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Vascular Surgery

Knots in blood vessels

08/02/2005

Question:

I recently had to have an IV started and the nurse failed 3 times to insert it (once in arm and twice in hand/wrist). She called for help and the second nurse was successful inserting it into my other wrist. She said I had a lot of "knots" in my vessels which were causing the problem. She said these knots are valves and some people have more than others. I seem to have a lot. Since I`ve never been told this before I was wondering if these knots come with age (57 year old female) and if they are anything to be concerned about. Thank you for your time.

Answer:

Sometimes the vein walls become thinner as we age. This can make the veins difficult to "steady" at times so that an IV can be placed or blood drawn. It does not pose any health risk to you, but just means IV starts can be trying. This is a very common issue as we age.

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Response by:

Amy B Reed, MD Amy B Reed, MD
No longer associated