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Surgery #1 - Road to an Amputation

Post by: Danette Penrod in All, Medical/Amputee

On Tuesday, 10/4/2016 around 2:15 PM Steve headed into his first surgery. There was a lot to be done with this first surgery.  They put a stent graft over the dangling clot in the artery coming out of his stomach.  They put a catheter from his left groin down to his right leg and used TPA (Tissue Plasma Activator) medicine to try to clear out the clot in his thigh and behind his right knee.  

At 7:43 PM the doctor emerged from the operating room to share the news. They were successful with the stent graph and were able to clear out about 70% of the clot in his thigh.  However, the clot behind his knee didn’t budge. He was admitted to ICU.  He had to lay flat on his back and not move much as they left the catheter inplace and continued to drip the TPA medicine into his right leg.  Apparently the TPA medicine is dangerous enough that patients being treated with it have to be monitored at all times, as it can cause strokes, brain damage or cerebral bleeding - no biggie at all, right? However, the TPA medicine is a clot busting medicine, so the ICU stay seemed well worth the risks.  


13 Oct 2018
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