Guest guest Posted May 14, 2004 Report Share Posted May 14, 2004 Hi I was also concerned about the “rat poison†blood thinner I was administered. I’m afraid this is health care applying ‘one size fits all’ rules regarding DVT (deep vein thrombosis). I researched this after I was prescribed Warfain to reduce the rate of coagulation of my blood. Blood thinners are administered until the patient reaches an acceptable INR (International Normalcy Rate) of usually between 1.5 and 2.5. That means that your blood has to coagulate 1.5 to 2.5 times slower than that of a non-operated person. Once you reach this range you can leave the hospital (or discharge yourself, as I did, earlier than that) and should stay within that range for up to 3 weeks from the op date. There appear to be 5 ways of dealing with DVT: 1. Anti-coagulant taken orally (Warfarin is one and is indeed a component used in rat poisons as it induces internal bleeding leading to death; that’s why your INR is monitored and if/when you exceed 2.5 the dosage in mg gets reduced as it could become lethal if it reaches 4) 2. Anti-coagulant administered via a subcutaneous injection usually into your tummy (Heparin is one such) 3. Aspirin 4. TEDS stocking 5. Nothing at all Studies appear to show no significant difference between the 5 methods. Pulmonary embolism appears to have been no more prevalent in people he had no blood thinning agents administered. This leads me to the biggest folly – resurfacing patients in the main do not require blood thinning agents. THR patients generally do as they lay stationary much longer. Resurfacing patients are generally encouraged to start walking on day 1. Throughout the first 3 weeks patients exercise so regularly that it would be a miracle if a clot were to form. But, hey, who wants a law suit on their hands. So, it’s cheaper, even if it may be not necessary at all, to prescribe an agent to a patient. Here, there was my tupence worth… Dan dan.milosevic@... _____ From: aleksblaise1 Sent: 14 May 2004 20:02 To: surfacehippy Subject: Ten Days Post Op..... I would like to thank all of you for helping me get to ten days post op. Special thanks to my new found friend and hip borther Dave. Dave was kind enough to provide me with a wealth of information along the way, not to mention he called me in the hospital two days after surgery to provide encouragement. I can't imagine what it was like going through this five or six years ago with little knowledge or support. I hope to give back any way I can. In my estimation this is as much a mental and emotional game as it is one of physical perseverence. DON, I feel your mental pain over this and it is not something to be taken lightly. You are doing the right thing getting help for the mental aspects of this. Hang in there. I had a bad crash at the world championships in Japan several years ago. I was told I would never walk normally again. I had four torn legiments in my knee and a compound fracture of my tibia plateau. I was flown back to the US for surgery by a miracle working OS and our team doctor. Since then I won two US national titles in skiing and ran 15 marathons 2:35-2:45 as a recreational runner. I was prepared for surgery, understood career ending disappointment and the mental challenges of surgery and rehab. This does not come easily to many who have never had to go through anything like this. I mention this not to talk about myself as I am fully aware at 40 I am a washed up athlete with modest objectives. Keeping up with my two young athletic boys is my main objective these days. I believe a large percentage of getting through this successfully is related to ones mental well being and ability to take on this type of challenge and win, regardless of how that is defined. My staples required removal today on day ten. I walked three miles to the hospital, had them removed and then walked home. I carried the crutches under my arms because I made a promise to my doctor and I had bone grafts during my surgery so I am playing by most of the rules. My objective was 10k in ten days. It is an amazing thing to no longer feel the pain in the joint itself when I walk. I was smiling the entire way home. I had an interesting conversation with a well respected OS who told me that I needed bilateral THR four years ago at age 36. He attended a recent presentation by Dr. Amstutz and he was very impressed and spoke highly of the procedure. He also stated, and I observed during my due diligence, that on the East Coast of the US the OS community is very " dogmatic, " and reluctant to anything new. Particularly when THR has a " sufficient " track record. I am sorry but I was not looking for sufficient. His words were encouraging and he was more than happy to provide me with any required follow up considering the distance I live from LA. My advice, for anyone new and for what it is worth. Do your own research and get comfortable that this is right for you. Get in the best physical and mental shape you can given your own limitations prior to surgery and you will recover that much faster. On another note, what is up with this Coumadin? I really don't like the idea of dumping rat poison into my body. If I plead my case are there any issues related to getting off this stuff any earlier than three weeks? I also have plenty of " clunking. " My guess is that it is the two sides getting to know eachother. I assume this improves as the hip capsule heals. I will continue