Heart Catheter , anyone ?

The Best online firearms community in Louisiana.

Member Benefits:

  • Fewer Ads!
  • Discuss all aspects of firearm ownership
  • Discuss anti-gun legislation
  • Buy, sell, and trade in the classified section
  • Chat with Local gun shops, ranges, trainers & other businesses
  • Discover free outdoor shooting areas
  • View up to date on firearm-related events
  • Share photos & video with other members
  • ...and so much more!
  • dantheman

    I despise ARFCOM
    Premium Member
    Rating - 100%
    65   0   0
    Jan 9, 2008
    7,441
    113
    City of Central
    Has anyone here had a Heart Catheter procedure ? I had a Catheter Ablasion Friday morning . Just curious about your experience .
     

    JBP55

    La. CHP Instructor #409
    Premium Member
    Rating - 100%
    338   0   0
    Apr 15, 2008
    16,999
    113
    Walker
    I was scheduled for surgery on my right arm next week but had to cancel due to a Heart Catheter Procedure being required first.
    I will report back after the Heart Catheter Procedure is complete.
     

    Barry J

    Well-Known Member
    Rating - 100%
    2   0   0
    Dec 5, 2011
    1,334
    48
    Thibodaux
    Mother-in-law had it done last week. Was home that afternoon. Had to take it easy for a couple of days so she wouldn't bust the stitches.
     

    Doctor481

    Well-Known Member
    Rating - 100%
    1   0   0
    Jan 28, 2013
    406
    18
    Ponchatoula
    I had 2 stints installed through a catheter about 2 years ago.
    The procedure isn't too bad; removing the cath and waiting motionless is a pain.
    Had the procedure done on a Tuesday, went home on Thursday and back at work (light duty) on Monday.
     

    themcfarland

    tactical hangover
    Rating - 100%
    58   0   0
    Dec 6, 2008
    4,656
    63
    Destrehan
    wife had it, If your kidneys are in bad shape the dye they use for imaging sends them into a worse condition.. they can give meds to drink that smell like rotten eggs to help offset it...
    Her femoral was pretty small for the size of the cath they tried.. she bled after the fact due to no one knowing how to read a chart to determine thinning agents..

    Lots of trouble, but she is a very complicated case.. She went in for shortness of breath, came out with knowledge that she has 23 % function, a new stint, and knowing she is candidate for more..

    Heath is everything, stress kills, ..
     

    WOLFIE

    Well-Known Member
    Rating - 100%
    34   0   0
    Feb 11, 2012
    977
    18
    Bossier City
    I have had three heart catheter procedures. You can be in and out in one day. A really bad headache was the worst experience I had the most recent time it was done. The worst thing you might go through is not eating the night before and not eating until the end of the day that the procedure is done.
     

    jjoker16

    Well-Known Member
    Rating - 98.3%
    57   1   0
    Jan 23, 2008
    1,168
    36
    Ascension Parish
    I had catheter ablation surgery in February 2014. Wasn't too bad. I hated that I was awake through it and my legs hurt like hell after. Took a few days before I could really walk ok. I had 2 catheters in my left leg and 3 in my right.

    I will say it definitely fixed my heart. I had WPW and as a result was tachycardic. First trip to the emergency room my heart was running at 238 BPM. Crazy time.

    Over all not too bad. Certainly worse surgeries and harder recoveries. Just rest and drink lots of water.
     

    dantheman

    I despise ARFCOM
    Premium Member
    Rating - 100%
    65   0   0
    Jan 9, 2008
    7,441
    113
    City of Central
    Mine was a procedure called an Ablasion . I didn't have a blood flow problem but rather an electrical conduction issue . My heart would go into Tachycardia at random times . Pulse would go up to around 160 sustained and it would take a trip to the ER for some meds to put it back in rhythm . They go in and locate the nerve endings that are "shorting out" and burn them . Took about 1.5 hrs . Spent one sleepless night in the Hospital and a couple of days off of work . I feel fine .

    There was this one Nurse that came in my room at 3 am with a scale and made me get out of bed so she could weigh me . Seriously ? 3 in the freakin morning and she needed to weigh me ? That was after the 12 pm delivery of ice water that required them to turn on all of the lights in the room . I really hope they send me a survey of some kind . BTW , I did have a couple of really great Nurses that were awesome .
     

    jjoker16

    Well-Known Member
    Rating - 98.3%
    57   1   0
    Jan 23, 2008
    1,168
    36
    Ascension Parish
    ^^^that was my exact experience. My BPM would usually be over 200. Glad that doesn't happen anymore!

