronnie -- the term is "adipose
tissue" and a definition can be found here.
And it is, in fact, just like you say -- a "chunk of fat bulged
out". I don't see any references to this problem being a result
of Angioseal, but the substance in Angioseal and most other vascular
closure devices that promotes closure is collagen. Collagen is a
protein, the most common protein found in the body. Collagen, like
adipose tissue, is part of the general heading "connective tissue".
There might be a connection, but it might be due to something else
as well. • This is from Ronnie in Flatwoods,Ky
this is a followup of the heart cath i had on may 12-05.I have swelling
of the right upper leg just on the outer side of the groan, the swelling
is about the size of my hand and looks like a chunk of fat bulged
out on the side of my leg not sore,hot,red or throbing, cardio said
he had never seen this happen before, had a ultrasound done was ok,
then had ct scan the findings is atapost tissue with slight enlargement
of lymph gland. what is atapost tissue and what could cause this.Could
this be from the angio seal or something else. has this been reported
before. if any info of this please e-mail ronnie_blackburn44@yahoo.com
thanks • Like everyone else, I had a cardiac
cath procedure (performed in December 2004 - my third - and the only
one to have used this type of closure). I was told that the "plug" would
dissolve in about 90 days. Here it is, July 2005 and I still have
a painful lump at the site, that seems to only become more aggravated
every day. Only 15 to 20 minutes of sitting in the driver's seat
has me in pain. The manufacturers of these devices need to go back
to the drawing board for more research, I'm afraid. - they are miserable. • Nicolina -- we're starting to get some
postings in this topic from patients who have had manual compression,
not one of the newer vascular closure devices -- if we get more perhaps
we'll start a separate topic -- but as you can see, there are complications
and problems with the older methods as well. In any case (and remember,
we do not and cannot give medical advice -- nothing stated here sould
be considered a substitute for advice from your doctor) you've a
clearly documented bleeding complication and you are now feeling
discomfort again. We would urge you to "push through" the
healthcare bureaucracy if you are not feeling right. You were correct
the first time about the bleeding. At the least, the medical professionals
should provide you with a clear explanation of what you're feeling
and why -- if for nothing else than peace of mind, which is very
important in recovery from any procedure. But pain, distended abdomen,
headache, etc. seem to us like reason enough to seek attention. Good
luck and let us know the outcome. • Hi, I am a 36 year old female that just
recently had a cardiac cath on July 1-2005. Immediately following
the procedure during manual pressure I began complaining of pain
in my lower right abdomen. The nurse called the doc and he said everything
was fine so I was transferred to recovery. In recovery I continued
to tell the nurse that my abdomen was in a great deal of pain. Irregardless
of my complaints and low blood pressures, I was discharged on schedule.
That night I tossed and turned for most of it and didn't get much
sleep if any. I returned to the hospital the following morning and
a ct-scan reveiled that I had been bleeding into my parateneal cavity.
Over Friday and Saturday I had Hematocrit and Hemoglobin drawn and
they saw no dip in these bloods so they released me to home on Monday
morning. The problem is that Tuesday July 5 I sit here with a distended
abdomen in quite a bit of pain again. Is it possible for me to start
bleeding again and when should I be worried enough to return to the
hospital. If my H and H were good is it possible that I have a slow
bleed and my body is compensating by producing more RBC's and lowering
my blood pressure. The other thing I am concerned with is that I
have had a head ache since this procedure that won't stop is this
related as well? • I've had 3 cardiac caths, each 6 months
apart. A different vascular closure device was used each time; angioseal,
perclose and a collagen plug they didn't identify (I only had to
remain flat about an hour afterwards). I experienced many lumps and
knots post-procedure - especially with the first cath - and a few
of them remain even 1.5 years later (you can feel a pulse in these
knots). The lumps are obvious and due to their size, the last cath
had to be done higher up the femoral artery. My cardiologist never
investigated the problem. In fact, when I continued to demonstrate
heart problems after a stent was put in my LAD, he said infection
was probably the source of ALL my symptoms - with the blockage being
a "chance find". He terminated me as a patient and to date, no other
cardiologists will accept me - each telling me to return to my original
doctor. Does anyone know what these knots and lumps are around the
closure site? I'd feared that perhaps a small aneurysm or two had
formed - but I have nowhere to go for help in finding out. • M. Collins -- Allergic reactions to
vascular closure devices are not unknown. The device uses collagen
to "seal" the artery, and the collagen comes from cows
(bovine collagen) and a very small percentage of people may be allergic
to bovine collagen or may experience some of the other possible adverse
reactions listed on on the Precautions section
of the AngioSeal website. You might also have your cardiologist call
St. Jude for information on this. They publish contact information here.
You may try calling yourself. Perhaps they have a clinician on staff
to help patients deal with adverse reactions. We'll try as well.
Allergic reactions can also occur from a variety of other sources,
the contrast dye used in the procedure, certain medications, etc.
You did the right thing to consult your cardiologist. Hopefully you
can get to the bottom of the problem. Please let us all know. • I had a cardiac cath at the end of April
and an angioseal was used. The following day I had approx 5 minutes
of intense, crampy pain. There was no noticeable swelling, however
the crampiness persisted. I was unable to walk normally and sitting
was uncomfortable. After 2 weeks, my leg started swelling. I returned
to the cardiologist for an ultrasound and a groin dvt was discovered.
