LVAD Driveline Anchor

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Hello all,

First off, please accept my apologies if I have gone against forum rules. I am not an EMT, paramedic, nurse, doctor etc. I do not work in the healthcare field in any way, shape or form. I am merely the primary caregiver for my mother who has advanced CHF and has received an LVAD (particularly the HeartMate II LVAS) about 8 months ago or so as a bridge to transplant.

I realize that many in the healthcare field do not know much about LVAD's but I have a question that I believe some of you may be able to answer as it is only loosely related to the LVAD and is directly related to the securement if the driveline.


So...


The Driveline comes out of left side of the belly (it's roughly a foot long" and attaches to a controller (computer/power source). At the hospital where she
received the LVAD, they secure the driveline to the belly with a Foley anchor so that should something tug or yank on the driveline or the controller is dropped, the anchor absorbs the shock, not the driveline site (which could cause pain, tissue damage and infection). This is the same principal as anchoring/secureing a catheter tube.

The hospital uses a Foley Anchor (originally designed to secure/anchor a catheter) made by Centurion. The LVAD coordinator at the hospital told us to just ask her when we need more and she would give them to us. Well, the past 2 times I asked her she said they were running low and could only give me a couple.

My mother really needs an anchor like this. It adheres to the skin very well when installed properly and can last a little over a week sometimes. And when it's time to take it off, it does not hurt even slightly.

We are running out of these and the coordinator keeps saying she can't give us many and blah, blah, blah.

Problem is, the company that makes this anchor (Centurion) only sells it's products to hospitals, rehab centers, nursing homes" etc. They od not sell to end-users and they do not sell to home health supply retailers. So if you want these, you have to get them from a hospital.

I cannot seem to find any product online that is a good substitute for this Centurion Foley anchor. Most places that sell catheter supplies that I have found sell the type of anchor that is worn around the thigh and this is not an option for my mother.

Since you all have experience in working with many kinds of medical supplies, does anyone have any suggestions for an alternative to this Centurion Foley anhor? Something that I can buy at retail from a home health supply store? The LVAD driveline is slightly thinner than one of those orange extention cords used outdoors for lawn & power equipment.

I have attached pictures of my mom's driveline, driveline site and installed foley anchor (which will need changing in a few days or so) in case that helps and I have also included a link to a PDF for the Centurion foley anchor.

Thanks in advance for any help you all can give me and my mother...


http://www.centurionmp.com/Content/Pages/NoMenuPages/Additional-Information/FoleyCathAnchor.pdf
 

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I know this isn't the answer you're looking for, but have you tried talking to someone higher up in the organization than your coordinator? Ask to speak to a supervisor, manager, whomever. If the coordinator can't get you what you need after repeated requests, try going up the chain of command. Be polite, but assertive. How about talking to her doctor? I would recommend against trying to source medical supplies yourself. The reason that most places won't sell these things to the consumer, is that they need to be used under the supervision of medical professionals. If you experiment on your own, there could be unintended consequences and I know you don't want that.
 
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When we discharge patients with serious technology and supply needs, we itemize every item with the product code which is summitted by the Case Manager and/or Clinical Coordinator to the insurance and home health supplier. The doctor may also sign which is then like a script. Anything on that itemized list can then be obtained since patients go home with all sorts of tubes and drains. See if it can be added on the list of all the supplies your mother needs and resubmit it or see if a script can be obtained from the Cardiology group to special order from a supply store. TriState should be able to give you a list of their representatives for special orders even if it has to go through your home health agency which can still be billed through your insurance. Also, a good Case Manager can be well worth their salary for their knowledge of how to get something.

The model you are looking for is one of the better ones as BARD is okay but not as good.
 
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LVAD,

I am familiar with LVAD devices, and I find the use of the Foley holder an intresting solution.

I would echo the other posters, and suggest that if you are not getting enough support from your coordinator, that you need to go up the chain and get satisfaction. As Vent said, one way may be to get a script for that item to be bought though a medical supply company. Many, many "medical devices" can't be sold unless being sold under the supervision of a physician. It gets silly sometimes.

