Thursday 24 May 2012

What is a CCSVI operation like?

So this is a blow by blow account of my CCSVI operation done last week. First let me say it wasn't pleasant but I would do it again for the results i am seeing.Also understand that I have a real fear of needles and IV's in particular.

So arrive at hospital and finally get into the ward and onto a bed. You strip and put one of those stupid hospital gowns on that are almost a waste of time - be prepared to just expose all our 'bits' :-) . They take your blood pressure and temperature and all of that. Finally the doctor arrives and we're off.

You get wheeled into the operating theater. It's so cold in there - not sterile cold - freezing cold - eventually they cover you with blankets though. You slide from your bed onto the operating table. Your gown that is meant to be concealing your nakedness is pushed aside a bit to expose your groin. Now part of my worry was where exactly are the going to go in? The picture above shows where they went in with me. Not near the 'bits' which was a relief.

So before they go in they paint on some of that browny/yellow antiseptic stuff - that is freezing cold to! What happened exactly next I'm not sure (you can't see what they are doing) - but i gather it was a local anasthetic then a cathether put in for the wire to be guided into the vein. That catheter is about 100mm / 4" long - a pretty uncomfortable and a little painful experience.

Once it was in it took about 1 minute to get the wire up to my jugular vein. Before I knew it there was a noise in my head of rushing water (thats the balloon filling with water). It didn't hurt at all. Each side was done in three stages. Up near the ear - ear to chin and under the chin - for me the up near the ear vein was really narrow - so he opened it up to 8mm, continued down. Then he came back up to that ear area and opened it to 14mm - that hurt like hell - its in your head and nothing you can do but squirm (and ask for more sedation which i did straight after that bit was done) - now my hurt like hell may be really different to your hurt like hell - still like is said at the outset - it wasn't so bad that i wouldn't do it again - i would - no questions

My left side was really narrowed thus it hurt a bit more. The right side wasn't and didn't hurt at all. That was it - 45 minutes and I was slid across to my bed and wheeled back to the ward (next room). About 10 minutes later the catheter was taken out by a nurse - didn't hurt at all and she holds pressure on your vein for about 10 minutes. You wait about an hour and get a little injection of blood thining stuff - just a needle in the gut - with the double dose of sedative i couldn't give a stuff what they were doing by then. During that time though i noticed my feet and hands were warm again! Hadn't been for ages... Another 30 minutes or so and your allowed to go home.

So there it is. After effects - none. My veins have been sore for about a week - today they aren't for the first time. The results have been fantastic. At the very least get the ultrasound done of your neck veins and see if they are narrowed. Whether you do the procedure then is up to you of course - but at least find out.

Cheers - Mark


1 comment:

  1. Everything is very clear.It was truly informative.Your website is very useful.Thank you for sharing.
    Click here for info on Ccsvi operation

    ReplyDelete