At the time, I was told this was highly unusual and not a known complication
directly related to the cath procedure. I returned to the cardiologist
recently and learned that a second patient had the same unusual complication
a week later. In retrospect, they are wondering if the other patient
and myself had an allergic reaction to the angioseal devise since
we both showed lymph node enlargement on ultrasound. The swollen
lymph node probably compressed the iliac vein and caused dvt. I have
not been able to find clinical trial information to see the incident
rates of allergic reaction to the angioseal device. I am wondering
if there may be a problem with a specific lot number of the device
since the cardiologist office has a high volume of patients and has
only seen this occur twice over many years (and both times were within
a week of each other approx 6 weeks ago). • Mrs. White -- this topic is about vascular
closure devices, like AngioSeal, etc. You didn't note whether this
type of device was used (if your husband had to lay flat for many
hours, then it wasn't). Is this still going on? The femoral nerve
runs alongside the femoral artery which is the "groin" artery
used in catheter-based procedures. It's possible for that nerve to
be traumatized and in rarer cases damaged during a procedure. Sometimes
these effects are transitory and resolve after a few days. In any
case, we definitely recommend discussing ANY unusual after effects
with the cardiologist.who did the procedure. • My husband had two stents inserted
after an angiogram Friday, 17 Jun. He is experiencing numbness and
tingling in his right leg on the side angiogram was performed. No
pain at the present and no bleeding in the area of groin. Could this
be a serious affect and need immediate attention? Thanks for your
response. Need soon if possible • I am updating my previous responses of June
6, 2005 when I had a angiogram with an angioseal on June 1, 2005 at
Medical City Hosp. in Dallas TX. I went back to the ER a couple of
days after the angiogram, they said it was nothing, all the pain and
shocking feeling I had in my leg/groin area (I could hardly stand up)
so they sent me home; two days later I am back in ER, cannot stand
up at all, feeling numb in foot/toes, extreme pain still in my whole
leg, shocking feeling when standing thru my whole leg.., admitted for
4 days, they said no blood clots in leg, so they said "all this problems
MUST be coming from all your back problems "(previous back surgeries
years before this angiogram), "NO way this is from the angiogram or
angioseal, go see a neurologist or neurosurgeon to treat my low back
area"...I did not have this problem in the right leg/groin/foot area
BEFORE the angiogram/angioseal...they just passed me on to someone
else..the cardiologist did not even come see me in the hospital, just
an internal medicine doctor. They acted like it was just all in my
head or my "back" , I still hurt like hell, I could not even walk out
of the hospital, but they sent me home and said to rest and get back
to normal.. no compassion at all, I still have numbness and cannot
sleep and hurt like HELL.. they just acted like I WAS nobody after
THEY put this thing in my leg and refuse to take responsibility for
all these complications I still have... I cannot work and can hardly
stand up I faxed the info on this website/forum and asked my cardiologist
to read this site info so he could see it was not just in MY Imagination
all these problems I am having, others are having similar symptoms
and even worse problems. He was not interested obviously. I am so very
disappointed in the way I was and am still being treated after this
angiogram and angioseal..They just DO NOT CARE what happens to me NOW.
Has anyone in the Dallas area had similar problems with this procedure/device?
I had to go online to even find info on the angioseal at all, I was
only given a "card" to carry in my wallet stating I had an angioseal
in my artery in case of emergency; hell the people in the ER, the ER
doctors did not even know what it was and they did not care... • I'm a 48 year old female,I just had a heart
catherterization on 6/15/2005 they used a Angio Seal. I have been in
pain since, on the same day of release had to return back to the hospital,
because of severe pain and could not move my leg, there is bruising
in the area and still have pain, also have severe pain in lower hips
or should i say buttocks that was not there before, after this ordeal
i feel like an 80 year old women, im just so upset about all of this,
i also read where after 20 mins some could get up i was told not to
move for 5 hours i dont understand that,also have had alot of coughing
so can anyone tell me what is going on please, • James -- if a sandbag was used and your
husband was immobilized for 8 hours, then no vascular closure device
was used. It was done "old school" using what's known as
manual compression -- which is the way all femoral
punctures were closed before the advent of vascular closure devices
over the past decade. These devices use collagen plugs, and other
methods, for sealing the femoral puncture site in a relatively short
time. Your story points up the fact that, while we are reading in
this Forum Topic about all the complications with these newer devices,
there are also a not insignificant number of complications with the "standard" manual
compression methods. Whether the complication rate is higher or lower
will be the topic of an upcoming article on our site. We don't give
legal advice -- not even medical advice really, just places to find
information. I would thoroughly discuss your husband's situation
with the vascular surgeon and/or a neurologist. Please let us know
what happens and if you get any useful information. Good luck. • My husband had a heart cath with stent
placement on 4/21/05 (Thursday). Records do not indicate type of
closure. They had a sandbag on his right groin for 8 hours then removed
the sheath and placed sandbag for another 4 hours. The sandbag was
removed and he was told he could turn side to side in the bed and
get up and walk in 6 hours. The sandbag was off for maybe one hour
and he started having burning at the cath site which was the femoral
artery bleeding into the thigh. The sandbag was replaced and was
not taken off until about 8:30 a.m. on 4/22/05 (Friday) at which
time we were told by cardiologist he could go home and return to
work on Monday; he did not detect the small hematoma when he discharged
him. I first attempted to take him home and got about 15 miles from
hospital and my husband started burning at cath site and upper thigh
was swelling. I took him back to the cardiologist who sent us to
Radiology for ultrasound and injection of thrombin to clot artery;
this was done 3 times before artery was clotted off. The Radiologist
had us wait to hear from the Cardiologist; about 1 and 1/2 hours
passed we were still sitting in hallway and Radiologist said he had
not heard back from Cardiologist "Go on home you will be fine." I
attempted the second time on Friday 4/22/05 to take my husband home.
I got about 1 mile from home (about 35 miles from hospital) and my
husband began having severe pain at cath site and upper thigh; upper
thigh was swelling again. Luckily the bleeding stopped and I had
to take him back to the hospital where he was readmitted. About 3
a.m. on Saturday 4/23/05 the artery started bleeding again at which
time the Cardiologist was called in and he called in a Surgeon who
performed emergency surgery to close the femoral artery with 2 stitches
and 19 staples to close incision. He had to be given 2 units of blood
because of amount of blood he lost. The incision is healed but the
hematoma has not gone down at all. It is now 6/13/05 and we are going
to another surgeon to have this hematoma drained and we pray there
will be no infection because of all the old blood in the thigh. We
were told there were 2 units of blood there but it would be dissolved
into the body. For some reason this did not happen. On top of all
this my husband has developed symetrical neuropathy - both hands
thumbs, forefingers and middle fingers no feeling and both outter
thighs burn and hurt so bad he cannot sleep, he has to have pain
medication and is on Neurontin which is not helping him. Any one
dealt with or heard of any of this? Do we have a law suit regarding
this situation? • my mother bled to death after a perclose
angiogram. lawsuit pending. this was in feb of 2001. • As a possible help to the many complaints
and questions we get in this topic, here is information
on possible complications of AngioSeal from the St. Jude Medical
company web site. I would also call your attention to a press
release from St. Jude Medical from January that announced their
5 millionth AngioSeal implant. So does that negate the concerns and
problems reported in this Forum Topic? It's true that the complication
rate is low, but it's not zero! In the words of Andreas Gruentzig,
the inventor of coronary angioplasty, from back in 1985, "I
am speaking all the time about complications...Well fortunately those
complications are rather minor, in percentage....the reason I speak
up about complications. It is not because it is such a major problem.
But it is always my major concern in selecting patients or treating
patients." (See
the RealVideo clip.) He was speaking about complications of angioplasty
in general. Today complications from vascular closure devices are
relatively low statistically. Yet if you happen to be one of the
unfortunate patients who suffers a complication, the effect can be
devasting, as noted in this topic. We can only state that patients
should be as well-informed as possible and that, should a complication
occur or be suspected, do not hesitate to contact your cardiologist.
