Scarring after a temporary catheter is removed

[MyssAnne]

I had a temporary catheter for hemo put in my shoulder after Christmas. It was taken out about 3 weeks ago.
My question? How do I get it to heal without so much pain? It aches, and hurts still, when I use that shoulder.
I was gonna ask my nurse then I thought...I have YOU guys!!!

[Sara]

Are you asking about the scarring or pain?  If it's scarring, Joe still has a nickel-sized indented scar from when his was put in near his sternum, but I don't think he has a noticeable scar from the ones in his neck/shoulder area. 

[MyssAnne]

Sara, I was more concerned about the pain. Scarring doesn't bother me. I just talked to my sisters, and a friend tonight, they have had experience with scarring and healing from deep incisions/wounds. They say it takes a long time to heal from the inside out. One sister has a scar on her neck from neck surgery. 2 years later it still 'catches' and causes her to be short of breath for a few minutes. All she can do is try to relax the muscles. I guess that's my answer, really. Only time will fully heal it.

[meadowlandsnj]

I had a temporary catheter for hemo put in my shoulder after Christmas. It was taken out about 3 weeks ago.
My question? How do I get it to heal without so much pain? It aches, and hurts still, when I use that shoulder.
I was gonna ask my nurse then I thought...I have YOU guys!!!

I just had  mine taken out and it will take a few days to heal.  When they took mine out the guy who pulled it really leaned on my shoulder bone to get at it and that hurt a while. 

Donna

[ILOVEFLUID]

I had a total of 23 temporary and permanent catheters for hemo.  They were all in my neck or chest.  I had no pain but they all scarred.

[kitkatz]

A little pain in your shoulder is normal, but a lot of pain, should be checked out.

[luckaholic]

I would be getting it checked out, just to rule out infection or any other problems.

[okarol]

I agree about getting it followed up on. Pain can mean a blockage due to scarring and that can create problems later on. A good vascular doc can see what's up with ultrasound.

[Amanda From OZ]

Hey,

Does your arm feel saw and swollen? If so i would get a scan done... it could be a blackage (clot) like Karol said.

Amanda
xxoo

[MyssAnne]

No, my arm doesn't feel swollen, it's just that area where the catheter was implanted. I see my doctor
next week for clinic, I'll talk to him about it. Other wise, I do feel better, so that's the good part!

[Bette]

Is there anything one can do about the scarring?  I have a horrible scar on my chest from the temp catheter.  I can't wear low cut tops anymore.  I am so mad.  I am thinking about getting a tatoo to cover up the scar.

[Sluff]

A tattoo would be an excellent choice. i saw a special on tattoos once on the A&E channel about some women who used tatoos to help themselves with self image after a mastectomy.

[okarol]

There are quite a few ways to deal with scars - this is from a dermatologist http://www.dermadoctor.com/pages/newsletter65.asp

[MyssAnne]

Had clinic Monday, my nurse looked at the scar, it is healing nicely, just very tender still. The exit site is NOT
doing well, the cuff on the tube is showing and it STINKS! Ugh. So my neph is calling the surgeon to tell him
HE is not happy. I am then to call the surgeon today to set up an appointment hopefully for next week so he
can fix it!!!

[angela515]

Had clinic Monday, my nurse looked at the scar, it is healing nicely, just very tender still. The exit site is NOT
doing well, the cuff on the tube is showing and it STINKS! Ugh. So my neph is calling the surgeon to tell him
HE is not happy. I am then to call the surgeon today to set up an appointment hopefully for next week so he
can fix it!!!

I had my cuff showing for almost a whole year while on PD... they left it like it was because once it was out and showing, we taped it up differently so that it would no longer be tugged or moved, and it stayed the same length out, meaning it never came out anymore than that.  If it had, they would of eventually fixed it... however, depending on the type of tube they put in, there is *usually* (not always) 2 cuffs... if this is only your first cuff out, you should and may still have another one in there to hold it just fine. 

[MyssAnne]

Angela, did it smell? Mine does. It's a nasty smell. I cover it with a bandage and yes, it is just the first one
it's not only that...the exit site is not growing right over it.  Altogether, it makes for an uncomfortable
area!

[angela515]

No, mine didn't smell. I was just trying to save ya from having to have to have it fixed... hehe...  I hope it feels better once fixed hun

[MyssAnne]

Thank you Angela! I hope so too. Oh! I gotta call! Thanks for reminding me!! I'll do that right now!

[Chicken Little]

How did they remove your temp catheter from your neck?  Was it done in the doctor's office, hospital?  Where you out or was the site anesthized?

[Adam_W]

I just had to have my catheter replaced because the suture came loose, and I was also getting very bad blood flow (even for a permacath). The site was injected with Lidocain, and I was given a sedative. The procedure itself didn't hurt at all, except for the Lidocain injection (and even that wasn't too bad), but right now I'm having a fair amount of pain, especially when I move my right shoulder, or turn my head all the way to the left. I hope the pain eases, at least somewhat, by tomorrow when I have my next treatment. I'll be getting my fistula on Monday, so I'll be able to ditch the permacath for good (hopefully) in a few months. Take care.

Adam

[MyssAnne]

Chicken (and Adam),
Adam has just described how they take the temporary
catheter out very well, all I will add is that you have to
wait about 2 days before you can get a shower. I would
also suggest saline solution if the gauze padding is stuck to
the inscision. Mine was, it took a lot of soaking with
the solution to get it off. Mine has been out for almost
a month now, it's still sensitive, and every now and then
my shoulder is sore. It does go away though.

[Rerun]

I had a total of 23 temporary and permanent catheters for hemo.  They were all in my neck or chest.  I had no pain but they all scarred.

You must look like a machine gun victim.

[Chicken Little]

Chicken (and Adam),
Adam has just described how they take the temporary
catheter out very well, all I will add is that you have to
wait about 2 days before you can get a shower. I would
also suggest saline solution if the gauze padding is stuck to
the inscision. Mine was, it took a lot of soaking with
the solution to get it off. Mine has been out for almost
a month now, it's still sensitive, and every now and then
my shoulder is sore. It does go away though.

The hemo tech I had in the hospital used Biopatch on me, because my diabetes make me a slow healer and an infection magnet. http://www.jnjgateway.com/home.jhtml?loc=USENG&page=viewContent&contentId=09008b9880e667ac&parentId=09008b9880e667ac

They are great.  They don't stick at all and absorb any oozing.  I got a bunch free in the hospital, but my prescription coverage won't cover them, so I'm paying about $10 piece for the little buggers now.  It's worth it to me though.  I plan on using them on the site when they take the cath out of my neck.