Topic: PORT PLACEMENT - Detailed description of process

Sep 17, 2011 03:05 AM k8eekatt wrote:

I hope someone can read this one day.    I had  my port put in only three days before the first chemo treatment; it was just the time the doctors could do it.  When the chemo nurse installed the needle, it felt like a burning stabbing in my shoulder since the wound was so recent.  He was very sympathetic.  The following treatments were easier but it hurt quite a bit most times I had a needle installed into the internal port dome.  For the installation, I had a knock out sedative not full anesthesia so I could wake up more quickly; the procedure took about an hour and a half and I was under for only two hours.  I prefered my surgeon do it, not her assistant, and she agreed but I was dismayed when she made a joke about how she did not usually do that procedure since she had poked the catheter into the lungs of patients on two other occasions.  Laying on the gurney is not when you want to hear that piece of information.  It was sore for the rest of the seven months it was in, and I slept on my back.  I had it out six weeks ago and the area is thick with painful scar tissue.  It was helpful to have my sister with me when I got the port out, they just did a local anesthetic and removed it in the office.  The tape and dressings came off a day early, after two days, but it has healed. The scar is raised, red and sore now, about six weeks after having it out. I often had brusing and soreness increase after a chemo treatment or a blood draw at the hospital. I know that chemo can really rip up your veins too, and its worth while to have a port to spare your arm veins, especially if you can only have IV and injection treatments in one arm after a cancer surgery, but I am not sure it was warrented with only four chemo treatments prescribed.  I left it in after chemo for the administration of other drugs, and had it removed the day after I was given the "once in six months" IV therapy I was waiting for.   I got it installed on the advice of my friend, who was a nurse in a chemo unit at M.D. Anderson.  I am not sure I would recommend it for only a four treatment regimen.   Good luck to any who read this in the future.  I am currently free of signs of disease, surviving since Feb. 2, 2011....going to the race for the cure this weekend to walk the 5k untimed event.

Sep 26, 2011 03:51 PM sas-schatzi wrote:

BUMP

Oct 3, 2011 08:11 AM, edited Oct 3, 2011 08:11 AM by TML

Oct 6, 2011 07:02 AM TAPPY wrote:

My port placement was worse than my surgery,   I havea very experienced suregon and it took him 9 tries to get it in...Was in extreme pain when i got out...felt like some one had punched me in the shoulder.

Stupid Question...I have two bandaged areas, which one is the poort ?

Oct 25, 2011 07:38 AM inhiscare wrote:

I'm scheduled to have one put in tomorrow. You gave an incredibly detailed account that is very helpful. Thanks so much.

Oct 28, 2011 05:29 AM sas-schatzi wrote:

Cymblastic--------Please keep your port as long as you can allow--------remember I said as long as you can allow.Not having the ability to draw from both arms is a negative. Not knowing what the future allows. Please, don't take it out prematurely

Nov 2, 2011 11:24 AM sas-schatzi wrote:

Sorry, exbrngrl-----tha't a potenial complicatoin of a port placement. You didn't say if they attempted the other side. OR your waiting till you recover from this. Cancer sucks.Protect your self by watching all hand washing and hand gloving. Hand gloving should only come towards you. Not touching everything in the room and then you. If you see that occur ask them to change their gloves----------some will get real affronted. Ask them who are the gloves supposed to protect.

If it's you, and any other object was touched that had't already had a cover on it. AIN"T YOU BABY.

Nov 4, 2011 02:02 AM sas-schatzi wrote:

exbrnxgrl----------Odd that lung collapse wasn't found for two weeks. Automatic standard protocol is a chest xray done  immediately post port placement.. I do remember a case though that I thought I caught a absence of breath sounds in the recovery room post chest xray. I was completely denigrated by the doc in front of the other nurses , but he said if you must get a chest xray---------there was a partial collapse, didn't need a chest tube. It did though qualify my nursing assessment.

Several other cases over the years(many) that my hearing loss has picked up pneumothorax(lung collapse). When listening with a stethoscope, what can happen is you hear referred noise  from the other lung. With my hearing loss, in the cases where I didn't have that ability to here referred noise, I could pick up the absence of noise i.e real breath sounds---or absence. It ironically, allowed my hearing loss to be an advantage.

 So, sorry you have had to go through a chest tube this long. They are as painful and uncomfortable as it gets. It has to do with the fact the nerve artery and vein run on the underside of the rib, the chest tube is put between the ribs. Every time you breath or move it hurts.

Please, I pray that all goes better sheila

Nov 7, 2011 12:51 PM knebel22 wrote:

Thanks for the detailed description. I am schedule for port surgery tomorrow.

