Patient Stories: Christina W. Finds Hope

For Christina W., coming to RIA Endovascular was a leap of faith. No one could help but she finally had hope with RIA Endovascular and Dr. Grande.

What problems were you having before you came to RIA Endovascular?

I developed Chylous Ascites one week after a hysterectomy/BSO/Lymph node dissection for an aggressive form of endometrial cancer. Parts of the lymphatic system did not seal off after removal of the lymph nodes. Lymphatic fluid drained into my abdomen. I had to have 17 paracenteses during chemo to drain 4000 – 5000 ccs of fluid weekly. This was a loss of proteins, lymphocytes and triglycerides each week. I did a lot of research trying to find someone to fix the problem. No radiologists/interventional radiologists in Colorado Springs knew anyone that could perform a lymphangiogram to find the leaks and fix them.

In November I developed a DVT that required blood thinners, so I had to have a semi-permanent abdominal drain placed and drain the ascites at home. I finally met a radiologist that recommended RIA and Dr. Grande. He was able to see me right away and said he could do the procedure. I had the lymphangiogram on January 16, 2020. Dr. Grande found two leaks and used coils and mesh/glue to seal the leaks. Four weeks later the lymphatic drainage had decreased to 100cc’s or less and the drain was removed. Since then I have had no problems.