When first seen at SRRSH, Mr. Zhang, traveling over 1,000 miles from Gansu Province with his family, presented with worrying edema in the upper body, especially his face, neck, and upper limbs. Upon consultation with Dr. LU Mingxi, Director of the Vascular Access Center of the Nephrology Department at the Grand Canal Campus of SRRSH, he was quickly admitted, followed by timely examinations.

A uremic patient, Mr. Zhang has undergone multiple surgeries despite his relatively short dialysis session lengths. Unfortunately, his previous surgical treatments all failed. He was forced to endure worsened swollenness while seeking medical help as most hospitals refused to operate on him, until he came to the Grand Canal Campus of SRRSH.

His test results revealed a series of serious, complex conditions, including severe stenosis of the superior vena cava and subclavian veins, along with extensive varicose veins in the chest and abdominal walls, impaired pulmonary function… These all placed him at increased surgical difficulty and anesthetic risks.

The situation allowed no delay. Dr. Lu soon brought experts from Anesthesiology, Critical Care Medicine, Head and Neck Surgery, and ICU together for a multidisciplinary consultation, making for a well-considered, safe surgical plan.

The 4-hour procedure, supported by ECMO and ICU standby precautions and meticulously coordinated by the Vascular Access Center and anesthesiologists, was a success. With Mr. Zhang’s edema going away, his grateful family said, “We fully trust the expertise of SRRSH’s Nephrology and we’ll come back later for follow-up treatment.”