Denise

Dec 11, 2011 02:15 PM Zgirl66 wrote:

I received a Lifeport 12/1/11. They did put me totally under. Because I had a mastectomy on the left, they put the port on the right side, though I understand they prefer the left side. I was fine, but after returning home, I felt pressure breathing. (Like jogging on a super cold day.) My doctor told me to go back to my nearest hospital for a chest Xray. I was diagnosed with a pneumo thorax. My lung was nicked, so air leaked forming a bubble between my chest and lung. It wasn't too painful, but not possible to breathe in a full, deep breath. I had another xray the next morning and another the following Monday (because I was due to start chemo Tuesday morning). It healed enough on its own to let me continue. Was scary and added to the drama. But now, I feel okay. Sometimes when I bend down I still feel my breath isn't exactly right, but I feel okay. The upside is no real problems with the port. It is tender, but very little scarring. Does anyone know if it hurts when they take it back out?? 

Dec 11, 2011 08:12 PM exbrnxgrl wrote:

Zgirl,
You are very lucky. I had some symptoms, but nothing that was the usual presentation for a pneumothorax! Two weeks after port placement I had an unrelated PET scan that picked it up. My onc called and said get to the ER ASAP, they will be expecting you. Not a single doctor could believe that I had functioned so well, including gym work outs, with such a collapsed lung. I ended up spending 6 days in hospital with 3 separate chest tube insertions and then being discharged with a portable chest tube for almost a month. I really was quite an anomaly. Thankfully, my port is functioning well after this mess. Glad to hear that you are feeling better! Caryn

Dec 12, 2011 12:51 AM, edited Dec 12, 2011 12:55 AM by exbrnxgrl

MaryNY,
The chance of a punctured lung, when placed by an experienced doctor, is about 1%. Clearly, Zgirl66 and I are in the minority. I was, however, aware of this possibility as it was mentioned as a risk on the consent forms I signed. I was also told that everyone who has a port placed at my medical facility always has an x ray and I think this is quite common.
Caryn

Dec 12, 2011 06:17 AM sas-schatzi wrote:

To all, The entry of a port into the chest, a Potential complication is a collapse of the lung, It is identified on all consents. That is why a chest xray is done immediately post insertion. If you have had full general / or twilight anesthesia you may not remember the xray being done. BUT it was "Standard Operating Protocol". Standard discharge instructions-------any shortness of breath, difficulty breathing call 911, or go to your local ER.

THAT's why it's so important to have someone with you who listens to the post-op instructions and stays with you afterwards at home. The drugs given for the procedure have an amnesiac affect which means you have no memory of the occurrence. You may talk well, act well, walk well-------just no memory. A really good surgeon will teach you this beforehand and get you to sign a form that says you have been instructed in this.

Only a big national publicized lawsuit will correct this problem of no preoperative teaching.

I have a hearing loss. The only advantage it has given me in my whole life is, I have by listening with a stethoscope been able to pick up pnuemothraces. Reason- with a person with normal hearing, they will hear referred breathing noises from the opposite side. I can't. So, when I said I hear no breathing  sounds. It always proved true.  One post op port insertion ---post chest xray , just prior to discharge and I did my thing . I fought with the doc b/c the xray said no collapse. . Well this was < 2 hrs later. I couldn't hear what I normally would expect. Vindicated by xray--- a 10 % collapse. Everyone was amazed. ------------Like I said it is the only time my hearing loss ever served me well

Other times--------If I told my DH something sounded strange with the car-----he learned to act fast. Never was included in the really good gossip b/c I had to ask them to speak up.

Jan 14, 2012 08:19 PM CatWhispurrer wrote:

Caryn and Zgirl66 - add me to the nicked lung group.   I had my port placement on Wed, 1/4, and was told that the post-op xray looked good so sent home.   I had problems the next day with pain on deep breathing.  I told both the hospital nurse who called to check on me and my BS but they said it was probably just muscle pain from the port, so I waited all weekend.  ON Sunday, I was taking a walk with my dogs and felt very constricted with breathing and then got pain in my lower lung which radiated to my back.  So, Monday morning, I called my BS office and told them.  They didn't call me back until 4 PM!!  I went right to the hospital for the xray and was driving home (crying the whole time) when my BS called me and told me to turn the car around and head back to the hospital to be admitted.  I had a pneumothorax.  It wasn't getting better so I had a chest tube put in on Tuesday under locals/light sedation and it was the most painful thing ever!  I thought I was going to die.   After a lot of morphine, the pain got better.  I was released on Wednesday with the tube still in.  I finally got it taken (yanked) out (another BIG ouch) yesterday.  The xray today shows that my lung is staying inflated so now my BS says I'm cleared to start chemo.  

I am glad this post was around for me to know that this was a possible side effect of the port placement and what to watch for as my BS only mentioned it once in passing.  

Jan 14, 2012 09:04 PM voraciousreader wrote:

Back in 1994 I had a pneumothorax due to a congenital defect. Spent a month in the hospital and ended up having major lung surgery to fix it. Over the course of two weeks they kept putting a chest tube in and yanking it out every time they thought it would stay inflated. They ended up taking chest muscle and slapped it on my lung with crazy glue and so far so good. Those 4 weeks were a NIGHTMARE and I have the scars to prove it!