to read the related posts on this. Thanks again for the support and best of luck to anyone new joining the group. C+ Dr. Amstutz 5/04/04 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 14, 2004 Report Share Posted May 14, 2004 > On another note, what is up with this Coumadin? I really don't like > the idea of dumping rat poison into my body. If I plead my case are > there any issues related to getting off this stuff any earlier than > three weeks? , If you throw a clot, it could end up in your pulmonary artery or in your brain and *kill* you. You'll have a really hard time playing with your kids from the inside of a pine box, if you know what I mean. I wasn't exactly nuts about ingesting rat poison for 3 weeks, either, but I figured that some of the (admittedly unlikely) alternatives were a hell of a lot worse. It's only 11 more days. Patience, dude. Steve (bilateral C+ 4/20/04, Amstutz) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 14, 2004 Report Share Posted May 14, 2004 > On another note, what is up with this Coumadin? I really don't like > the idea of dumping rat poison into my body. If I plead my case are > there any issues related to getting off this stuff any earlier than > three weeks? , If you throw a clot, it could end up in your pulmonary artery or in your brain and *kill* you. You'll have a really hard time playing with your kids from the inside of a pine box, if you know what I mean. I wasn't exactly nuts about ingesting rat poison for 3 weeks, either, but I figured that some of the (admittedly unlikely) alternatives were a hell of a lot worse. It's only 11 more days. Patience, dude. Steve (bilateral C+ 4/20/04, Amstutz) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 14, 2004 Report Share Posted May 14, 2004 > On another note, what is up with this Coumadin? I really don't like > the idea of dumping rat poison into my body. If I plead my case are > there any issues related to getting off this stuff any earlier than > three weeks? , If you throw a clot, it could end up in your pulmonary artery or in your brain and *kill* you. You'll have a really hard time playing with your kids from the inside of a pine box, if you know what I mean. I wasn't exactly nuts about ingesting rat poison for 3 weeks, either, but I figured that some of the (admittedly unlikely) alternatives were a hell of a lot worse. It's only 11 more days. Patience, dude. Steve (bilateral C+ 4/20/04, Amstutz) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 14, 2004 Report Share Posted May 14, 2004 > > > On another note, what is up with this Coumadin? I really don't like > > the idea of dumping rat poison into my body. If I plead my case are > > there any issues related to getting off this stuff any earlier than > > three weeks? > > , > > If you throw a clot, it could end up in your pulmonary artery or in > your brain and *kill* you. You'll have a really hard time playing with > your kids from the inside of a pine box, if you know what I mean. > > I wasn't exactly nuts about ingesting rat poison for 3 weeks, either, > but I figured that some of the (admittedly unlikely) alternatives were > a hell of a lot worse. > > It's only 11 more days. Patience, dude. > > Steve (bilateral C+ 4/20/04, Amstutz) Hi Guys, Take it easy. Coumadin is a widely used drug. It is very safe when used in apppropriate fashion. I prescribe it to my own patients all of the time. Coumadin is a blood thinner and is necessary to decrease your risk of deep vein thrombosis (clots). Steve is right and wrong - Right, in that yes a clot forming in your operated leg can move to your heart and lungs (pulmonary emoblism) and can be fatal (kill you). Wrong, in that the clots from the veins in the leg can not move to the brain. Any surgery on the lower extremities where activity is restricted after surgery puts patients at risk for clots to develop in the leg. That is why Coumadin or Fragmin (LMW Heparin) is used. So enjoy the short-term use of the blood-thinner knowing that you do not have stay on it for very long and be thankful it is available to keep you healthy and alive. However, you also must realize that it can cause bleeding in the tissues if one falls or suffers trauma to the body. So be careful! Just a FYI. I hope it helps ease your concerns. Regards, Dr. Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 14, 2004 Report Share Posted May 14, 2004 > Steve is right > and wrong - Right, in that yes a clot forming in your operated leg > can move to your heart and lungs (pulmonary emoblism) and can be > fatal (kill you). Wrong, in that the clots from the veins in the leg > can not move to the brain. I don't know where I picked up that bit of misinformation. Thanks for setting me straight, Mark! It just seems to me that, even if the probability is low, the consequences of DVT can be so bad that it's just not worth the risk of dropping the Coumadin early. It's not a race, after all. Steve (bilat C+ 4/20/04, Amstutz) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 14, 2004 Report Share Posted May 14, 2004 > > Steve is right > > and wrong - Right, in that yes a clot forming in your operated leg > > can move to your heart and lungs (pulmonary emoblism) and can be > > fatal (kill you). Wrong, in that the clots from the veins in the leg > > can not move to the brain. This seems so obvious now that I think about the way the plumbing's hooked up. How embarrassing Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.