draining ascetic fluid. can I ask what is the procedure, I am filling up and it's becoming very uncomfortable, due for more chemo soon

[spikey62]

I have apt at Christie's on wed(2/4) for GFR test pre chemo. I don't know if I am supposed to contact my local hospital to get drained and if so is it just a day thing or is it an overnight job? When I was first diagnosed they left it until I had my op and did it all at once. Obviously there is no op this time. I am at a loss to know what to do. xxx Iris

[Dyana]

Hi ,

I wish i had an idea on this. I was drained before my op and was in hospital overnight but I think that Reading the site some people have it done in a day . I would ring your CNS or maybe Ruth at Ovacome for advice , good luck for Wed ,

Dy xx

[Hidden]

Hi Iris,

if you are really uncomfortably ring your specialist nurse. I have my ascites drained at my cancer centre, have had to have it done about 4 times now. It is usually done as a day pt. 1st time was over weekend and had to have 13 litres drained.

You could also go to A & E most hospitals will have a gynae on call.

Good luck and hope you get a result soon

Chris x

[francescahannah]

I would have thought your oncologist should be giving you advice and sorting it out for you. I have met women who have out drained as a day case. I go to the Christie and my consultant Dr Welch would be the one I'd phone as he no longer had a specialist nurse since the lovely Judy left.

I hope it all goes well

Love Francesca x

[jennybutler]

I too have cancer again and on the wait and see, my tummy is swollen and seeing onc. on Wednesday to see where we go from here feeling sick all the time and so so weak and tired not eating etc. Hope to get drained at oncology centre as last time. the relief once done is amazing and i know once chemo. starts again the ascites will go away. Hope you get sorted soon sure if you ring your local hospital they will arrange it. can be done as day a day patient. Love Jenny xxx

[daisies]

Hello. Draining ascite fluid is straight forward - a small tube is put in the area ( abdomen etc) and attached to a small bad with a 'tap'. It is done under local anaesthetic / pain killer and the fluid out/drained is done slowly and measured also - as BP can go haywire while it drains. Mind just dropped so quickly - that the hospital staff made me stay in bed with a BP monitor attached. The fluid was drained out over 2 days and the relief after it began was fantastic. But chat to your oncologist/cancer lisiason nurse if you are concerned or have questions. Because as you know, each patient is different and sometimes the practice for doing 'medical' things can be different also. Hope all goes well. Daisies

[ScardyCat40]

When I was drained they had me in for the day although I asked to stay overnight and the drain was done under a local. It's a bit of a shock when they punch through the abdomen wall. Where did you have surgery? Was it St Mary's? I was told if I ever filled up to go to A&E fortunately I didn't but I would hate to be sat round A&E for hours with a bloated tummy. I am not sure who your onc is at The Christie but you could try ringing the secretary for some advice or see if GP can get you up on AEU one of the admitting wards. If they are busy in radiology as it is done with an ultrasound you might have to stay in. Sadly we don't always get told who the CNSs are at The Christie. I had to ask

[Hidden]

My moms dr did it 2 or 3 times for her, it's not complicated

Ultrasound and a large needle

Day procedure

You are awake it's a bit uncomfortable

But releases the pain of the fluid

So that's good

[artzombie]

I had my fluid drained by my surgeon about a week before my op. I was so swollen with the fluid and was so uncomfortable that I had trouble with walking. It was really straight forward, he just took me too a side room, used an ultrasound scanner to find a good spot to insert the drain, cleaned a small area on my stomach and applied some numbing gel. The needle went in and it felt a bit like getting an injection at the dentist and was over very quickly. The drain was in and attached to a drainage bag and I could instantly see the fluid coming out and started to feel so much better within 10 minutes. I waked back to the ward were they let me have a room for the next 5 hours. Every time the bag filled up the nurse would come and empty it into a jug so they could see how much fluid was coming out. They got 6 litres of fluid out of me. The only thing that was horrible was the stomach pains that i got after about 3 litres of fluid came out, i was told this could happen and its because everything has been squashed and it starts moving back into place. Some ibuprofen from the nurse soon sorted it out. All in all it was a breeze, my blood pressure was checked at regular intervals and was fine. I went home that night.