On July 24th 2017, the team of doctors from the University Teaching Hospital of Bialystok took a chance and saved the patient’s life. If it was not courage, great experience and determination, the 42-year-old patient with kidney disease probably would be dead.
The 42-year-old man has been a patient of the First Department of Nephrology and Transplantology with the Dialysis Center in Bialystok for years.The patient was treated due to the renal failure. In February 2017, he underwent kidney transplant surgery, which was accelerated by the already existing problems with vascular access. Loss of vision prevented alternative therapy by peritoneal dialysis method. Unfortunately, in the months following the transplant procedure complications have appeared. The patient was hospitalized several times due to a generalized infection of the urinary tract (urosepsy), which ultimately led to the loss of function of the transplanted kidney and the need to return to dialysis.
The condition of the patient worsened overnight and any attempt to establish any vascular access was ineffective. Even taking blood for testing or administration of antibiotics has become impossible. The situation was life threatening. - said prof. Beata Naumnik, head of the First Department of Nephrology and Transplantology with the Dialysis Center.
"It was stalemate, the patient was dying," adds professor Naumnik.
Then, a team of highly experienced doctors (Andrzej Lewszuk MD.PhD, from the Department of Radiology, Associate Proffesor- Tomasz Hryszko from the Clinic of Nephrology and Transplantation with Dialysis and Associate Proffesor - Jerzy Głowiński of the Department of Vascular Surgery decided to try to establish a catheter through the loins directly to the largest vein of the human body - the vein of the lower body. There have been only so few cases in the world. But there was no time to call, consult, ask. Fortunately, the team of doctors had great experience and willingness. That was enough. There was a risk of serious complications but in the face of a direct threat to the patient's life they decided to take the challenge.
The treatment, performed under local anesthesia, was a complete success. Doctors have established a catheter for the lower vena cava, allowing for effective hemodialysis, drug administration, blood transfusion, etc. The patient has been already hemodialyzed twice and his condition gradually improves.
It is known now that this type of operation will now be performed in the University Teaching Hospital of Bialystok as standard procedure. Another patient without vascular access to hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis ophthalmologies currently hospitalized in the First Department of Nephrology and Transplantology with the Dialysis Center has just been qualified for this procedure, which will be performed at the Department of Radiology University Teaching Hospital this Wednesday (26July,2017)