Can a Cannula damage your veins/leave scars?

I have to have blood tests done regularly for something and stay in hospital for a week .

Apparently I have "bad veins" (??) for some reason, I'm skinny too so the doctor strongly suggested putting in a cannula if they have to take my blood say 3 or 4 times a day.

I looked up cannulas though and apparently they can damage your veins and really leave them aching and hurting more like a standard blood test? And leave nasty scars?

Is this true? To be safe should I insist they just take blood the normal way?? Do I have a choice?

Of course you have a choice, but I think you're panicking unnecessarily about cannulas. People have them every day in hospital, largely with no complications. They can be achy when they're in, and if it's in for days and days or gets infected, then it can cause some scarring, but as a one-off for a short period this is very unlikely. The only scar you're likely to get is a small dot at the insertion site.

Of course, if you prefer to be stabbed multiple times a day, potentially with several attempts each time, that's up to you.

I have to have blood tests done regularly for something and stay in hospital for a week .

Apparently I have "bad veins" (??) for some reason, I'm skinny too so the doctor strongly suggested putting in a cannula if they have to take my blood say 3 or 4 times a day.

I looked up cannulas though and apparently they can damage your veins and really leave them aching and hurting more like a standard blood test? And leave nasty scars?

Is this true? To be safe should I insist they just take blood the normal way?? Do I have a choice?

I've had about 4 cannula in the last month and don't have any scars just when you take off the dressing do it in your bath or shower outher wise you will have scars from that glue which is so sticky it will take your skin off

Thank you How often do they change the cannulas? Does it hurt when they put them in?

Well I was only in for a day so they didn't change it. it hurts a little and feels a bit weird but it's not lika a sustained pain it's like an injection the killer is if they don't let you eat or you can't that sucks.

Ah thanks! Do they usually have trouble taking your blood with a normal blood test if you dont mind me asking? (they do for me which is why I'm worried about the cannula, I think I have small veins )

Ah thanks! Do they usually have trouble taking your blood with a normal blood test if you dont mind me asking? (they do for me which is why I'm worried about the cannula, I think I have small veins )

To answer your earlier question, yes there are a variety of different sizes of cannulas which can be used to gain IV access. As stated earlier complications are so rare and placing IV cannulas is a daily occurrence both pre-hospital and in hospital so the expertise will be of the hugest level. Having IV access has a lot of advantages, for you it will be the accessibility to your blood will be almost insantenous once you have IV access established.

I'm sure they wont cause an infection or something. The doctors and nurses always tell me I have "bad veins" though. I'm skinny so might have smaller veins, not sure if this would affect it. Can they use a smaller cannula if I am smaller? I thought it might not "fit" if it makes sense and leave a bigger scar than a blood test. Plus wouldn't insertion of a cannula hurt way more than a needle because it's bigger

Is it actually easier than having regular blood tests then? I thought they had to change a cannula once every few days anyway. I have been in hospital and had regular blood tests done before for the same length of time. It only started being a problem towards the end of the week. I think they want to take blood more often this time though

http://www.recoveryourlife.com/forum/showthread.php?t=48076

http://babyandbump.momtastic.com/postnatal-support/158334-cannula-scar.html

Cannulas come in a range of sizes, so they'll use one which will fit. The most common sizes are no bigger than a standard blood-sampling needle, and most scars really are just a dot, if anything. Most hospitals change them roughly every three days or sooner if they stop working.

I don't know your history or what this admission is for, but if they really want to do bloods that often then I don't think a cannula is a bad idea - normal blood tests can eventually damage your veins too!

What most of the people above have said is correct. They can manipulate which cannula they use they come in different sizes - blue being the smallest for adults- and they shouldn't hurt. A bit uncomfortable once it's in and stuff but it shouldn't be sore. I cannulate as well and sometimes it depends on the sensitivity of the patient for the bruising but the bruises tend to fade over a few days. I suggest let them do it the way they want because they now best. Hope that helps

Thank you Where do they usually put them, in your elbows? Do they usually only have to change them once every 3 days?

Depends on the person doing them and where they can find the veins. I prefer going in the elbow because I hate the hands... Hands are lot more sensitive and hurt more and they wriggle too much.

They'll probably look in the elbow area first and then work their way down.

If you are staying in the hospital then yeah normally every 3 days. But for the day, they take it out as soon as they've used it.

Thank you Oh, I've looked up the sizes and they aren't that big actually, I thought they were like the size of a cotton bud or something. Not to be really gory but how do they put in them in, does it hurt more than a blood test? Panicking tbh

Also, how often do cannulas have complications like causing bruising or needing to be changed more often? (I will pay you in personal reps for answers, srs)

I don't want to let them use my hands, I play basketball so I need to take care of them . They always use my elbows for blood tests so should they be OK for cannulas? Is there anywhere else I can ask them to do a cannula if my elbows don't work?

The cannula shouldn't ruin your hands. I've got difficult veins and they always end up going in my hands and it's aches for a day and then back to normal. But not really unless they go in the foot but I don't think you'd want that. typical normal areas are just the arm and hand/wrist

PRSOM but thanks so much I was hoping they could maybe put them in my leg or something because that's not so sensitive but thanks Will just see how it goes