YAY!!!

[lil_thorny]

AHA! Here it is. I called her and got the name: She had a Patent Ductus
Arteriosis.
yes...the Cardiologist or Radiologist will run a
catheter up the Femoral artery into the Iliac artery
then finally into the Aorta then it(the catheter)
travels up the Aorta into the arch of the Aorta(which
is connected directly to the heart) from there, with
the aid of a radiopaque contrast media(x-ray dye)
they will do a series of angiograms to insert the
catheter into the proper vessel that needs to be repaired or in this case surgicaly occluded(closed).
Now here is the really cool part: this catheter has
a pos. and a neg. electrode on the end of it. electrical current is applied to the catheter thus deploying(releasing into the vessel) the metal coil.
This coil is treated with a clotting agent which in turn
tells the body to create thrombin(clot) the clot fills
the vessel, thus occluding the patent(open) duct(vessel). In time that clot will harden and the
vessel will be no more. therefore no more blood
backing-up in the heart ...no more arrhythmia!!!!
I think about sums it up :D
Benj.

[Dawn]

Still loungin', right Benj?   ;) ;D

Facinating post, and I actually understood it.

Dawn   :)

[Pit_Girl]

yep, that's pretty much what they did to me in a scientific nutshell.... it was a relatively small opening, only about 2.5 mm in diameter, so me and my docs only found out about it a few months ago while searching for the cause/cure to my asthma (inhalers do absolutely nothing for me).  it wasnt a huge thing, and it prolly wont fix the asthma at all, but the docs thought it would be best to go in and fix it. i was seen in the cath lab, and it didnt really hurt, except for when i got a major cramp in my leg while they were inserting the cathater.  it was really cool since i was awake for the whole thing and i got to see the xrays they were taking as they put the coil in place.  i got a major migrane afterwards from the morphine (and all the darn kids crying in the short stay area (i had this done at Children's Hospital)).  i've got a sore leg and a nice bruise where they inserted the catheter, but other than that i'm perfectly fine and i'm glad i had it done :-)

-jennifer

[KBOlsen]

WOW! :o

[Pit_Girl]

Dave- i hope all goes well with your daughter's proceedure and that she is up and runnin around doing all that stuff that little girls do as soon as possible (when she does have to have it done that is) :)  

it wasnt that bad of a proceedure at all.  the only thing that sucked was the headache afterwards and the pain in my leg/side area (which the docs had never heard of.  they had to take an extra x-ray to make sure they hadnt poked something vital, that would've sucked ::)). and it felt kinda cool when they pulled the catheter out  of my leg... kinda like a tape worm or something ;)

the absolutely he-larious thing is that now i'm having a tad bit of car trouble, so there is a slim (2%) chance that i wont be making it to RA.... so, i get to get up at 8 tomorrow morning and take the car in just for a stupid "check engine" light, or else the 'rents wont let me drive it.  fun stuff. :-/

-jennifer

[lil_thorny]

well Jen, glad to hear you are doing better...

and they all thought i was some sort of silly motor-
head crazy motorcycle racer.

BTW, the orthopaedic(bone surgeons) doc's just
love hearing about my racing adventures. they
can't wait to see me in the E.R.

Just as long as the bike doesn't have asthma ;D ;D
Later,
Benj.