button holes

[boswife]

Does anyone have reasons "NOT" to have buttonholes (vs new pokes every time???)

[Phil]

My center doesnt allow us to stick ourselves...I get stuck by a different nurse EVERY session.....and I therefore run into cannulating trouble once every 6/7 sessions on average. I don't know whether I'd be able to do it myself yet..(I've only been on dialysis for 3 months now) but I sure don't like it when a new nurse sticks me...especially the younger ones!

I once tried to talk to the neph, asking him whether he knew about the button hole technique...and he shrugged it off saying that he 'didnt understand what advantages there were using that technique'.......

[mogee]

Buttonholes are only for people who do their own cannulations or are poked by only one person.  It will not work if several people do the cannulation.  If it is possible, I believe everyone should insert their own needles or caths.  Including patients who dialyse in centre.

[boswife]

Thanks for response ;-)  whats happening at our center is , a lady who has had some problems with (well im not sure what) talked to her dr and he said to go with button holes.  Our center had the same tech do her needles for 3 weeks, and now anyone of the techs are doing it and it's working fine...  so far of course.   Now, a few others are lining up for it and i know, or thought, that this was only to be done, or started at the center for people who were going to do the NxStage at home.  REally curious about it.  Hum

[Riki]

one fellow in my unit does the button hole technique.  It was his choice to do it, as he wanted to put in his own needles.  I could never put in my own needles.  I close my eyes when the nurses put the needles in, I know I'd never be able to do it myself. *L*

[romanyscarlett]

Forgive me if I'm wrong but I as far as I'm aware button holes can be used by anyone and it doesn't matter whether you have a different person sticking you each time.

At my centre there are 4 people that I speak to who have button holes. None of them stick the needles in themselves and none of them have the same nurse each time they have treatment. There are also another two patients who are having button holes established and I fully intend on doing the same once my fistula is a bit happier than it has been in recent times.

[del]

It is easier to form buttonholes if the same person needles each time. My husband has been using buttonholes for 4 years. I do his needling.  Once the buttonholes are formed though you just follow the track.

[boswife]

Thanks all.. I asked at the head tech at our center about getting the track started and i think we will be going ahead with it.  I am going to give it my all to face my fears to make it a bit more comfortable for hubby..  I always go in and set him up (and tuck him in  ) so if i could just get myself to stick him gently, we'ed have a good part of the battle won.  We shall see...

most of this stems from the fact that some of the techs are just not as "gentle" as others and since he doesnt use any of the pain killers, it really does matter...

[Stoday]

My center's policy is to swap chairs every time and to swap techs too. So on consecutive sessions no one has the same chair or tech.

Most patients with a fistula use buttonholes. I have just started with buttonholes after having dialysed for five weeks. The tech made a note for each of the two holes of the position of my hand and the poke direction for the next session when someone different will poke me.

[galvo]

How's your fistula going, old boy?