Don't worry about bothering him/her. Early recognition of a problem
may make all the difference. • I am 44 yr old female. I had an angiogram
5wks ago w/the angioseal. While in recovery had cramping in right
leg, barely a pulse in right foot. Vascular Surgeon emergently took
me to OR to find a critical blockage in femoral artery caused by
angioseal which had traveled also piece of plastic. Been out of work
ever since & am in chronic pain 24/7 in groin & right leg. Also numbness.
My surgeon says I may need more surgery in the very near future!
I wish the cardiologist had informed & discussed w/me the potential
risk of the angiogram. I was told I was extremely lucky to have kept
my legs also to be alive! Anyone have any suggestions on how to function
w/this condition or would like to share w/me their experience, would
love to hear from you. email: kellyty43@aol.com • I had an angiogram (right leg) on June
1, 2005 at Med. City of Dallas, TX, an angioseal was used..I have
had pain not only in the groin area (where I have alot of "knots-lumps" in
the groin area) and have had alot of pain and numbness in the right
leg, especially have pain/numbness/throbbing in right foot/big toe..
pain in constant, have had slight fever since angiogram last week,
top of my foot is getting numb and ankle/calf/thigh feel "weird--tingling/trobbing
at times, and hard to walk on; cannot sleep hardly at all, maybe
a 2-3 hours in a 24 hour period.. was not told of the problems I
would have after this procedure..I feel worse every day...when should
I call the doctor ? what is the normal pain/symptoms after this procedure
with the angioseal? I was only given a little brochure about the
angioseal, it does NOT state what is normal after it is put in my
femoral artery and what is not normal and what symptoms to look for
and WHEN to call my doctor to find out if something serious is going
WRONG with this device? I have had two bad staph MRSA infections
in the past 1 1/2 years with bad back surgeries, so I am a carrier
of staph in the low back area,and I am worried about any infection
anywhere in my body, especially in my femoral artery/leg, etc. when
should I be worried? and when should I call the doctor? can anyone
answer these questions for me? I do not want to spend my time or
the doctors , if what I am feeling is normal and will go away in
a week or two.. but from reading these letters on this site, I am
really worried now.. mary S., Dallas, TX Ladyredjax4453@aol.com • Ronnie -- as you've described your situation
since your visit, you're right -- it doesn't sound at all like a
hematoma which would in fact be a significant discoloration. Not
sure what the swelling could be, possibly a sensitivity to the collagen
in the AngioSeal which should resolve itself. The electric shock
you felt is most likely a nerve. Do you have numbness? That might
indicate possible nerve damage; otherwise it was nerve trauma which
does get better. Also pain and redness might signify an infection,
so it's good you don't have those symptoms. • This is Ronnie again. When the DR was
putting in the seal I had the feeling that I was being shocked with
electric down the inside of leg to knee. Could this swelling be from
nerve damage or leaking of fatty tissue. thanks • This is from Ronnie with the swelling
of right leg from heart cath thanks for the info. Saw family Dr 6/2/05
-- he said that the swelling was rare. I saw cardiologist P.A. --
she said to use heating pad, if it gets worse call. I am getting
more concerned about this i had the angio-seal once before with no
problems, I still do not have any bruising, redness or pain just
swelling on the part of leg below the crease; the swelling is not
hard just like fatty tissue. If this was bleeding under the skin
should it be bruised or some form of discoloration by now. Need more
input thanks • Ronnie -- sounds like a hematoma, which
is what your doctor said -- blood that has leaked under the skin
(a "black-eye" is a form of hematoma). This is something
that might go away in time, if minor, but treatment of hematomas
is very dependent on size, etc. and determination should be made
by a doctor. Your doctor seems to indicate that this is not a problem,
yet there may be things you could do. Ask your doctor (and let us
know what he says). By the way, you posted to the vascular closure
device topic. Did you have one (AngioSeal, Perclose or similar?). • I had heart cath on May 12, 2005; went
to see doctor on May 22. I have no soreness, redness or tenderness
in the puncture site. I do have swelling in the top of the leg like
a fatty soft spot. Doctor said could be blood that has leaked under
the tissue. Does not seem concerned, but I am. It is now May 31 and
the swelling is still there, what do you think i should do? • Add my complaint to the long list of
problems with the collagen plug. My right femoral artery is 90% blocked
now, and cannot walk over 100 yards without severe pain in my right
leg. Too bad we were not advised of the many problems using this
type of a closure device. • Dear SDevault --
thanks for your posting. We are quite amazed at the number of complications
we are seeing posted in this topic. And your comments add a much-needed
balance. There are two million angiographic procedures performed
each year in the U.S., and there is a known complication rate for
any medical procedure. Moreover, a Discussion Forum like this one
becomes a "magnet" for patients reporting their complications.
The vast majority of patients are, as you note, being helped and
made more comfortable after these procedures by use of the various
vascular closure devices. That being said, the extent and effect
on the patients' lives of the various complication being reported
here is extreme and needs to be publicized and addressed. Perhaps
a greater awareness of possible complications is needed -- perhaps
if a patient complains of any of the problems listed below, they
can be dealt with earlier and more successfully. In any case, I
believe that patients should be informed of their choices and be
allowed to make them, in this case, for themselves. We're working
on a comprehensive article about vascular closure devices and will
post the link in this Forum when it's online. If you want to be
informed when this happens, I suggest registering with
us for our newsletter. • I had a Heart Cath on 3-10-05 after having
an abnormal ekg. I am 39 yoa and a RN. When I got up to walk i could
not walk. They kept me over night stating I had a fistula that would
resolve in a couple of days. After returning home for two days, I barely
could walk. I had an arteriorgram that reflected a femoral artery occlusion
from the perclose. After five hours of surgery a five inch blood clot
was removed. Also my saphenous vein was removed to patch my femoral
artery. Eleven days later I had a massive hematoma about 12 inches
long and eight inches wide and had to have surgery again and a JP drain
put in. I was fortunate I did not have to have my leg amputated. I
had no pulse in my leg when I went into surgery and it was cool. At
the present time almost three months post-op I am still having problems
with numbness and pain. I still have some of the hematoma left and
my skin is discolored. I am very upset I was never told about the perclose
until after the heart cath I know I would have chose the sand bags
if given a choice. By the way I had no blockages. I still had sever
chest pain up to two weeks post-op. I am now on cardizem and I am very
mad. I could develop scar tissue in the future which will again decrease
blood flow to my leg! Good Luck Teresa • I work in a cardiac catheterization
lab where we use the devices to close femoral arteries. We use the
device on well over 90% of our patients. Patients for the most part
love the device, especially those who had procedures in the days
before the use of angioseal and perclose. The old way, someone had
to hold pressure for at least 20 minutes to stop the bleeding and
then you were on bedrest for at least 6-8 hours following the procedure.
