October 20th, 2025

A morning in angiology, or how to start the day with a catheter instead of coffee!

This morning, I went to the Department of Angiology at the Lindenhof Hospital in Bern for a scan of the blood vessels in my foot, a preparatory step ahead of the upcoming operation. The appointment was at precisely seven o’clock, which, to be honest, is well before my brain usually decides to wake up.

After carefully disinfecting my groin and administering a local anaesthetic, the medical team inserted a catheter to inject a contrast agent. The goal: to obtain a detailed image of the vascular network in my foot.

Once the targeted artery had been located, the real work began. An impressive robotic arm rotated around my leg and foot, capturing a series of X-ray images from different angles. The procedure was entirely painless, though it did test my patience, as the imaging took over an hour. After the catheter was removed and a compression bandage applied, I was treated to a coffee and croissant. I had to stay lying down for another hour and a half to ensure there was no bleeding from the incision site. Then, finally, I was free to go.

The images revealed two important findings:

• One of the main arteries supplying the foot appears to be blocked, likely as a result of previous operations. Fortunately, another artery has taken over and now provides adequate blood flow.

• The specialists also identified a larger, highly vascularised mass. It could be connective tissue (as suspected) or possibly an area of infection.

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In short, during the next operation, this area will require particular attention, as it carries a significant risk of bleeding.

Later that afternoon, I met with my surgeon to discuss the next steps.

The operation is scheduled for 1 December, but the entire team involved would like to see me again in mid-November. Several points still need to be discussed by then, including the possibility of performing a biopsy to rule out any risk of a staphylococcal infection, or starting a preventive course of antibiotics.

At the moment, all the reports are positive, which means the green light for the eighth operation. It will be a long and complex procedure, which naturally carries certain risks that have been explained to me in detail. But I remain as always optimistic!