Do The TIPS They Said, It Will Be Fun They Said

TIPS

What is this you ask?  The actual description is Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt. It’s a procedure that is used to reduce portal hypertension, and fluid buildup.  Let’s discuss.

A few posts ago we discussed all the fluid drains I was getting. My doctor keep saying, we really should be doing a TIPS procedure on you. His words were always, “I’ve had patients that have had this and lived for years without needing a transplant”. One thing people need to learn about my husband and I is we remember everything we are told. 

I was actually admitted to the hospital on May 29, 2018, not the date of my journal entry. (That was when I finally passed my 6 min walk). Once again the doc was trying to talk us into the TIPS. The hubster and I were now fighting over should I or shouldn’t I. He didn’t trust it. You should know he will research everything that happens medically. I was so tired of getting fluid sucked out of my body. I finally used the “my body, my decision” saying, so begrudgingly he gave in. 

TIPS PROCEDURE #1

On May 31, 2018 I had the TIPS procedure done. This picture is what your veins look like before. 

The procedure involves bypassing a percentage of blood passing through the liver. The shunt goes from the portal vein into the hepatic vein.  This is done to reduce pressure buildup on the venous system. After they put the TIPS in it looks like this below (green). 

This is what the shunt looks like. 

Now I have to talk about what happened during the procedure. First of all, the nurse had dropped the vial of medicine to put me out. The doctor was telling her to get another one stat because they were ready to start. They finally got it into the IV but it didn’t work. She started going into to my jugular vein. I started screaming in pain. It was the worst pain I’ve ever felt. I kept screaming for them to stop but they didn’t. I don’t know if I finally went out, or if it was over, but I just wanted my husband. 

 Because of all the other things I was going through, I wasn’t released until June 12, 2018. I was put back on the transplant list as active. 

All through the summer I did ok. But then I started retaining the liver fluid again. Noooooo. On September 11, I had a doctors appointment where I complained about it. It was decided that they would have the TIPS doctor go in and look at it. 

TIPS PROCEDURE #2

On October 11th, she went in, to do a revision, and it is noted on my surgery report that there was a large caliber varix (varicies) that was stealing flow away from my main portal vein. It was catheterized, and an angioplasty with balloon was done. Can you say, What The Hell???

I was sent home because it was an outpatient surgery. Later that night I developed a fever and chills, and couldn’t breathe. Oh joy, trip to the ER. After a CT scan it showed that I had tons of fluid in the sacs on both sides of my chest. They did a thoracentesis and sent some of the fluid to be cultured. It was also determined I had Pneumonia. I was admitted to the transplant floor which we lovingly call our Time Share. I was released two days later. 

Was this my last TIPS procedure? Oh heck no!! On December 19th I was in for another one, PROCEDURE #3, because I was having fluid sucked out yet again. As per the newest surgical report, it was because of a MALFUNCTIONING TIPS. You read that right. Within a 6 month time frame, I had three of these procedures. Normally only one is required. 

Therefore, if any of you ever need a liver transplant, and they offer you a TIPS procedure instead, think strongly about getting it. They can be very dangerous. They don’t always work, you won’t live ten years longer (as we were told ), and they are expensive. 

Needless to say I have learned to listen more to my in house doctor, the Hubster.