Bedrest, I mean totally flat on your back the whole time. For many
people that is horrible torture. These devices, like anything, come
with minor risks. I have read the package insert and I do insert
them. I explain to patients about the use of these devices. For those
who think they need to contact a lawyer, for what? No one did anything
wrong nor is there a problem with the device. I have seen 2 patients
in 2 years need to go to the OR to have a femoral artery opened because
of a complete blockage. In our case it was discovered within hours
of the cath while the patient was still here. For the comfort and
timely manner patients can get in and out of here, I think it is
worth the risk. I would let someone use a closure device if I had
a procedure. Sorry to those who have had such a difficult time. On
the other hand, did you resume normal activity as soon as you got
home. One man was driving the next day! How about lifting and using
stairs? People take a bad experience and everyone is fueling the
fire for each other making it much worse than it really is. • I am a 39 year old female, and I had
a Cath. procedure in August, 2004 due to supposed massive blockage
in the anterior wall of my heart (results from stress test). The
cath showed no blockage. Without my knowledge of this devise being
used, an Angio-Seal was used to close my artery. I was sent, and
returned to work 2 days later. I began having extreme pain in my
right leg. I was unable to walk more than 5 feet without having to
sit and cry from the burning and numbness. I went to the doctor a
week later, and he said it was typical. One week after that I was
back at the doctors office with same complaints. He sent me to have
an ultrasound for an pseudoanyserism. The ultrasound showed that
there was complete blockage to my right artery. No pluse in my right
foot. I was immediately scheduled for a prosedure the next morning
(to be done by a different doctor). This procedure was to blow out
the clot that had formed around the Angio-Seal. Well to say the least,
this procedure didn't work. I was admitted to the hospital upon finding
a surgeon that could remove the Angio-Seal. Mind you this was Labor
day weekend too. In the mean time, I was BLACK from the bottom of
my breasts to the top of my knees from the pressure that was applied
to my left artery after the procedure. It took four people taking
turns ro stop the bleeding. My bladder was severly bruised. I passed
nothing but pure blood for 2 days afterward. and, I had an allergic
reation to the blood thinner they gave me. I was told not to get
out of bed that the clot could break loose. So, I laid there from
Friday until Tuesday until they could get a surgeon scheduled. (He
was on vacation for the Labor Day weekend). The Angio-Seal was removed
and I was sent home the next day with no restrictions. I returned
to the doctor and surgeon for follow ups ant told them of my complications.
I was told this was normal and it would go away with time. Well,
to tell you the least, it has been 8 1/2 months since the Angio-Seal
was removed and my life is hell. My right thigh is completely numb
from the grion to the knee. My right leg goes numb after just walking
to the mail box. I can't sit still for more than 10 - 15 minutes
without my legs going completely numb. Walking up stairs or a slight
incline is impossible. The burning is too horrific. It has taken
me almost 45 minutes to write this entry because of not being able
to sit at the computer for long. My advise to anyone getting any
heart related porcedures or surgeries, DO NOT allow the Angio-Seal
to be used. • I had a cardiac catheterization with
Perclose closure on March 24, 2005. Immediately following he procedure
I was unable to walk because of excrutiating pain in my leg. I was
sent home and after 5 days with a cold leg and pain underwent surgery
to remove a five inch blood clot which had occluded my iliac and
femoral arteries. My surgeon says the occlusion was a direct result
of the closure device. I have seen a lawyer who told me that my best
course would be to join a class action lawsuit to have the device
removed from use. • Update from Dee, Columbus, OH. My last
posting was on March 21, 2005. I would like to update you on the
latest. My severe pain turned out to be something after all. It was
a totally occluded (blocked) femoral artery after a cardiac catherization
two weeks earlier. (I had been in severe pain for two weeks and the
doctor's office pretty much blew me off. The only way I found out
was my insisting with my cardiologists office that I couldn't be
in so much pain without something being wrong). After the femoral
artery was unblocked by a vascular surgeon, two weeks later the site
became infected. I was put in the hospital for IV antibiotics. On
the day I was to be discharged I had a short incident of bleeding
from the site. The physicians didn't seem concerned and sent me home.
The next morning I woke up covered in blood. Spent several hours
in the emergency room before they decided to go in and explore to
find out the problem. I was told of the possibilities. Right as they
were coming to take me to surgery, my femoral artery blew and disintegrated
when the surgeon went in to see what was going on. I had to have
a femoral artery bypass. (The doctor told my husband I was lucky
I had not bled to death at home). I am fairly young and even though
stress tests and EKGs indicated I possibly had heart blockages, I
didn't have any. That makes this entire thing even worse. I am still
very ill but at least I am home. I have no idea what the future holds
because it appears I have nerve damage to this leg as well. All as
a result of a "simple" "routine" heart catherization. My advice -
ask lots of questions and insist on answers. • I had a angio and one stent placed
on April 22 with Angio Seal. I had the procedure on Friday - and
drove home Saturday morning. Worked around my shop Sat/Sun - went
to work Monday and each day since. I have no real brusing (one about
the size of a dime), no pain unless I push on it and am feeling great.
Am I about to experience all this stuff you all are talking about??!! • My 84 year old mother had an AngioSeal
placed in her femoral artery after an angiogram - four days later
she was to have a femoral artery bypass - from all indications the
groin incision was made in the same place - since the surgery she
has experienced severe pain in the knee and front of her leg - does
this have anything to do with the angioseal? • I am a very healthy, 56 year old woman
who had an angio seal in my femoral artery in November 2002 when
a cardiac catheterization was done in the Reading PA hospital and
no problems were found as to why I had chest pain. After the angio
seal was placed, I had numbness and soreness which I was also told
would clear up in 2 weeks and given Tylenol. After 90 days I still
felt it was sensitive so the cardiologist checked it and found "no
problems". Now, it has been over 2 1/2 years and occassionally I
have pressure at the angio seal location and still feel uncomfortable,
also I feel gas gets trapped in the area and sometimes it swells
slightly. I would never have allowed this procedure had I known.
