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Honored Contributor
Posts: 13,510
Registered: ‎05-23-2010

What home needs did you have following surgical intervention for PAD?

[ Edited ]

Friend will be having peripheral angioplasty for PAD in his leg tomorrow. No stent. He will be going home after procedure. If you had this procedure what things did you need to have at home during your recovery? Could you walk the first two days afterwards? 

Respected Contributor
Posts: 4,088
Registered: ‎03-11-2010

Re: What home needs did you have following surgical intervention for PAD?

At this point in time his/her doctor should have already informed the person what they need and what they can and can't do.  

Honored Contributor
Posts: 9,745
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: What home needs did you have following surgical intervention for PAD?


@Mindy D wrote:

Friend will be having peripheral angioplasty for PAD in his leg tomorrow. No stent. He will be going home after procedure. If you had this procedure what things did you need to have at home of during your recovery? Could you walk the first two days afterwards? 


@Mindy D   You will have discharge instructions and your social worker will suggest things available by OTC recommendations and/or prescriptions that will be needed.  Each doctor has his own likes/dislikes, so because one surgeon wants one kind of soap, etc., another will want something different.  If physical therapy is recommended, you can work with the doctor's office or the social worker in that regard.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 15,523
Registered: ‎09-01-2010

Re: What home needs did you have following surgical intervention for PAD?

My husband has a diagnosis of PAD; he has not had peripheral angioplasty.   We were however informed about this procedure during his last referral for consult.

 

I am guessing the surgeon plans to try to open the claudication/blockage in the leg artery (ies) by a balloon procedure.   As in a heart cath, if the balloon procedure isn’t successful in holding the artery open, the mesh stent is inserted to help keep blood flowing.   

 

Your friend may have a short recovery period in a special unit of the facility after the procedure, and may receive instructions to not do anything strenuous.   He should not need anything special to help recover.  And since the reason behind the procedure is to improve blood circulation, I am sure he will be instructed to walk and keep that blood moving in his legs and feet.

 

 

 

Honored Contributor
Posts: 13,484
Registered: ‎11-24-2013

Re: What home needs did you have following surgical intervention for PAD?

@Mindy D I'm sure your friend has been given this info. You need to ask the friend about this.

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 7,652
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: What home needs did you have following surgical intervention for PAD?

@Mindy D , I am thinking you are looking for practical advice, not medical advice?  

I was in a caste with a broken foot for five weeks.  I used my recliner to elevate my foot.  I had a hospital bed table on wheels (for lack of a better description).  I could role the table up to and away from my chair or bed for meals.

 

I also had a shower chair so I could sit down while taking a shower.  I had a plastic sleeve purchased at a drug store to protect my caste while showering.

 

What I did not have and would have liked was a small table on wheels to move things around in the kitchen.  Both of my hands were on crutches so it was difficult for me, for example, to move a dinner plate from the countertop to the kitchen table.

 

to keep myself occupied, I did puzzles and read a lot.

 

Best wishes to your friend for a speedy recovery.  LM

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Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 5,258
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: What home needs did you have following surgical intervention for PAD?

@Mindy D 

 

Hi Mindy,

 

Heads up people:  Doctors and their staff NEVER, or on the rarest of occasions, actually have a packet of information which includes a "do and don't" list, plus recommendations regarding activities of daily living and slight changes one should make to the interior of the apartment or house prior to the procedure/surgery.  It simply doesn't happen.

 

Because I worked a Microvascular Surgery and Ortho/.Neuro floors, I felt it incumbent upon me to spend quality time with patients and whoever was driving that person home, prior to discharge, asking such questions as, where appropriate:

 

Have you arranged to have a bedside commode?

Have you removed all throw-rugs?

Have you insured that the bath tub and shower have anti-skid mats or self-adhesive anti-slip stickers?

Have you arranged to have a chair-side/bedside bell for the patient to ring for assistance?

If dressing changes are to be part of your day, insure that you make a trip to Costco or a drugstore to purchase a box of exam gloves in either Small, Medium, Large or X-Large.  These must be worn during each dressing change by the person doing the at-home dressing change.  During the dressing change,  make sure you can pull over the coffee table or have a TV tray table or a portable tray of some sore.  With each dressing change, cover the surface with clean paper towels, placing the dressing change supplies on the clean paper towels.  Proceed per dressing change instructions.

Etc.------I could go on.

 

The above is the type of information not generally dispensed and is why I was written up on more than one occasion.  I didn't last long doing shift work, when I was unable to spend quality time with patients.  Unfortunately,  I hit the field of nursing at a crucial time when it seemed literally over night everything fell on the shoulders of the RN.  I didn't sign up for bedpans, etc., so I left.

 

Anyway, there are some ideas above.  I would advise them to ask questions and not be put off by the surgeons office telling them that they'll receive "all of that information at the hospital upon discharge," because that just doesn't happen.