48 yr old male has open hrt surgery has kidney and liver fail,developed burnt like chars on hand and feet why?
Monday, July 30th, 2007My husband has been in criticle condition for the past 18 days now I understand about the liver and kidneys failing as part of the risk with open heart procedures, what I dont understand is why are his feet and one hand black and seems to have a charred like appearance. No one seems to beable to give me a straight answer, I wonder if I sould take this to another level? Was it human error? Was it medication? I dont understand, how does a strong, vital and otherwise healthy young man go in for a risky yet very common procedure and wind up looking as he does, he is on a trach and unable to move, talk or function up to this point. How was this possible, he’s confused I’m confused I hope there is someone who can shed some light on this - also his extremities are very pain full and there are blisters forming. Thank you for your responses.
I’m sure he had to be shocked as he had aortic valve repair and replacement and well as a quad bypass his aortic valve was so small that it is vertually unheard of and therefore they do not manufacture replacement valves that small so the surgeon was left with a dillema as to what to what had to be done they had to cut and open the valve till it was big enough to fit the replacement valve then they had to repair that using pig tissue all of that took the time of what the whole procedure should have normally been. so all and all he was on the bypass machine for 12 hrs and they were unable to get his heart pumping again. when the surgeon finally got the heart going he had to have a pump do the work that his heart would have otherwise done. He is no longer on that pump, but still many complications.
My husband is now a candidate for amputation,as a result he will lose three fingers on his left hand and all ten of his toes.Because he has wet gangren,this type is bactirial and very dangerous,only occurs when an open wound is present. I know there were no wounds when he went in there.Also is it common practice to switch the IV site during a procedure of this magnitude? IV for fluids and blood gases were set in the left hand,when he came out they were relocated to the right hand.As far as I’m concerned somebody messed up big time,and the only person who knows for sure, was in that OR on June 9th. Everytime I ask for an answer to my why and how, I get the run around.Iam very pleased however with the quality of care that he is receiving, but this should have never happened. In the four weeks that I have been there I have seen at least fifty open heart patients come and go from that floor both young and old, and none have even come close to being in the condition that my husband is in.
Brendon