I eat garlic and use herbals and keep exercising and overall I'm
very healthy but it does concern me. I am wondering if there are
going to be further complications in the future from it? • [to P. Antrim] Your message on board
is old [September 24, 2002] I think but angiogram seals are proven
now to be very dangerous causing problems in many people including
my mother who is having surgery tomorrow to fix this problem which
they say is fixable thank god. Her doctors didn't even conceive this
could be the problem until she went to another hospital heart instiutute
who found it right away and also told her they don't use these devices
anymore because of the problems they have created...her's didn't
dissolve and cut off all blood supply to her leg. So, glad you had
a great experience but many didn't. • I had a cath last week. It was closed
with the Angio-Seal. (I was never asked or told of this device).
My concern is I have had 3 stents and balloons put in my left leg
over 5 years. Severe peripheral artery disease. The card I was given
states plainly that I should not have gotten this. We called the
dr. today. He says we are trying to act as drs. He also says that
it will all be dissolved in 2 (TWO Weeks!) I replied that this is
not what flyer states. He remarked that he had never read it! I am
living in fear of an occlusion. • I had a cardiac cath done Jan 2004 and
sealed with an Angio-Seal. On arrival home I experienced extreme
pain in the right groin area where the procedure was done. Bruising
followed and within a couple weeks I was back in the hospital with
a deep vein blood clot. To this day I have pain in my right groin
area, feels like a big knot when sitting and burning sensation in
upper thigh and lesser pain in lower right leg. Right leg has never
felt the same after the procedure. • I had carciac cath 4/11/05 which was
closed by Angio seal, without my consent mind you. I was not given
a choice but I am all for new advances in medicine. I am 33 yr old
female with preliminary diagnosis of Arrythmogenic Right Ventricular
Dysplasia. The cath was done only to rule out CAD. I am wondering
if it is normal to have pain radiating doen the right thigh to the
knee after walking just to the bathroom. Much more pain is noted
when ihave to go upstairs to go to bed at night. I work as a CNA,
lots of walking, running and heavy lifting. I am scared to go back
to work and have this thing fail not to mention the pain is already
intense with minimal movement. Anyone have any suggestions or thoughts
about what I am feeling? Please tell me this is going to just go
away in time. After all it is only 48 hours post cath. Thank you • I had a cardiac cath done a year ago
this past March. They closed off the site using a collagen plug which
I believe they refered to at the time as an angioseal. A week ago
I returned to the work force and spend 6+ hours on my feet. Suddenly
I am getting an intense burning pain at the site where the catheter
was inserted. The pain radiates down into my thigh and also up and
around into my hip. The severe burning lasts for about 1-3 minutes
and then dispates to just a numbness in the area. I also have a sensation
as if my leg were being twisted..and the limb feels very heavy. Has
anyone else experienced any of these symptoms so long after what
was basically an uncomplicated cath? Incidentally I had no real significant
pain at the time the procedure was performed. If anyone has any info..
I would greatly appreciate hearing from you. Thanks a bunch.. • I had a cardiac cath closed with closed
with angio seal. two weeks later, much pain in groin, legs hurts
and feels numb, also developed a painful nodule on side of my leg.
has anyone had this happen. i've been told maybe some nerve damage
and may need therapy. what recourse do we have? • I am 67 female, 2 months post 2 stents
on 2 days, with Angio Seals in both groins. I Have no pain in one
groin but the right groin gets dull constant pain for 24 hours after
stationay bicyle exercises of only 18 minutes and also hurts if I
flex that hip hard eg sitting up from lying. Has anyone had this
typ of pain ? Do you think it will go away - at least I can walk
OK. April 2005 • My husband had an angiogram on April
5, 2005 and an angioseal in his right femoral artery. Everything
seemed fine until the next morning when he sat in his office chair
and instantly felt severe pain in his right groin. We checked the
area and found instant bruising and swelling. He applied an ice pack
and took tylenol to get through the day but he's still very uncomfortable
12 hours later. After reading all the horror stories, I'm not sure
what to expect except that neither one of us will be sleeping well
tonight worrying about it. We'll contact his physician in the morning,
but any advice would be helpful to avoid what others ahve gone through.
The instant, severe bruising and swelling is our concern. • I had an ablation done and they used
both femoral arteries. i don't know what they used to seal it, but
after reading these posts, I'm gonna ask! It's been 1 1/2 yrs and
I'm finding that losing weight and walking more, is causing both
areas to be more tender as time goes on. I had a massive bleed in
the left artery area and was out for 5 weeks and it took 8 months
for the bruising to go away. My hemocrit went to 8.2 during the bleed.
It was the worst experience of my life and I had mine done at UCLA!
I'm thinking of getting an attorney after reading all of your complaints.
This is absurd, and seems like too many people from varying backgrounds
and ages to all have such major problems. I had no idea it could
be so bad. I had numbness in the other leg for nearly 6 mos as well.
Thanks for your responses, it answers a lot of questions for me. • I had an heart cath done 1 week ago.
As the Doctor was placing the Angio-Seal I had the most awful pain
down my leg and up into my hip. It was the worst pain I have ever
felt. Now I have pain in my hip all the time, and some down my leg.
I am having a hard time getting around and trying to work. I called
the Doctor and was told "It's nothing" well the "nothing" is killing
me OTC meds only give slight relief. My pain is mainly in my hip
can anyone relate or have any suggestions? • Can someone advise me of the success
and failure ratio of using the perclose technique to close the femoral
artery after a catheter has been inserted in the groin area vs. success
and failure of closing the artery using compression technique. • I had a cardiac catherization 10 days
ago. I had no pain until I got up after two hours of no movement.
The angio-seal was used as the closure device. The very first time
I stood up I had excruciating pain from the site down my leg. I was
unable to walk more than a few steps. I was told this would be better
in a day or two. It is not better. I have had ultrasounds and CT
scans of my leg and all appear "normal". The only explanation my
physician's office has given is that they could have hit a nerve "or
something" and it "will get better eventually". I am unable to walk
with the assistance of a crutch and even then the pain is so bad
I can only take a few steps at a time. I would appreciate any suggestion
or information. • Has anyone had any complications from
the new Star Closure? This device is made by Abbott Lab and is still
being approved by FDA. • To all of you who have contibuted to
this informative site. Thank you. I am a cardiac nurse. As a nurse
the stent and angioseal and perclose companies constantly feed us
that few, if any complications arise. The complications of bleeding
at the site and internally are standard observations and management
procedures we are trained to deal with. The trouble with the closure
devices is a new area and the big companies pushing their wares tell
me that complications are NIL. We have just had an inservice on angioseals
with a perclose inservice soon. Your information will be forwarded
to all of my collegues in CCU and will assist us in our greater understanding.
