How to save a person with a broken heart catheter?

Question

Hello doctor,

I am 22 years old, and I am writing because when I was 11, my mother had a cardiac arrest. Over the years, she has undergone multiple surgeries due to issues with pacemakers and catheters, not because of underlying health problems. The catheter inside her heart was defective, and now the sheath that covers the tip of the catheter is broken inside the heart to 180 degrees (half of it). If infection occurs, my mother could die in three hours, and there would not be enough time to reach the hospital. Also, the doctor refuses to do the operation because it is very risky. I do not know what to do. I cannot accept that I will lose my mother because someone made a mistake; I may be able to if she is sick, but she is not, and she is just 50. The constant pain in my heart and mind has persisted for 11 years. If I could, I would give her my heart, but I know that is not possible. I blame myself for not finding a solution and for being unable to save her. I am reaching out for help because I do not know what else to do.

Thank you.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I read your query and can understand your concern.

First, you need to be strong to stay by her side and care for her, but do not make yourself sick; otherwise, you will not be able to give her adequate care.

The catheter you are talking about is the wires of a pacemaker, right? Is she sick at this moment? You should provide some more details of her medical history and, if possible, upload any discharge summary.

Once the pacemaker is inserted, its battery needs to be changed periodically, so she will need periodic surgeries every five to 10 years. There is no big deal, and these are minor surgeries. Also, sometimes the pacemaker may get broken inside, and in that case, the doctor will not remove the wire because it is fixed into tissue and the heart. This is also a common problem that patients encounter, and doctors insert the pacemaker on the other side to keep the wire there. There is a risk of infection of the left wire, but the patient will certainly not die in three hours. It is like an infection elsewhere in the body but has little resistance to treatment and needs prolonged antibiotics. Patients will get an ample amount of time before diagnosing this. So I think you should not worry so much about this. We have a lot of patients of this kind with left wire, and they do fine.

I hope I have answered your question.

Let me know if I can assist you further.

Regards.