This summer (hopefully in July) I will be starting on a (blue!) MiniMed 522. They’ve said that I can use either the Silhouette or the Quick-Set. Does anybody have any experience with these sets or recommendations as to which is the best to use?
I currently use the quick sets with my 722. I am actually get 10 Sils to try on my next shipment next month. I can’t use the Quick-Sets on my thighs or arms as they say I do not have enough fat so I am hoping I can use the Sils there since they go in differently. I will let you know when I try them which I like better.
Good Luck on your pump.
Hi Emma,
I have been using the quicksets for 2 years and I like them. I did have a choice for the 6mm or 9mm (cannula depth) and chose the standard 9mm. OUCH what a mistake. If you are skinny go shallow!!! 6mm is way more comfy for me!
Good luck on your pump startup! Cheers!
Hi Emma! I am using a paradigm pump as well. Been on it for just over a year now, I love it! When I first started my pump nurse from minimed told me not to waste my time with silhouettes so i just used the 6mm quicksets. They worked well for me except the odd tender site, which would hurt when I moved certain ways, poking muscle I think? Anyway I recently tried the 13mm silhouettes and I love them . I can insert them just about anywhere on my skinny gut without worry if my active lifestyle of bending and moving in awkward positions will cause me site pain. So for now i’m sticking with the sills. Speaking of sticking, one thing I do notice is the quicksets seem to stick to me better. Especially on really hot days or when sweaty! I would suggest trying both cause what it comes down to is what is most comfortable for you! GOOD LUCK!
hmm… I like the silhouette sets. I’ve been using them for a little over a year. I’ve tried the quick sets, but I still prefer the silhouette sets.
Good luck! I hope you enjoy pumping!
I use both.
I started using the Quickset which inserts at 90 degrees and used it on my abdomen. I’m pretty thin, and there was really no other place for it. I tried alternate sites, but there wasn’t enough tissue there to prevent the canulus from sticking into muscle, which can be pretty annoying, if not painful.
After two and a half years I was developing scar tissue beneath the skin on my abdomen and wasn’t absorbing insulin that well. A diabetes trainer gave me some Silhouettes to try. They insert at an angle and I could use alternate sites, like my flank and glutes. I didn’t like it the first time I tried it, but the second time I felt very comfortable.
Now I switch back and forth - one box of Quickset on the abdomen, one box of Silhouettes on the flanks. More sites=less scar tissue.
I also agree with Jayson - if you’re active the Silhouette is more accommodating for all the bending and moving. I haven’t notice any difference in the adhesion for me.
After all that, my advice is that if you’re thin or don’t have much body fat, use the Silhouettes. If you have a lot of body fat use the Quickset. If you’re in the middle, like me, use both so you can rotate sites frequently. Minimed had no problem with mixing sets in my order. (Your insurance company my have a different opinion, though, so check with them, too.) Try both for awhile, if you can.
Good luck,
Terry
That’s good information. I’m thin and only use the Quickset on my abdomen. I’ll have to look into an alternating program like you. I’ve only been using the Quickset for 16 months, so there isn’t any scar tissue yet.
Congratulations Emma. You’ll love the “(blue!) MiniMed 522” (exactly what I have). I can’t believe I used injections for over 30 years before getting it.
Ken
I’ve been pumping for 3.5 years and have only used the 9mm quick-set. I’ve had no problems at all and find them comfortable (knock on wood). I only use my abdomen and have had no problems but from what I’ve heard and read this may change in the future if I develop absorbtion problems. I have no experience with the silhoutte but it’s interesting to know there’s an alternative out there. Happy Pumping !
Quickset for me since day one 5 years ago. That silhouette looks dang scary to me. Before I started pumping I asked to wear the sets with no pump attached just to see if I could even or wanted to have that thing in me all the time, and of course now I realize that is the easiest part of pumping.
Ask the rep or the CDE to try them both out.
