TIPS procedures

[GWVRNS]

Two questions I have about tips procedures if anyone is doing a lot of them. Are they ever emergency cases? Our doc says no. Also do you send them to ICU afterwards or can they go to a medsurg floor?

Thanks, Deb

[tnbutterfly - Mary, BSN]

My mother had a TIPS procedure and she went to ICU afterwards. It was done as an urgent procedure and she had to be transferred to another hospital to have the procedure.

[tnbutterfly - Mary, BSN]

Let me add that my mom had the procedure done because of massive homorrahage due to ruptured esophageal varices. So she was in critial condition before she had the procedure and thus she went back to ICU.

[jer_sd]

gi bleed with embolization emergent....for acities never emergent. if central venous pressures high after go to icu if normal m/s ok.

[Lanurse0417]

The few patients that I have seen these done on were in the unit before and after the procedure. I know I had monitor pressures and was told that once a patient died on table during a TIPS (patient was already really sick). We dont do them very often, only 2-3 of our docs will do them cause it is so risky. Hope this helps.

[5780]

At our hospital, a TIPS may be done on an emergent basis for a gi bleed. All of our TIPS' are done under general anaesthesia, so the patient goes to PACU after, then back to their ward.

[Bonjoanie]

One of our Rads does a lot of TIPS procedures, both emergent and scheduled. They usually return to the floor that they came from (either ICU or Med/Surg) We have only done one TIPS with general anesthesia and that was because the pt had a 5-minute run of V-Tach that morning and he wanted someone else to be responsible for the cardiac aspect during sedation so he could concentrate on the TIPS itself. That was really nice for me, not nearly as much running around and reassessing my pt. I wish they were all done with General Anesthesia!

[5780]

Yes, having that anaesthetist there does lighten the load a little, doesn't it?:)