The Australian Cardiac nurses are currently fighting to continue
our specialty and the companies pushing for complication free devices
with early mobilisation is a green light to governments and hospital
management to decrease CCU's and cardiac nurses jobs as these people
buy the sales pitch of these companies. Keep making a noise. I hope
you all soon find good health. • Three days after a cardiac cath the
Angio-Seal device was used to close the femoral artery. I followed
all directions to the letter. However, on the third day severe pain
began in my lower abdormal area. The doctor saw me right away, ordered
an emergency CT with contrast. The results show a fluid sack about
the size of a dime. The physican tells me it is UNRELATED! Nevertheless,
he further instructed me to have blood work done (check RBC) and
have the CT done over next week. This site is soo wonderful. Are
there other people who have this type pain? By the way the Angiography
reported negative for clogs. • Hello I'm a 33 year old female who had
a angiogram and perclose procedure in 10/04 it was the most painfull
thing I have ever gone through in my life. my groin has hurt since
then I get pains into my leg and slightly into my lower abdomen it
just makes me cry...I have brought this up to my md a few times and
they don't ever say anything about it. I was in the ER for an anaphlatic
reaction 2 weeks ago I was coughing from bronchospasm the coughing
just about sent me through the roof with groin pain exactly where
the sheath had been and the perclose device was. I can't sit for
more than 10 minutes or have my leg bent so that my groin has pressure
on it or I end up in pain. 2 weeks after the procedure I has us to
r/o hematoma or pseudoaneurysm and it was negative. I am also a critical
care RN I have a background in this area it is surprising to me Im
in soooo much pain. does anyone have any ideas or suggestions???? • I had a ANGIO-seal done. STILL HAS severe
nerve pain in right foot, leg, numbness. I AM WONDERING WHAT I CAN
DO. • My 78 year-old father had Angio-seal after
a cardiac cath procedure. Three days after leaving the hospital he
started with reduced appetite, diarrhea. I took him to the hospital
via ambulance. I was told that he developed sepsis and passed away
8 hours later. Was my father's death caused by the Angio-seal or some
other factors? • Thank you so much for this site. I'm a 32
year old male who had a procedure using angio-seal on my right femoral
artery, it has been 6 days and I am still in severe pain. I've had
very little swelling but extremly large brusing. I had an ultra sound
done 2 days ago and was told everything was ok, and to take tylenol
for pain, what a joke. I am now experenceing burning pain also in thigh
area and low back pain since I haven't walked normally since. Please
email with what was done about similiar problems. • I had an angioplasty done on 12/19/04 and
it was sealed with an Angio-Seal. I had a hemorage at the site and
could hardly walk, get up and down and couldn't even roll over without
severe pain for 2 weeks. I am still having problems but now they are
pain in my groin area and severe pain in my right thigh from my groin
to about 8 inches into my thigh. I feel as if something is going to
burst within it. I have been back to the doctors who tell me that it's
not from this procedure. However I had NO problems with my leg or groin
area, in fact when they did the Angioplasty they found that my stress
test showed a false positive for a blockage. So now I am having all
these problems it seems for nothing and no one wants to acknowledge
that I am even having problems, the doctor keeps telling me that if
it is anything it will go away. My life is on hold because I can not
even seem to function throughout the day without getting back in bed
to lay my leg straight out to relieve some pressure. Anyone else have
or heard of a problem such as this? I do not know what to do other
than consult another physcian. Any information would be appreciated.
Please write to cindiann0039@aol.com • Had an angiogram on 1/12/05 very tolerable
with a small amount of vallium injected in my IV a little soreness
today 1/13 but would have to say the most painful thing is removing
the bandage which they literally glue on. • What is the treatment for hematoma at
the sheath entry site? Would ultra sound be safe to treat a painfull
hematoma? • Please take these Perclose things off the
market. My mother had a cardiac stent placement in May of 04 at a respected
teaching hospital. Within 24 hours she was in emergency surgery repairing
a massive retroperitoneal hemorrhage. Due to the many complications
because of this hemorrhagic episode: stroke, seizure, respiratory arrest,
anoxic brain damage, she had a five month long hospitalization and
passed away in November. She will be missed by many. I pray that no
one else will have to suffer by this medical practice which seems to
have proven itself to not be the safest choice. • I am a procedural cardiologist, and ended
up having an angioseal deployed on myself after a cath (by another
expert cardiologist). My observation is that, this is still experimental,
with inadequate post market surveillance, unpredictably high complication
rate with dreadful consequences. Vascular closure devices are a convenience
(more to the medical practice than the patient) rather than essential
medical devices, and the profession can do with out them. I would never
use it on my patients. • My father recently had cardiac cath
and angioplasty and angioseal was utilized. He is now complaining
of "charly horse" type pain while walking which does eventually work
out. This concerns me after reading all the complications. Does it
begin this way and progress or will this be the extent of it? A card
is given to the patient to carry for 90 days, does that mean he has
the potential for complications for that 90 days? When reading the
information given to him, it did not say anything about this type
of symptom. Where do you go from here? • I had a cardiac cath with stent placed
in the OM1 on July 19th. An angio-seal closed the wound site in my
right groin. August 3th I went back to my doctor because my right
leg was swollen and double the size of my left leg. I was sent for
an emergency vascular Doppler on my right groin and leg. They were
looking for a dvt. The collagen site was supposde to be the size
of a pea. However, it was been the size of a quarter. Today, 3 weeks
later, it is the size of a dime. The wound site remains sore to touch.
Can I help this plug dissolve? • I am a 35 year old pediatric respiratory
therapist. I tore both of my carotid arteries and required stents.
Following the first of 3 angiograms, I developed a large retroperitoneal
bleed. It was the worst pain of my life...worse than the headache
of the impending stroke. A femstop was used. I complained of excrutiating
pain for 6 hours and finally they did a CT and found the bleed. Now
8 months later I have horrible hip pain and I can hardly walk or
stand or sit or lay down. I had a wonderful life before my injury
now I am in pain 24/7 cannot sleep. Neurontin helped but they took
me off of it because of some safety concerns. Does anyone have any
suggestions. • How does a person go about filing
a class action suit against Perclose? My husband had severe complications
with the device and ended up with staph infection in his groin which
spread to his chest. He was in the hospital for 5 weeks. Please help.
We have talked to many lawyers and none want to take on a staph infection
case. • My wife had an angioplasty done using
Perclose and has had groin pain since (10 months). Tests show no
problems to artery, but she has pain even sitting let alone walking.
