Albany Medical Center
47 New Scotland Ave
Albany, NY 12208

(518) 262-5149
Fax: (518) 262-4210

Christopher Doti, FNP
Meridith Englander, MD
Allen Herr, MD
Lawrence Keating, MD
Kenneth Mandato, MD
Nancy Mitchell, FNP
Laura Reutzel, FNP
Gail Sansivero, MS, ANP
Gary Siskin, MD
Sharon Ryan, LPN

Discharge Tunneled Catheter

DISCHARGE INSTRUCTIONS: TUNNELED CATHETER PLACEMENT

You have just had a tunneled venous access device placed that will be used for dialysis or apheresis.  You can see part of this device outside of your body and part of the device runs under the skin into a vein.  Your nurses and doctors will use this device for your future treatment.

1. It is normal for the site in your neck and chest to be sore for a day or two.  Take your prescribed pain medicine or extra strength Tylenol every 4-6 hours as needed.
   
   
2. Take off the original dressing (bandages) in 48 hours.  You will always need to keep a dressing on the catheter’s “exit site” – this is where the catheter comes out of your body.  Keep a clean Band-Aid on the neck site, and change it every day for the first week.  After the first week, your neck site does not need a dressing.
   
   
3. During this procedure, stitches were placed in your neck and at the catheter exit site.  If these stitches do not need to be removed (that is, they will be absorbed by your body), the doctors and nurses will let you know.  If your stitches do need to be removed, you should have received an appointment for removal before your discharge from the hospital.  If you are unsure of the type of stitches you received please call our office at (518) 262-5149 and speak with one of our Nurse Practitioners.
   
   
4. You may shower after 48 hours, but you will need to cover the bandages with plastic wrap first.  Any food wrap (such as Saran Wrap) will work.  Simply cover the bandages with plastic and seal the edges with tape.  It is a good idea to change your bandage after your shower.  After one week, you may get the neck site wet.
   
   
5. It is normal to have a small amount of blood on the dressing for a few days.  If the dressing is soaked with blood and leaking, please call our office at (518) 262-5149.  If the bleeding is very heavy, please apply pressure to the neck site and come back to our department or go to your local emergency room.
   
   
6. Please make sure that your catheter is secure at all times.  The IV tubing should be taped to your chest, and there should never be any tension on the catheter.
   
   
7. Please call our office at (518) 262-5149 if you experience any of the following problems or if you have any questions at all.  After hours, you can call (518) 262-3125 and speak with one of the interventional radiologists on call.
   
   
   • Fever greater than 100 degrees
   • Shaking chills
   • Yellow drainage from the neck or chest
   • Excessive bleeding or redness at the catheter exit site or neck site
   • Pain that is not controlled with medicine

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