7-19-08
I had an exploratory angiogram done on May 20, 2008 at St. Luke hospital in the Houston Medical Center. I returned to work 2 days later and had pain in my thigh and calf. They would get very stiff and feel like they were going to cramp. I called my dr (neurologist) who ordered the angiogram and he said go to my internist. I am tired of being sent all around just to end up right back where I started lots of $$$$ later, so I just waited for my follow up with my neurologist on Tuesday June 24th. He asked why I didn't call, and I said that I did and what his 'ladies' told me. He apologized and sent me immediately for a doppler and ct scan of my pelvic area. I went for the doppler first and they immediatly found 50% blockage at the cath insertion site......I went back over to my dr's office and he said to just come back in the next day to the dr that performed the procedure. The next day after waiting almost 4 hours to be seen, the doctors finally saw me and said it was a complication with the angioseal, no problem...they called down a vascular surgeon. He said it was no hurry (or emergency), but we probably needed to go in and 'clean it out' because it wouldn't fix itself. We were supposed to leave on a trip to Disney World the following Monday, June 30th. He said go on the trip and call me when you get back to schedule surgery. We returned home 1 week ago (Tuesday July 8th). I had surgery 2 days ago (on Monday July 14th) and the dr said it was a good thing that we got in when we did because my body had already started 'growing around the angio-seal' and that that quickly it went to 90% blockage and would have soon completely blocked the artery to my right leg. I have a lot of numbness in my right pelvic area and outer right thigh. The dr. says it will go away in time, I'm keeping my fingers crossed!!!!!!!! I just got home today (Wednesday July 16th) and vowed to get online to learn more about complications with angioseal and I'm appauled that nothing has been done to warn people about the problems that are happening with this device!!!!!! This is not the end of my work/fight. Let's keep eachother posted and maybe together, we can help others to avoid this in the future!!!!!!
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angio-seal complication
- By pstew
- Posted July 19, 2008 at 7:45 am · 4 replies
- In Experiences with medical treatments
- Shared with the public
Explore topics in this discussion:
Surgery Angina Hypertension Weakness Pain Pulmonary hypertension
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- By Missy12
- Posted May 12, 2009 at 1:27 am
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I had a heart cath test on April 4, 2009. My mother said the cadiologist said my vessels were so small that he had to insert 3 different caths to get into the vessels. I had alot of discomfort in the right arm which felt like a blood pressure cup was on it and expressed this to the doctor. He instructed the nurse to give me more medicine and after about 5 minutes there was no relief and I began to cry becuase of the discomfort. I then told the cardiologist again about the pain. He said the were going to pull out and I would feel some pressure. Then I felt pain in my leg that was enormous. It took my famliy quit some time to wake me up because of all the medicine they gave me. And when it was time to go home that day I was given a card that said I had an angio-seal inserted that day and to keep it for 90 days. I was never told that there was going to be an angio-seal inserted in my leg. I had numbess in my right leg even on top of my foot for about 3 days. I called the cardiologist and he said the nerve had probably been irritated in the procedure and it would go away soon. It is 5/11/09 and I am still having discomfort in my groin on the right side. I have numbess in my leg that comes and goes. I have had numbness in my right arm today and my arm feels like it wants to draw up. I had an ultrasound on 5/4/09 and it was of the sight where the cath was inserted and there was no aneurysm. I don't really know what to do at this point. My medical doctor says let's wait for 6 more weeks and see if the numbness goes away. I have been having extreme weakness in my legs over the past 2 days and I'm not sure what it causing this. I'm a bit concerned as to if this angio seal is giving me all this trouble and how to express to the doctor what I need to have done. If anyone has some advice please email me.
- By katie_colorado
- Posted May 16, 2009 at 11:37 am
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I just got back from my cardiac cath and they put an angio seal in my groin as well. The dr had a tough time getting it in, said I was really thin in that area and it wouldn't go in. It was very painful when he was putting it in and I got a big abrasion at the site which was very painful afterwords as well. I had to stay there and lay flat for 4 hours then went back to the motel room.
Later that evening I was walking to the bathroom and moved my leg funny and felt a "pop", kinda like a hitch in my hip. I immediately felt excruciating pain that would have taken me to my knees could I have bent my leg. I laid on the bed and with in 15 seconds, I had an embolism bigger that a Texas Ruby Grapefruit. My sister who was with me is a retired paramedic, took one look at it and called 911. When I got to the hospital, there was no sense of urgency, but they called the cardiologist that did my cath. He came in and had a conniption fit. He had asked the Er to hold pressure on it until he got there and no one did. The pain was so intense they gave me 100 mcgrams of Fentanol in the ambulance to get the pain to a 7 of 10. When the cadio dr started to compress it, I had to have another 100 mc grams to withstand the pain. Then they wrapped my hips in a pressure bandage and kept me over night. (They had no beds available in the hospital so I spent the night in the ER on a gurney....not fun!)
The did a Doppler on my artery as well and said I didn't have an aneurysm either, just a lot of collected fluid. The cardio dr read the ER doc the riot act for not compressing it and stated it was the worst embolism he's every seen,
Anyway, I'm home now with the biggest ugliest bruise I've ever seen and still a good amount of pain.
I'm glad to see these post on this angio closure. I'll keep you posted.
BTW, my cath came out clear, no pulmonary hypertension, my arteries are "clean as a whistle" (docs words) and the hole in my heart was so small they didn't need to repair it and it wasn't causing symptoms I was having. He said the aneurysm I have in my atrial septum needs to be watched but was not causing my symptoms as well. I asked him if the tests can come back clear and I still have angina. He said yes, but sometime was causing the angina. So, even though I am extremely grateful for the good test results, I am back to square one with a solution.
Keep me posted on your angio closure symptoms and progress as I will with you!
- By grace5
- Posted May 16, 2009 at 3:15 pm
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Welcome back Katie!
Sorry you had a bad time, sounds really awful, but I'm so glad you got the 'all clear'!
Lidia xx
- By pstew
- Posted May 16, 2009 at 6:02 pm
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Today is May 16, 2009, almost a year after I had the surgery to fix the blockage from the angio-seal and my outer right thigh is still numb and painful and bothers me all the time.....it is very sensitive when anything even touches it.........I've just given in to the fact that it's never going to get better!!!!!! I'm tired of dr.'s not doing things right or listening to/believing the patients.
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