Maybe if enough people complain, something will be done to find out
why this device can cause such pain. • I am looking for thoughts on the Syvek
Patch. I have an opportunity to sell it as a Representative of the
Company who makes it (Marine Polymer Technologies) ANY thoughts would
be great! • I am looking for guidance in returning
to exercise. I recently had an arteriogram to investigate possible
valve problems. The cardiologist used the Angio-Seal device. I had
minimal bruising and almost no pain. The cardiologist told me I could
return to my running and biking (normal routine) after a week. I
am concerned about damaging the device or even having it come apart
due to the stresses of exercise. Can anyone share any experiences
or studies to relieve my worries? Send me e-mail with Angio-Seal
in the subject line.Thank you. • I had a angio-seal put in last week
after a angioplasty and so far I have had no problems unlike 2 months
ago when I had a angiogram and developed a huge hematoma. I ended
up being in bed for a month with severe pains. Also looking to hearing
from anybody who had a femoro bypass that failed. • I had 3 stents implanted on Feb.18,2004.
In March I had more chest pains, they did another catheterization
and found 80% blockage in one of the stents.This time they used the
perclose device afterwards "because it is less painful and you can
begin walking in 1 hour". I just about jumped off the table. It felt
like someone kicked me in the groin. I had pain from my waist down
into the groin and down the inside of my right leg to my knee. It
was horrible. The next day I had brachytherapy and I wouldn't let
them do the perclose procedure again. One of the assistants from
the day before told me while I was in Pre-op that he thought the
problem was the delay in doing the perclose (they were going to do
the brachytherapy then, but didn't have a radiologist). I'd rather
lay on my back clamped to my bed for 8 hours than go through that
pain. I was sore and achy for about a 4 days and still have a small
lump at the site. I feel much better now but am leery of this perclose
procedure. It was anything but painless for me. • Found this site quite by accident!
I had an angiogram last november and still have hip pain. Iam beginning
to wonder if there could be some nerve damage that i never even knew
existed due to the angioseal?????? • I had a heart cath done March3, 2004
and sealed with Perclose. I had pain right away. I have had three
ultra sounds done on my leg, no problems found. Doc says "he's not
concerned". Well, I am! I am always in some type of pain. At times
it's like my leg and groin are on fire. I get a pinching or stabbing
pain at times, tingeling and numbness too. I don't know where to
turn. My Doc. never discussed using Perclose, I didn't know I had
a choice or that it could be dangerous. • This is starting to make me wonder
too! I had a heart cath done the first part of March, then about
3 weeks after, I started to feel pain in the area of the angioseal,
pain like I had when I was released. Then just out of the blue I
had extreme lower back pain and leg pain and have suffered from a
numb right leg and foot. I feel very clumbsy now because I can not
judge where my foot is taking me a lot of the time. If I should be
on my feet for any length of time, my foot and leg will start to
swell, and be painful. It has left me with a constant cold feeling
in those areas, along with pain in my groin area if I should sit
up straight, I am awaiting an apt with my doctor. • My mother had a Cardiac Cath procedure
in July 2003. The doctor used the angioseal but it failed. She developed
a hemotoma in her groin. As soon as she returned to her room ahe
was complaining of pain and nausea. The Femstop was applied and she
continued to complain about severe back pain. Her blood pressure
dropped but it came back up with IV fluids. Her blood pressure dropped
again and she was in extreme pain. The doctors kept telling us that
this was normal. I knew that she was too uncomfortable for this to
be normal. Four hour after the procedure, an EKG was performed. They
had planned on doing a pelvic scan but it was too late. They were
rushing her to ICU to monitor her. She passed away 2 Hours later.
I believe she was bleeding internally the whols time. Could the bleeding
have been stopped if something was attempted sooner? Please, if anyone
has had a similar experience, could you respond. • My mother had an angioplasty and stent procedure
in mid January. She has had severe nerve pain in her right foot and
leg with numbness. The doctor used a collagen plug. Could that be the
problem? The doctors say they've never heard of such a thing, but after
viewing all the other comments, I am beginning to wonder.??????? • Husband had Angio-sealed w/ VasoSeal- but
seal "did not work". I suspect the sheath broke or seal was dislodged
or some other complication(an hour is not accounted for...). no swelling
or pain at the site; but, he has had intestinal gas ever since. Anybody
have any ideas?? Also, he has lost about 5 pounds in 4 weeks -with
no change in diet. • hi-i am a 58 year old male --i had an emergency
angioplasty with a medicated stent to reopen an artery that had closed
witout warning or symptoms after a previous angioplasty 16 years previous(same
artery,different spot)--the first angioplasty was closed by the sandbag
and direct pressure method (1986) with no complications---the new angioplasty(2003)
was closed with the angio seal and i almost bled to death--even had
the same doctor who did the first one do the second angioplasty--while
in the CCU unit about 2 hours after the operation the nurse was routinely
checking the entry site and told me there was a problem---they called
in an army of doctors and nurses and told me that the angio seal was
not working properly and i was bleeding internally into my body cavities
(im not a dr. so please excuse my terminology)--at the time i felt
nothing and would have bled to death had they not put me in the CCU
and checked me--my whole groin area and right thigh and buttocks were
filling with blood---it took them 7 hours total to stop the bleeding--they
used direct hand pressure (2 doctors) and a fem stop later on after
vascular surgeons looked at it---also had to get transfusions and a
shot of atropine when i started to go unconscious --it worked out ok
in the end with no complications except a gigantic hematoma for about
a month afterward---if i had been sent home after the procedure,as
some other hospitals do, i believe i would have bled to death, so i
am thankful that this well known hospitals policy is to keep you in
CCU to make sure you are ok before being released----i was released
after 3 days in the CCU • While there are complications with any medical
procedures, we have been getting a number of queries about "femoral
closure devices". I would point readers to this
article posted on our NEWS site, published today in the Journal
of the American Medical Associationon which questions the effectiveness
of this device group. • Would it be possible to have Doreen from Los
Gatos CA email me as I have the exact severe trouble that she has from
the perclose insertion. Perhaps we can help each other as there is
very little help to be found. Your assistance is greatly needed. Thanks!
Chuck Vostry chuckv9721@aol.com • I would like to know if anyone has found a
treatment for the damage caused to the nerve in the leg after femoral
artery angioplasty three months now and it is getting worse will I
lose ability to walk?? • I also went through an angiogram, and when
they closed the site they used a plug of some sort. The plug was supposed
to stop the bleeding faster I am told, but what happened is much worse.
