Finally my husband is going to have the fistula surgery Friday. Our hospital was very busy, so we have been sent to another and today the surgeon scheduled him for Friday. Hope that will be sucessful, the surgeon wanted to do it on the right arm, but when we indicated that we are going to do homediallysis, he will try the left ( the dimensions are a bit smaller on his left arm).
At the last test the creatine was higher, let’s see if is coming down ( it happened before).
I find a lot of very good info reading your posting, and thank you.
I will keep you posted with the developments.
Thank you for your well wishes. We will go Friday for fistula, and hope that all will be going well. My husband is very, very tired all the time, hemoglobin went up, ( Eprex twice a week)but also the creatinine and phosporus.
Good luck to your husband on Friday, Sadsam. Take these things one step at a time. There are no guarantees there won’t be setbacks, but it will all work itself out. My fistula surgery wasn’t too hard. They only used local, and so I was wide awake through the whole thing. I was home an hour and a half after the operation.
Pierre
I highly recommed not too drive with a new fistula, its riskier and could end up tearing the stitches or inside, espcially with shift-stick vehicles. Of course, after every surgery there’s still anesthesia inside of you making it not a good idea to drive.
Best time to able to do such activities like driving a car is at least 3 days or on Dr’s okay…
Thinks go Ok with my husband. We have a question: his fistula hand is a bit colder now than the right one( his fistula is on the left arm, in order to be able to do home dialysis); is not numb or very cold but a bit colder than the right. Is this normal? Our judgment said yes because you by pass some blood , but want to hear some of yours opinions on this.
Could be the beginnings of “steal syndrome” which occurs because too much blood is being diverted from the hand. I’d call the surgeon’s office to report that one hand is colder than the other and ask if the surgeon wants to see your husband to assess the blood flow to his hand.
It doesn’t hurt to call, of course, but the blood supply has been partially diverted. So, you end up with less circulation to the hand and it feels colder. I had that. Over time, some of the circulation will restore itself as little arterial blood vessels develop.
Pierre
Don’t get alarmed, its okay and should last for several weeks. All you have to do is massage the hand a bit, move it around with a wet towel or a rubber ball…for a few minutes everyday, not vigorously…gently…
I’ve had that problem as well, seems like a good sign that the fistula is gonna work quite well…
Thanks. You are such a big help, and very promt. It helps to hear that other went to the same problems, and knowing the facts is easier to deal with them.
I was not very worry but my husband said : Why you do not ask our friends from the board, maybe they went to the same problems. I will also call the surgeon office tomorrow, we will go in June to him to take out the stitches and look at fistula, he also want to check on it after at least 6 weeks if it needs some revisions.
