Hello, I’ve been on haemodialysis for almost 8 years (over 7 years using AV fistula on my forearm). I have been using a buttonhole technique from the beginning.
Recently I started having issues with my venous buttonhole. I removed a lot of sluggish blood through the needle and there was no flow. The access nourse saw a clot on the ultrasound. I was going to have a thrombectomy done, but to my surprise intervenion radiologists told me there was no occlusion at all. They perfomed a fistuloplasty for a small narrowing instead. First needling after that procedure was fine, my dialysis went well, but a day later - same issue - sluggish, clotted blood and no flow. The second buttonhole works well.
I have been on a low dose of aspirin (75mg) for years.
What could be the reason of that clotting?
Hi, do you use EPO/Aranesp? Do you use wet needles?
Hi, yes, I use wet needles and I take EPO (Mircera) 30 every 2 weeks.
Access team is going to review my issue tomorrow, but a very interesting thing happened on my last dialysis (they sent me to a hospital to have it). An experienced nurse put a blunt needle in my venous buttonhole, she used a bit of force, but she got things right. It was a different direction that I used to use. It seems that I have 2 tunnels there.
Aha, very poss to have more tracks. I hope you get to needle soon yourself again successfully