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Current Postings on This Page (38):
• Thank you for your reply. I have a follow-up
appt. 7/20 and will report
the reaction post angio.
Bonnie, Klamath Falls, Oregon, USA, July 19, 2009
• Jennifer -- chances of bleeding complications
when the radial (wrist) approach is used is very small, as indicated by
the news articles and interviews in our Radial
Access Center. As for collapsing stents, we've just started a new forumtopic on that subject. Are you sure the physician didn't mean that the stents
got blocked? Let us know how things progress.
And Bonnie -- we're glad to hear your radial angiogram
went well and was painless -- but regarding your migraine, it is possible
you had this reaction to the specific sedation used. We'd suggest reporting
this to your doctor so, should you ever need conscious sedation in the
future, a different drug can be used.
Forum Editor, Angioplasty.Org, July 18, 2009
• My dad had the traditional angioplasty through
the artery in the leg, two stents (medicated) were inserted into blockages.
My father is on Coumadin and several other medications for heart disease.
Discharge was 2 days after the procedure. 6 days post op my father was
rushed back to ER with a hematoma in the leg at the insertion site. Healing
went well, was feeling better day by day and then suddenly not feeling
well again. All symptoms returned and surgeon feels that stents collapsed.
Now he is back in as we speak having the procedure through the wrist
- What are his chances of having that type of bleed in the wrist? Are there
different types of stents that will be less likely to collapse? I don't
think he can go through this much more. Thank You
Jennifer McArdle, Chesterfield, Virginia, USA, July 17, 2009
• I had radial angiogram 6/29/09 (yesterday). I
had a little fentenyl/demerol (for cons. sedation) and a local before insertion.
Great! I was relaxed and no pain. Discharged 2 hrs. later with pressure
dressing and splint. All fine until the drive home (3hrs.) when I started
getting a headache and couldn't keep my eyes open because of the pain and
sunlight. I took some ibuprofen but by the time we got home it was like
a REALLY BAD migraine where you have to go to bed in a dark room with a
cold washrag. Has anyone else had this side effect? This morning it's better
but the headache is still hanging out there. Any thoughts why this would
happen?
Bonnie, Klamath Falls, Oregon, USA, June 30, 2009
• After my initial Angiogram performed via the
femoral artery my right thigh from my groin to my knee was completely bruised
and black all around. It took months before that went away. I later had
two stents fitted via the same access site and had no bruising although
I had to endure a very, very painful procedure after the sheath was removed.
This involved a nurse manually pressing hard at the wound for what seemed
an eternity in order to stop the bleeding. Apparently the clamping contraption
normally used to apply the required pressure was not available. Three years
later the angina returned and so I had another angiogram, this time via
the right radial artery. The pain of the initial needle into the wrist
was quite uncomfortable but after that just pushing feelings and the usual
weird sensations as the tube thingie winds its way around your heart area.
It was nice to be up and about quickly and no bleeding problems but, the
pain in my arm after the freeezing wore off was bad. I could not sleep
very well for weeks, I just did not know where to put my arm. The pain
was not from the wound area but up the forearm right up to the bicep area,
it took several weeks to go away. My angina is now worse again, I fear
In-Stent Restenosis has reared its ugly head. This time I can choose, Femoral
or Radial, to be honest I just don't know which. The less painful Femoral
with its risk of bleeding/bruising, or the faster mobility and bruise free
Radial with the attendant post procedural
pain! D'oh!
Ken Walker, Derbyshire, United Kingdom, June 15, 2009
• just had two stents done yesterday at 9.00am
in the morning done by Transradial (Wrist) Approach - (kissing stents in
my LAD) . I have already a drug eluting stent in my LAD 7 months ago and
a follow up angiogram done by the standard groin method with closure device.
I found the Radial approach far more comfortable after operation but more
painful at start when inserting the sheath to begin with. If i was to have
a choice next time i would still choose radial simply for being able to
get up straight away and it's far easier to rest your arm than your whole
leg!. at 4.00pm and two stents later i was back at home and all is
well.
Andy, United Kingdom, May 28, 2009
• I had a 'look-see' transradial angiogram in mid-Feb
and have since then been experiencing quite severe pain (without significant
swelling or redness) in my right hand (especially thumb) only on using
my hand (even for normal daily activities like combing my hair). The radial
pulse is slightly weaker on the right, but there is no numbness, and my
fingers are not blue! The pain only comes on with use, but my concern is
that it is debilitating and seems to be getting worse rather than better
despite pain relief 2 months down the line. Can anyone advise if it will
resolve and how long this might take. I am understandably reluctant to
have any further procedures.
