I have decided to write this article for all of those who may undergo the insertion of a central intravenous catheter (Hickman line) and for those who are generally interested in the procedure from the point of view of a patient who has lived the operation first hand. What helped me through my procedure was reading a personal story of a man explaining his experience during the surgery. I thought I would do the same and hopefully give that calming feeling to the next person about to undergo this procedure.

For those who have a Hickman line currently, this article will hopefully answer some of your questions regarding removal of the line.  I know my first thoughts once getting fitted for it were "when's it coming out? how's it coming out? and will it hurt?"  The WHEN is different for everyone... it all depends on your treatment and recovery times, but your doctor should be able to give you a pretty good idea as to the time or what he/she is looking for in terms of recovery.  For me it was the ability to be transfusion free for over a month with both blood and platelets... Once that was accomplished last month the line was removed.  The HOW it is removed is fairly simple and happens within a regular exam room.