    Glad you got your ticker fixed! Feels good to not have to go to sleep sitting up.
     

    jjoker16

    Well-Known Member
    Rating - 98.3%
    57   1   0
    Jan 23, 2008
    1,168
    36
    Ascension Parish
    My bruises went from my groin to my knee and covered my entire inner thigh. And for some reason I had to be awake. They said I would be drowsy but they couldn't put me under completely. I was very much awake the whole time. The catheters made a loud popping sound when they pushed em in. Dr. Said he had a hard time sedating me.
     

    jjoker16

    Well-Known Member
    Rating - 98.3%
    57   1   0
    Jan 23, 2008
    1,168
    36
    Ascension Parish
    ER dr. And cardiologist said they were surprised I was still conscious. And I never flatlined when they gave me adenacine.
     

    dantheman

    I despise ARFCOM
    Premium Member
    Rating - 100%
    65   0   0
    Jan 9, 2008
    7,441
    113
    City of Central
    I was awake for the procedure although the nurse said I was out for a little while . She said I snored but I would swear I was awake the whole time . She stuck to her story though .
     

    LA Trapper

    Well-Known Member
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Jan 11, 2012
    60
    6
    Natchitoches
    Had one with 3 stints a year ago. They said the indigestion I had was a heart attack. No wonder Gaviscon wouldn't solve it! No damage to the heart and good as new. Talked to the doctor through the whole procedure. You can sleep if you want or stay awake, your call. Have to lay still for 6-7 hours after the procedure, that is a pain.

    James, they do them wholesale every day, no worries.
     

    Rhandhali

    Well-Known Member
    Rating - 100%
    1   0   0
    Jan 26, 2013
    284
    16
    New Orleans
    Mine was a procedure called an Ablasion . I didn't have a blood flow problem but rather an electrical conduction issue . My heart would go into Tachycardia at random times . Pulse would go up to around 160 sustained and it would take a trip to the ER for some meds to put it back in rhythm . They go in and locate the nerve endings that are "shorting out" and burn them . Took about 1.5 hrs . Spent one sleepless night in the Hospital and a couple of days off of work . I feel fine .

    There was this one Nurse that came in my room at 3 am with a scale and made me get out of bed so she could weigh me . Seriously ? 3 in the freakin morning and she needed to weigh me ? That was after the 12 pm delivery of ice water that required them to turn on all of the lights in the room . I really hope they send me a survey of some kind . BTW , I did have a couple of really great Nurses that were awesome .

    I'm an intern currently on the cardiology service. I'm not a cardiologist by any stretch of the imagination but I am involved in doing the admission work for people that get catheters coming in from the emergency department (not your case) and taking care of them after they get their catheterization, as well as the many other cardiology related things people go into hospital for. I'm not involved in any of the actual procedure, just the hospital stay for the patients we have coming in getting them while they're in the hospital for some other cardiac problem. I'm not providing medical advice, your cardiologist is going to be your go to person for formally answering questions and all that, but I'm happy to put forward some of my impressions after having worked on the cardiology service for the past month or so.

    Standing weights are very common on cardiology units; there are a lot of patients with congestive heart failure and how much they weigh is one way we measure how well we're treating them and how far they have to go. We do standing weights because they much more accurate than the scales built into hospital beds. Adding or subtracting a blanket on bed weights throws them off. It's usually a special order but in the age of electronic medical records any time you get admitted the admitting doctor usually uses a prepackaged set of orders for whatever department you're going to and "standing weights" was probably part of that set. It's a little automated but it keeps the doctor from having to put in ever single order manually, and it makes sure they don't leave anything out, like say your diet.

    As far as people stomping around your room at 3 or 4 AM, that's just how the hospital works. I usually rock up around 6 to see the morning labs and the Big Boss (attending cardiologist) usually starts making the rounds at 9. Having all the vitals/weights/lab values pulled early makes sure they're ready in time for the team to make treatment decisions. Also a lot of hospital services roll on business hours for anything that isn't an emergency, so getting things like labs/vitals and everything else ready in time for 9AM rounds ensures that you can get that X-ray/stress test/CT/whatever done that day as opposed to delaying treatment, or discharge, for another day.

    Generally with caths they'll go in through the radial artery in your arm (less common) or the femoral artery in your thigh (more common), usually on the right thigh. The standard for a non-emergency catheter procedure is to do conscious sedation, like you would with a colonoscopy or dental procedure. Remember that colonoscopy you had? That's how it goes for everyone I've seen. Generally you'll go in in the morning, go to the procedure room, the anesthesiologist will as you to count down from 10 to 1, you get to 7 and wake up with a sandbag (puts pressure on the place where the catheter went in) on your leg and go home the next day.

    We send people home on a 8lb lifting restriction, the "gallon of milk" for a few days and then go live your life. Check back with your cardiologist in a couple to few weeks. The most common complaint I see after a procedure, after the hospital food (timing of meals and quality) is you can get some bleeding, swelling and bruising where they put the catheter in and occasionally a little lump where blood has collected called a hematoma.

    My hospital generally keeps people overnight but some places will send you home that afternoon if you have someone to drive you, it just depends on how that particular cardiology department does things.
     

    JBP55

    La. CHP Instructor #409
    Premium Member
    Rating - 100%
    338   0   0
    Apr 15, 2008
    16,999
    113
    Walker
    Had lab work done Today and will be at the Hospital Monday at 5:00 AM for the Heart Catheter Procedure.
     
    Top Bottom