My dialysis nurse finally initialized my buttonhole 3 weeks ago but I noticed every Friday she is not there and another nurse must cannulate me. My AV Fistula is near my wrist and my fistula rolls like crazy and it hard to cannulate until the buttonholes are established (at least I am hoping). Any advice since other nurses are also doing buttonhole on me?
If I were you I would learn as soon as possible how to do your own cannulating. That way you will know where your holes are.
Pat
I agree with Pat, and also under suggested guidelines the same person assisting you should be the only person inserting buttonholes, but if your planning to go home to have dialysis plus your planning to insert your own buttonholes its likewise that you practice on your own.
An example would be during my home training for buttonhole needling it was me who started the first buttonhole set with sharp needles and after about 3 - 7 tries with sharps on same spot and angle I then switched to the blunt needle.
I agree with Gus and Pat. If you are going to put in your needles at home, there is no reason why you shouldn’t be creating your own buttonholes–and a number of excellent reasons why you should:
• It’s your arm.
• You know it best–both from the outside (the needle) and the inside (you are the only one who can feel the vessel it’s going into).
• As a consistent cannulator, you have the best chance–better than any nurse–of hitting the same angle each time, which is vital to making Buttonholes that work.
• If you run into a snag at home or need to start a new Buttonhole, you’ll need to be familiar with how to use sharps.
If I were you, I would insist on creating my OWN Buttonholes. I’m sure we’d all love to know what the reasons are if your center doesn’t allow you to do this–but plans to let you go home with Buttonhole needles.