John, London, United Kingdom, April 10, 2009
• Thank you so much for the quick response. We
will bring this information to his interventional cardiologist
when we see him
(today, actually).
Thanks again,
Cindy, Connecticut, USA, April 2, 2009
• Cindy -- Your question is a complicated one. There
was a recent trial presented in the fall called Horizons-AMI which compared
two methods of antiplatelet/anticoagulant
therapy during angioplasty in heart attacks. A drug called bivalirudin
was compared against unfractionated heparin (UFH) plus a glycoprotein IIb/IIIa
inhibitor (which Integrilin is) and bivalirudin resulted in significantly
less bleeding than the combo.
But these types of decisions are decisions that must be made by your cardiologist,
interventional cardiologist specifically, because he/she has the specific
information about your father's clinical condition and the options. So
this is NOT medical advice, just a reference to the results of a well-publicized
trial.
As for the balloon pump, there are new alternatives, such as the TandemHeart
device and the Impella, but they are not, to our knowledge, able to be
used via the radial artery. Again, your interventional cardiologist should
be able to discuss the alternatives with you. A further note: the radial
approach is associated with virtually no bleeding complications from the
access site (the wrist artery) which is very important especially when
strong anticoagulants are being used, as in your father's case. His bleeding
complications have nothing to do with the access site, but with an internal
reaction to the drug.
Forum Editor, Angioplasty.Org, April 1, 2009
• My father recently had an angioplasty done through
the radial artery. He had a SEVERE reaction to Integrilin which dropped
his platelets to 10,000 and cause severe internal bleeding. He was in ICU
for over a week on a vent and nearly died. He is a repeat angioplasty patient,
and will more than likely require another in the future. Is there an alternative
to the Integrilin that will not cause the same adverse reaction?
Also, can an aortic balloon pump be inserted anywhere other than the femoral
arteries? Both of his are blocked.
Thanks.
Cindy, Connecticut, USA, April 1, 2009
• Denise -- without more specifics it's hard to
say what the hospital means, but basically the problem with chronic total
occlusions (CTO) is that it is very hard to cross the blockage, because
the contrast dye gets blocked and the cardiologist has to "guess" where
the channel that he wants to open up is. By using two catheters, with simultaneous
dye injections in both the left and right coronary arteries, the cardiologist
can visualize both ends of the blockage, and have a much better change
of crossing. Sometimes a radial and a femoral access are used, sometimes
both femoral, sometimes both radial.
Forum Editor, Angioplasty.Org, March 19, 2009
• i had angiogram recently and was told that i
have chronic occlusion to right artery and have had a heart attack. Letter
received from hospital saying that i am good candidate for bilateral
radial approach chronic occlusion to my right artery. what does this mean
and
what treatment will i be having.
Denise, London, England, March 14, 2009
• Edward -- glad everything worked out -- and the
ease of your procedure is a good example of how the radial approach (through
the wrist) can be beneficial for older patients. As for the Plavix, check
out our topic on Plavix After Stents, but the short answer is that guidelines
post-stenting call for aspirin for life, and Plavix for 4-6 weeks if you
got a bare metal stent and 6-12 months if yours was a drug-eluting or coated
stent. Some cardiologists keep their patients on Plavix for longer.
Forum Editor, Angioplasty.Org, March 13, 2009
• Hi. Two days before my 81st birthday I had
a heart attack, I had no symptoms before the attack. In the ops room
I watched
the wrist op with no discomfort. Have been on 81mg aspirin and 75mg Plavix
no problems! Now I have been told to use up my Plavix and stop using
it. I also take 80mg Lipitor. any suggestions?
Edward Hall, British Columbia, Canada, March 11, 2009
• I have had two angiograms via the radial artery,the
first was in my right arm,this left me without a pulse so the second angiogram
was done in my left arm,this left me with a very tender radial artery for
4 months and I have now developed phlebitis in the same artery. I am not
impressed.
Mike, Wales, United Kingdom, February 28, 2009
• I had an angiogram through my wrist 2 weeks ago
about 4 days later I began to have a dull ache in the area of insertion
to about a quarter a way up my arm it is painful when I press on that area
of my wrist.
