Post-Transplant: Removal of the Aphaeresis Line

The removal of your Aphaeresis line will probably happen within a week or two after you leave the hospital.  It takes place in a hospital, but under out-patient status.  Until that time you will need to clean and flush the ports daily.  The hospital staff will supply you with materials and any instruction you need before you leave the hospital.


On the day your line is removed you will be advised to fast, usually from midnight the night before the procedure, and keep your fluid intake to a minimum.  You may not receive any sedative at all, although they may use a local lidocaine numbing.  No matter how it’s done, you will need to have a driver with you.  If you wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothes you may not even have to change into a hospital gown.



The physician will check the mooring of the line, and snip the stitches holding it in place – there will probably only be two or so.  If the skin around the line isn’t fully healed, they may simply be able to pull it out without any numbing whatsoever.  I had no lidocaine and experienced no pain at all.  It was done in a few minutes, although I was probably in the waiting room for 30 minutes or so on a gurney, waiting for my turn.  They’ll clean and bandage the area and you should keep the bandaging on for about four days or so.

Line Removal - Teri	Type	Rating	Duration
Wait time	Anxiety	1	30 min.
Numbing (lidocaine)	None	0	0
Loosening and Line Removal	Slight Tugging	0	2 min.

Line Removal -	Type	Rating	Duration
Wait time
Numbing (lidocaine)
Line Removal