Tips Done and Home from the Hospital

Had my tips procedure done Monday morning.  Took them 4 hours to get the shunt  into my portal vein.  Was admitted to hospital  later that afternoon and finally released last night.  Had to have 2 units of blood because my hemoglobin count tanked to 7.8  My potassium was also low so they increased my dosage and gave me some intravenously.

Feels good to be home and have the picc line removed. I am awfully fatigued.

My interventional radiologist wants to dilate more of my veins in the liver area.  I am scheduled to go to Vero Beach Florida to visit my folks in early March so I have scheduled the next go round with the doctor in late March.  Apparently, my clot was so old they could not really remove it but were able to restore blood flow to the portal vein.  The follow up procedures will not have to be done under general anesthesia.

I am now off propranolol after 7 years!

Thank you all for your kind thoughts and prayers.

Susie

 

Susie, I'm so glad to hear that you are doing well post-op.  It is natural to feel wiped out, even for a person without liver disease.  With it, surgery pretty much depletes you any bit of energy you have.  The fact that you posted is a good sign.

I am a little confused, though.  My understanding of TIPS is that a shunt is created between the portal and hepatic veins, not that they put a shunt in the portal vein.

Hope you have a good visit with your family and wish you luck with your follow-up procedure.  Keep us posted!

Hugs,

Connie