The plug was pushed into the femoral artery causing blockage to the
right leg. A week later after pushing my way into the doctors office
because angio's never go wrong. I was on my way to surgery to remove
the blockage. Now I have constant deep aching in the right leg, numbness
and burning sensations. The right leg and foot seem to be shrinking
up also. The surgery was done in april 2001, Could the leg be suffering
from no blood for a week still, or did the nerve get damaged in the
surgery, or could it be from all of those? This is keeping me from
working as the lack of sleep is the worst thing besides the pain and
burning. Would love to hear from anyone with some light on this problem. • I had an angiogram on April 1, 2001. They
used the collagen plug and it blocked the femoral artery. I had intense
pain following the angiogram and insisted on being seen, seven days
later I was given an ultrasound of the right leg and they found it
had no blood flow. The following day they did emergency surgery to
remove the plug that was blocking the artery. Now the leg is shrinking
and I have intense pain all the time. It feels like my ankle is sprained,
and it is very weak. The inside of the thigh is numb and all the muscles
are mushy. I also am interested in a lawsuit as I am now unable to
work. Please let me know if any others have had this same thing happen. • Any opinions on the Syvek Patch closure device.
Seems like a great concept, but my concern is whether or not the results
are as optimistic. Has anybody realized any benefits from using this
product, i.e. shorter compression time, higher patient throughput,
increased patient comfort? Any info would be great. • What are the pros and cons of a Chito seal? • I had an Angio-seal on 5/22/03 , here it is
a week later and i have a large knot in my groin area and when i sit
and get up i have a pulling that is nagging (not really painfull) but
bothersome. Also I can't seem to digest my food; it stops in my chest.
Should i be concern? • I had an angiogram approx. 3yrs. ago and I
am having pain in my groin now and numbness in my leg, and until now
I didn't know what it was. I am so thankfull to this site. I have a
knot in my groin and had a perclose plug becuse they told me I could
get up sooner, but I had alot of pain for days and alot of bleeding,
however I didn't know what was right. I don't know what this extreme
pain is now , but this site gives me something to tell my doctor about,
or at least what to look for, and it gives me hope. • I had an angiogram yesterday with a Perclose
closure. This was a painful procedure to such an extent that it made
the shorter time in the hospital negligible. I suggested to the doctor
that some form of anesthesia be used before closure, similar to the
anesthesia used in a colonoscopy, and he said that it should be looked
into. • In September 1966 I underwent angioplasty
successfully. The surgeon who performed it then fitted me with a femstop
and took off. I have no way of knowing what his instructions to staff
were, but within an hour after placement of the femstop, my leg went
numb, and then became extremely painful at the site. Since I had been
advised not to move, I began to loudly ask for help but no one came.
I finally began yelling and sobbing uncontrollably because this was
the most unbearable pain I had ever experienced, much worse than my
heart attack. A nurse came and took the femstop off. The pain was similar
to what you get with a pinched nerve, but of course there was no way
to adjust my position to lessen it. This site was very painful for
almost a week, and I had a difficult time walking on this (Left) leg.
My wife and I would call the hospital (VA) and get a very ho-hum respose.
I finally had to go back to classes (I was in grad school at the time)
but decided to drop out for that semester because I would develop a
tremendous ache or cramp in the underside of my left leg that made
it impossible for me to sit at a desk for any length of time. If I
got up and walked around it would seem to go away for awhile. I took
the doctors advice and began to run and walk for health reasons, but
since then have had left hamstring problems, left plantar fasciitis,
left achilles tendon problems, and now I can't lay on my left side
in bed, or sit at my office desk chair for very long periods. It is
as if the nerve damage (or whatever it is) makes my left leg unable
to heal from injuries, and the muscles and tendons are all atrophying
slowly. I can no longer run wtihout great pain in my left hip, and
the cramping ache in my left leg right under the hip is occurring right
now, as usual, the cause of a very poor nights' sleep. I doubt if I
have anyone I can turn to, because this happened in the VA. But I am
wondering if I will be crippled now for the rest of my life. • I am an attorney investigating a case involving
a 50 yofm with no other significant health problems who had an Angioseal
after angiography. Almost immediately after her leg was painful cold
and numb. With heparin her condition improved but 3 days later she
had a complete RFA occlusion requiring extensive surgeries thereafter.
Is anyone aware of any reputable studies which conclude these devices
may not safe for low risk patients? • I had a cath and stent a month ago. The doctor
closed my leg with the Perclose device. It was quick and easy. I not
only was up and walking in 30 minutes, but I left the hospital that
night. My groin was sore for about a week and a half, but it was worse
on previous procedures when I had just pressure held. My mother had
the angioseal device and she had a major infection with it. I think
that the people on this site arent aware that many of the complications
that they are talking about can occur with any method the physician
uses to close our leg. When I asked my doctor about the complication
rates, he showed me studies which proved that the perclose device had
lower complication rates than manual compression even. My results were
enough to convince me. • After angioplasty with stent insertion
on Dec.8, the hospital used the AngioSeal closure system on me. It
was 7 hrs before they got the bleeding to stop. 12 hrs later they
had me walk the hall a few times, then sent me home (was day after
procedure). That night, the site started hurting considerably and
I ran a fever of 99.7 (my normal is 97.3). I called an on-call Dr.,
who told me to lie flat as much as possible for 2 or 3 days & go
to em if my fever went over 100. The fever waivered from 99 to 99.7
for next couple days, then went to 98's for about a week. The site
continued to hurt a lot, with mild swelling & small lump (about quarter
size). The fever finally went away after about 10 days. So did the
swelling & lump, but the site continues to hurt, & the front upper
leg hurts. Cold & damp seem to make it worse. I've tried darvocet & extra
strength acetaminophen (2) (obviously not together), but neither
works. Why would I have this reaction? And is my only solution to
wait the 90 days until the seal completely dissolves? Also, my Doctors
have told me that I have very small vessels (like an 8 to 10 yr.
olds). I'm an adult female. Thank you for any info. you can give
me. I haven't really found any information about the seal itself. • Donna Hoskin, R.N. Would like to talk regarding
your ileoinquinal nerve damage. In same boat exactly as you. Am looking
for suggestions how to cope with 18 months of pain. Nothing works.
Can anyone help. • This is a very interesting site. I'm a RN
and experienced CHEST pain approx. 1 month ago. I had a CARDIAC Cath
and bleed internally after I went home and have had severe pain and
now have continual numbness in my leg and foot. The doctors are ignoring
this and I have not been provided any information until now. Any further
information on nerve damage from femoral site, I would appreciate.
Also to respond to the question re: cath site pain there is pain/soreness
up to 2 weeks beyond that and there could be a problem. • I am thinking about a law suit, are you? The
perclose devices have a lot of problems. Last July, I also had a perclose
on my right femoral artery, and after I had severe leg pains, and went
to the emergency room. There my artery burst from a staph infection,
and I had major reconstructive surgery, leaving me in the hospital
for a month. Today, over a year later, I have retired from work, because
I now have a bum leg. My leg swells after a couple of hours on it.
No one can tell me what to do for reimbursment for my pain. Sincerely,
Larry | ||