Karen
Hi Emma,
When I first went on the pump, I had 0 body fat. The Minimed rep told me that I could only use the Silhouette. When I began on the pump (Feb. 2000) there was no 'serter for Silhouettes. The rep said, you just stick it in sideways (She no longer works for Minimed). Trying to slide 3 inches of needle under my skin without inserting it too deep did not work for me. My CDE called Minimed herself and asked for the 6 MM Quicksets. They work fine for me most of the time. I’ve never even tried the Silhouettes with the 'serter.
Make sure that you rotate your sites. I use my stomach and sides of my stomach (I only have muscle in my legs and trying any kind of shot there is pretty painful). I use an M rotation guideline, starting on my side and then 2 or 3 days later moving up diagonally about 3 inches from that site. I get more sites going from one side of my stomach to the other using the M rotation, than using the imaginary clock around the belly button method (which just gives you 4 sites).
You should definitely work with your team and use what method is right for you. It’s important that you don’t leave a site in for more than 3 days. That’s when you start to build up scar tissue and your insulin absorption is effected. If you do use other sites besides your stomach, you can eventually set up different patterns of Basal rates to keep yourself normal when you use a site with a less than optimal absorption rate (but that’s an advanced class 
All the best,
-Bill
I use them both - quick sets most of the time, though. I find the silhouettes tend to stay put better, and prefer them in areas like my thigh or the top of my buttocks, as I end up ripping the quick sets out accidentally when I’m getting into cars (damn those low-rise jeans!) or pulling my pants on etc.
I think quick sets might be easier to use for the sqeamish.
Hey Emma,
What’s new? I haven’t been online for awhile but I did want to stop by and answer this for you. I use the Siloutte and my pump is black. My daughter uses the qiick-set and has a purple pump. She loves the ease of the qiuck sets but I have found that I can’t keep my bs down with them. She on the other hand has no trouble with them. Maybe I just got alot of insulin pockets since I’ve had D for 35 years and she dosen’t since she’s only had it for 8, soon to be, 9 years!
Hi Emma,
Will this be your first pump? I have been wearing a pump for 23 years. I have had all kinds of infustion sets over the years. My favorite is the quick set. I tried the silhouette, but it did not work well with me. But, lot’s of people love them. It is all a matter of preference. Just work with your team and you will discover what works best for you. Good luck and I love my MiniMed!
Robin
Wow a pumper for 23 years, that is amazing to me 
I have been on the quick sets for a while and have not really had any problems with them but I have seen others who swear by the sure-t’s…ahhh the plethera of choices,
Keep Going…Peace, Bob
Yep, this is my first ever pump - I’m really excited! Wow, 23 years is a long time!
I use, and have always used, the Quick-Set. It’s been great for me, but nothing to compare to. No issues.
Hi there,
I used the Silhouette for 6 or 7 years and liked it and now use a the Sure-T - a simple set because I had some absorbsion problems. The change in set solved the problem. I liked the silhouette because is goes in at a 45 degree angle - found it really easy to use.
The silhouette gave me a bruise and it hurt!
But i only used it once, after that i didnt want to use it again.
I’ve used the Silouhette since I started the pump just over two years ago. It does take a bit of practice and a bit of courage (the introducer needle is big!) but for someone of my relatively thin stature, it’s more comfortable than the others. When the shorter cannula version was released (MMT-382) I switched immediately.
A couple of things to be cautious of; I learned these the hard way. I always use my abdomen. I’ve tried other sites on my body, and my bg always goes high. Absorption is different at other sites, so your pre-set basal rates will likely need to change if you go to other parts of the body. (If you use another site, that’s fine, just be consistent!). Second, I’ve been getting some scar tissue around my abdomen and have a hard time finding soft areas in which to use. My unscientific, unverified theory is that since the needle/cannula goes in at an angle, it takes up more “real estate” on your body than if it went in perpendicular, so the next infusion site has to be that much farther away.
I also suggest the longer tubing. It helps during the short moments when you don’t have a pocket or waistband available to hold the pump (i.e getting dressed, using the bathroom)
Best of luck with the new pump! Once I got the hang of it, my A1C and flexibility improved more than I could have imagined.