Terrier, Buffalo, New York, USA, February 13, 2009
• I just arrived home (12/06/08) from having two
plain stainless steel stents put in thru my right wrist at
UCONN Medical Center in Farmington, Connecticut. I feel like a million
bucks
just
a little tender at the point if entry and I'm
sure that will pass.
L.T., Connecticut, USA, December 6, 2008
• G in Arizona -- you might also want to check out
our just-posted
interview with Dr. Mehrdad Saririan of Maricopa Medical Center in Phoenix.
Forum Editor, Angioplasty.Org, November 22, 2008
• UPDATE
from April 7, 2008 This is to confirm that yes, indeed Radial Access
is available at Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center in Phoenix, Arizona.
I was told that they do have some doctors that perform Radial Access.
I was able to get the phone numbers of three different Cardiologist offices
directly from the Cardiology Department Cath Lab. I apologize for the
delay in letting you know but my condition that brought me to this site
has not improved.
G, Arizona, USA, November 22, 2008
• Cecelia -- some soreness is to be expected with
either the wrist or the leg approach. This should go away in a few days.
Let us know how he is doing.
Forum Editor, Angioplasty.Org, October 30, 2008
• My husband at 33 has had a heart attack which
has left a portion of his heart permanently damaged with 2 stents placed
in the LAD via femoral artery. After another angiogram follow-up in July
to assess chest discomfort we went in to have a trans-radial angioplasty.
Recovery and discharge time was cut in half and quick. However he is
experiencing some minor discomfort in his arm from the entry point to the
middle of
the bicep. Just wondering if this is part of the healing process or if
it is something to worry about.
Cecelia W., Massachusetts, USA, October 26, 2008
• Hi, i had an angioplasty in feb 2008 , i had
one stent put in and i found this fantastic treatment , however, i have
had issues at the entry site ie wrist, every 2 months since the op ,the
site has swollen to a golf ball size lump!! This has now happened 4 times
, each time meant another trip back to the hospital to get it drained,
and still the docs have no idea!! How about you guys ????
Chris Goodwin, Manchester, United Kingdom, October 25, 2008
• The vascular surgeon has "washed his hands of
him"? Not sure what you mean. That doesn't sound ethical. It's true
that in a percentage of cases,
the radial artery becomes occluded, but this is considered benign, since
it is normally not even noticed by the patient -- this is also why, before
the radial approach is attempted, dual arterial flow in the arm is confirmed.
Forum Editor, Angioplasty.Org, July 31, 2009
• My partner had this procedure and now has a totally
blocked radial artery; the vascular surgeon has now washed his hands
of him. What can be done as he
is in severe pain ??
Coral, London, England, July 29, 2008
• i had an angiogram last Tuesday through my wrist
and although i felt it to be easier than through my groin i have been having
terrible problems with
my arm and my GP believes i have an infection for which i need to take strong
antibiotics. i have some swelling in both the arm and hand, my arm has been
going very hot and very cold and then i get tingly pins and needles type
feeling. i
thought i would be going back to work this week but it's just not possible.
Everyone i have spoken to has had no problem at all am i just one of the
unlucky ones
or has anyone else experienced similar problems?
Liz, United Kingdom, July 27, 2008
• Since on Coumadin they decided to go thru my
wrist for my latest angiogram. Piece of cake -easier than going to the
Dentist. No stent required and all previous ones (2005) open and working
fine. Out the the hospital within 3 hours post procedure.
Rick, New York, USA, June 26, 2008
• Requested this procedure in 1999 prior to CABG
to avoid having to lay on my back for 6 hours--post angiogram experience
much better than femoral artery
site.
Jim Lohman, retired, San Antonio, Texas, USA, May 4, 2008
• I had 2 drug-eluting stents inserted via my right
wrist in Nov 08,at the Freeman Hospital I walked down for the procedure,climbed
up on the bed,lay
down & watched as it (I wouldn't call it an operation) was carried out, for me
it was a "Walk in the park" after about an hour & a half of very interesting
viewing, "I asked for and received 2 before & after pictures" I got up & was
taken back to the main ward, the splint on my wrist was rather uncomfortable
if I moved my arm certain ways "So I didn't" as I have said for me it was "a
Walk
in the park".
John Gibson, Gateshead, England, May 2, 2008
• I.H. -- thanks for the query. We recently started
a list of hospitals that practice transradial in our Hospital
Locator. There is no listing for a DC-based hospital, but we'll
do some further research into that. There are a couple listings in Virginia,
and also Maryland (e.g., Johns Hopkins). We'll update you on any new information.