LVAD - As a side note, I know you aren't in EMS - I would encourage you to create another thread and discuss a little about the LVAD and any encounters you might have had with EMS, as well as what sort of special needs might present.
 
Thank you all for your responses thus far. If I get the run-around next time we go to the VAD clinic, I will have to take further action.

Jon, as far as experiences with EMS and LVAD, I do not have much expereience thus far.

The non-pulsitility of the LVAD causes her to bleed in her small intestine and taking coumadin (one of the 3 blood thinners all LVAD patients need to be on to reduce the risk of the LVAD causing clots), they do not have her on Coumadin. However, because she can't be on Coumadin, she had a stoke a little over a month ago (however, with no residuals, thank god).

The day after I reported to them that she had a headache one night (she NEVER gets headaches) accompanied by nausia, they sent us (her) to our local small town hospital for A CT scan of her head to see if she had any bleeding in her brain, She did and that is when they realized she had a stroke.

They were going to life flight her to Allegheny General in Pittsburgh (where she got the LVAD) but the weather was too bad. So they had to take her by ambulance. Pittsburgh required that I ride with her since the local EMS had no experience with LVAD patients and since she is also legally blind and also does not speak English well (or inderstand well). That, so far, has been my only experience with EMS since she has gotten her LVAD. It was not an emergency situation at the time, but it was a situation where it coul dhave become an emergency at any minute, which is why they wanted her transported by ambulance. Had the weather been OK for hellicopter transport, the hellicopter would have come from Allegheny General in Pittsburgh and the medics on board would have had extensive training in LVAD so she would have been able to ride alone without a family member familiar with the LVAD.

If you have any specific questions, feel free to ask. I will try to answer as best as I can. However, I am terribly busy at times so please don't be discouraged or uspet if I don't get back to you in a timely manner.
 
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LVAD said:
Why is the one made by BARD not as good?
Click to expand...

Some prefer the clip on the Centurion more than the StatLock by BARD. But, between the two, it would be more of a personal preference since both are very similar.
 
VentMedic said:
Some prefer the clip on the Centurion more than the StatLock by BARD. But, between the two, it would be more of a personal preference since both are very similar.
Click to expand...

I got a hold of one of the Bard Statlock foley anchors and they do not work for LVAD drivelines as the gauge of the driveline is too thick to fit into the clip.

This is why the Centurion Foley Anchor is preferred as it can take a wide range of different gauges since the clip is rubbery and therefore stretches. The statlock anchor's clip is plastic and therefore "fixed size" and very limited outside of the urinary catheter arena.

Another downside of the Bard Statlock is that the clip could accidentally come undone since all you have to do is push on the botton at the side of the clip. The Centurion Foley Anchor's clip is virtually unable to come undone accidentally.

So it looks like for LVAD drive line anchors, Centurion Foley Anchors are really the only choice.
 
This looks like a piece of tape with a little plastic clip. Could you just use 2 pieces of tape? Say 1 2" piece of silk tape with a 1/2" round the lumen?

Call some medical supplier in Pakistan and have them send them to you by the 1000s.

Or call a factory out there and send them one so they can build them for you by the 1000s for next to nothing.

If the fine people at Centurion won't play ball, teach them about global economy while they wait in unemployment.
 
Veneficus said:
This looks like a piece of tape with a little plastic clip. Could you just use 2 pieces of tape? Say 1 2" piece of silk tape with a 1/2" round the lumen?
Click to expand...

Most hospitals do not advise taping medical equipment such at this due to infection risk, adhesive remover affecting the material and a chance of slipping as tape degrades rapidly.

Some Paramedics actually used silk tape at one time on ETTs which resulted in many lost tubes.

I checked with a couple of case managers at the hospital I work at and they said the OP should not have this problem if the correct numbers and paperwork were summited.
 
LVAD driveline securing

I know that I am replying to an old post but I have an LVAD and secure it with tape. Sounds silly but I have dropped my controller many times and have never had any injury. If the person looking for info can email me I would be glad to help.
Dennis Hall
 
The folks at Centurion will "play ball." The caretaker needs to access www.centurionmp.com, click on "contact us," and explain the situation in an e-mail. The caretaker will be contacted by Centurion from there.
 
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