A Hickman line can stay in place for months to years. There is no fixed maximum lifespan set by clinical guidelines. The CDC specifically recommends against routinely replacing tunneled central venous catheters on a schedule, meaning the line stays in as long as you need it and it continues to function properly.
How long yours actually lasts depends on how well it’s maintained, whether complications develop, and when your treatment ends. Here’s what determines the real-world timeline.
Why There’s No Set Expiration Date
Unlike short-term IV lines that get swapped out every few days, Hickman lines are designed for the long haul. They’re tunneled under the skin before entering a large vein near your heart, and a small cuff on the catheter encourages your tissue to grow around it, anchoring it in place. This design is what makes them suitable for treatments lasting many months, like chemotherapy, long-term antibiotics, or parenteral nutrition.
The CDC’s 2011 guidelines (reviewed in 2024) are clear: do not routinely replace central venous catheters just to prevent infection. The only firm recommendation is to remove any catheter “that is no longer essential.” In practice, this means your medical team will leave the Hickman line in place until your treatment is done or a problem forces removal.
What Determines How Long Yours Lasts
Three things typically end a Hickman line’s service life: your treatment finishes, an infection develops, or the catheter itself fails mechanically.
Infection is the most common reason for early removal. Tunneled catheters carry a bloodstream infection rate of roughly 3.5 to 5 per 1,000 catheter days, depending on the setting and patient population. That translates to a meaningful cumulative risk over months of use. Signs of a catheter-related infection include fever, chills, redness or swelling at the exit site, or feeling unwell without another obvious cause. Some infections can be treated with antibiotics while the line stays in, but persistent or severe infections usually mean the line has to come out.
Blood clots are another concern. In a study of nearly 7,000 children with central venous catheters, tunneled lines had a deep vein thrombosis rate of about 3.1%. Clots can block the catheter or form in the surrounding vein, sometimes causing arm or neck swelling on the side where the line is placed.
Mechanical problems, like a cracked or broken catheter, can also cut the line’s life short. A comparison of silicone and polyurethane Hickman-type catheters found that 8% of silicone catheters broke during use (average time to breakage: about 102 days), while none of the polyurethane catheters fractured. Despite this difference in breakage, both materials lasted a similar total duration overall, with average dwell times of around 78 to 99 days in that particular study of cancer patients receiving active treatment. Many patients keep theirs much longer when treatment demands it.
Maintenance That Keeps the Line Working
A Hickman line that stays problem-free for a long time is one that gets consistent, careful maintenance. The two pillars are regular flushing and proper dressing changes.
Flushing
When the line isn’t being used for treatment, it still needs to be flushed daily to prevent clots from blocking it. The standard approach uses a saline flush followed by a small amount of heparin (a blood-thinning solution) to keep the catheter clear. Your care team will show you or your caregiver exactly how to do this at home. One important detail: always use a 10 mL syringe or larger, even if you’re pushing a smaller volume of fluid. Smaller syringes generate higher pressure that can rupture the catheter wall.
Dressing Changes
The exit site where the catheter leaves your skin needs to stay clean and covered. In the first days after placement, dressings are typically changed daily while the site heals. Once the area is dry, a transparent adhesive dressing can be used and changed weekly, or sooner if it gets wet, dirty, blood-stained, or starts peeling at the edges. If infection is suspected, the dressing comes off so the site can be inspected.
Living With a Hickman Line Long-Term
Showering is one of the biggest practical concerns people have. The exit site and external portion of the catheter must stay dry. Waterproof covers designed specifically for central lines are available and work like sealed pouches that hold the catheter while keeping water out. If you use a gauze dressing, it needs a waterproof covering during any bathing, and you should change the dressing immediately afterward.
Swimming and soaking in baths are generally off-limits for the duration. Contact sports or activities that risk pulling on the line are too. Beyond those restrictions, most people adjust to daily life with a Hickman line reasonably well, especially once the exit site has fully healed and the flushing routine becomes second nature.
When the Line Comes Out
Removal is a straightforward procedure, much simpler than insertion. It’s typically done at the bedside or in a clinic rather than in an operating room. The cuff that anchored the catheter in the tissue tunnel may require a small incision to free it, but the process is quick and done under local anesthesia. Most people feel a tugging sensation rather than sharp pain. Once removed, the site heals within a week or two.
The decision to remove usually comes down to one of three scenarios: your treatment is complete and you no longer need venous access, a complication like infection or clotting can’t be resolved with the line in place, or the catheter has physically broken or become blocked beyond repair. If you still need long-term access after removal, a new line can be placed, sometimes in the same session.