Forum Editor, Angioplasty.Org, April 17, 2008
• Transradial approach for angioplasty - I would
like to find doctors that are skilled in this procedure. I live in the
Washington DC area but would be
willing travel.
I.H., Washington, DC, USA, April 16, 2008
• G from Arizona -- visit our Radial
Access Center where you will find our new "Radial
Hospital Locator". We see that Good Samaritan Regional Medical
Center in Phoenix is listed. Our listing is not an endorsement of a particular
hospital, only that they have a radial program. And there may well be
other centers in the Phoenix area. Best thing to do is call the cardiology
departments and ask. And let the Forum know what you find out.
Forum Editor, Angioplasty.Org, April 7, 2008
• Do you have a list of
Interventional Cardiologists in the Phoenix, Arizona area that do Radial
Angioplasty. I do not know how to line up a doctor with this experience.
I would like to have a patient relationship with this doctor in advance
in the event I may need a stent in the future. Thank you in advance.
G, Arizona, USA, April 7, 2008
• I have had 4 angiograms performed, one for a
heart attack and had to have my LAD opened, this was done through the femoral
artery, had bruising and slight fever, but recovered well. Three yrs later
had angiogram through the radial artery for a suspicious stress test, appreciated
not having to lay flat for so long and being able to go home, but had a
terrible fever 102 which passed after approximately 36 hrs. Another angiogram
and angioplasty performed via radial artery in 2003 stent inserted to mid
circumflex, again a terrible fever, but recovered in two days. 2007 again
angioplasty performed three stents inserted one regular one to mid circumflex,
2 drug eluting ones to right main artery, took 2 hrs pain, swelling, high
fever, to which every time I was told delayed reaction to the dye, of course
I now know that is a lie, reaction would be immediate. Huge pus pocket
formed nerve in my wrist is damaged I have numbness and pain and loss of
strength in the ability to use my wrist and my artery has closed down half
way down my arm, good thing we have two arteries in our arms. I would strongly
suggest to anyone if you are not having a heart attack, to make sure you
have a second opinion or that the people you are dealing with listen when
you say something hurts you. which I repeatedly did, only to be told later
that I didn't mention this or that.
Donna, Flushing, new York, USA, December 27, 2007
• Found the whole procedure just fantastic. The
only downside I have up to now is that subsequent to the angiogram
I have a coldness or tingling in my
right upper bicep/leg. I have been told that this will go with time.
Andy P., Sligo Ireland, November 23, 2007
• I has a single stent inserted in August 07 via
my wrist. There was no problem with this, and it has healed well. Like
others , all i could feel was a pushing sensation but no pain. The only
thing that hurt was the injection of
local anesthetic!!!
Kim Mitchell, Northamptonshire UK, October 8, 2007
• My mother had 3 stents done this way at Mayo Clinic
in 2002. She was 89 at the time. She had no issues/problems with the procedure.
She is now 94 and
will be undergoing the same procedure again.
Mary S., Illinois, USA, August 19, 2007
• I underwent an angioplasty procedure at the wrist
on 14th Aug 07 and had four stents fitted (two being of the drug coated
type). There was no pain at all and only very minor discomfort as the catheter
was inserted, a slight pushing feeling in the arm. The sensation when the
dye was inserted was not particularly
uncomfortable and felt like a "burst" of warmth. The procedure took about two
hours. There was no discomfort on removing the catheter. My right forearm felt
heavy for half an hour and the sealing dressing was removed after about 12 hours.
Only very slight discomfort at the entry site. More pain at the dentist having
a filling.
Bob C., England, August 15, 2007
• I had 2 drug-eluting stents to LAD 21st august
2006 (see my post nov 23rd 2006 in "not feeling well after angioplasty")
via the radial approach. Although the
cardiologist was a specialist in the radial approach, I found that the initial
insertion was quite painful. But after that it was almost painless -- just
a bit of discomfort during the rest of the procedure.The big plus point
was
that
I could get up and
walk around without having to worry about bleeding or damaging the wound almost
immediately after the procedure. I would opt to have the radial rather than
the femoral every time (i've had both) if I had the choice. I have only
one small complaint -- I
no longer have a pulse in my right wrist but I think i can
live with that!
Mike, Wales, UK, August 15, 2007
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