Pre-Procedure Instructions
- In order to provide you with sedation during the procedure, you must have nothing to eat or drink for 8 hours prior to the procedure. This typically means nothing to eat or drink after midnight the night before the procedure. You can have clear liquids up to 2 hours before the procedure.
- You can take any prescribed medications with small sips of water the morning of the procedure.
- If you are taking blood thinners, please let our physicians or nurse practitioners know so we can provide you with instructions as to when to stop that medication prior to the procedure.
Post-Procedure Instructions
- Do not drive until tomorrow.
- Do not drink any alcoholic beverages today.
- You may return to work or school tomorrow.
- Check your fistula/graft site during the next 24 hours for swelling or oozing of blood and a thrill. If bleeding or swelling of the site occurs, go immediately to the nearest ER and explain that a fistulagram/graft check was performed earlier today. While en route to the ER apply pressure to the site. If you cannot feel a thrill or pulse within the graft or fistula, please call our office or contact your nephrologist.
- In case of an emergency or if you have any questions at all about your procedure, please call our office (518-262-3393 or 518-262-5149) during normal business hours or call the page operator at Albany Medical Center (518-262-3125) and ask to speak with the Interventional Radiologist on call if:
- you notice that the fistula/graft has increased redness or soreness over the next few days.
- you feel faint, feel dizzy, or have trouble breathing.
- you have swelling or bleeding from the site.
- you have any unusual cramps, coolness, or discoloration of your extremity during the next 24 hours.
- you have pain that is not helped by Tylenol.
- you have a fever more than 101degrees.
- you become more tired or have changes in mental status 2 hours after you leave the hospital.