PORT PLACEMENT - Detailed description of process
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What was your physical reaction to port removal? Did you feel as tired as when you had it put in, less, or more?
I had my chemo this past week. The increase in fatigue seems to have gotten bigger each time on the last few infusions, and I am thinking the final three will be even more exhausting. When I had the port put in, four months into a 6 month course, I was extra-tired for about a week.
I would love to have the port out as soon as I finish my course of chemo, but I don't want to knock myself completely flat. Or maybe I will already be completely tuckered out and can recover from that and port removal at the same time. I have an appointment with my oncologist next Weds and I think if I want the port out ASAP I need to tell him then in order to get on the schedule.
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hello, will answer tomorrow ,on kindle.
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Curveball, and Laurie, hello glad you found this thread Tbird57 wrote such a great description of the port procedure. Follow up posts by BCO members may help you. I've been bumping it as time goes by,so, it doesn't get lost in time. By now the pain feeling you had has likely been addressed by your doc or as others suggested time and distance from surgery have resolved the issue. If it hasn't keep on your surgeon to address your concerns.
See the chemo threads for chemo questions:)
The only thing I will add, is consider keeping your port after chemo for awhile. You will need blooddraws for a least a year. The keeping of the port is individual to each persons needs. MY twin has had hers for several years and wouldn't trade it for anything. But she and I have difficult arm veins. Again an individual preference. Good Luck, sheila
Pixie, the port removal process is identical to the insertion process or should I say it should be. I have heard of ports being removed by surgeons in the office. But all the same reasons for infection and complication risks exist at removal. I've never heard of an adequate reason to have it removed without the same precautions. Thanks sheila:)
Going to cut and paste this to the three of you since time has passed
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I think they told me in my system, having the port out is an office procedure with a local anaesthetic. I think I will be OK as long as I don't look! I don't think I want to see that long catheter tube coming out. I don't think I'm worried about having it done in the office. My incision is about 1" long, and people have cuts that big stitched up in emergency rooms and clinics all the time without getting an infection. What are the possible complications? I suppose I could leave it in until April and ask for it to be taken out while I am in the OR for my reconstructive surgery.
Blood draws are a non-issue for me. I have good veins in my elbow that are still easy to use, and I don't have to remember to put on the lidocaine an hour in advance for an elbow poke. It's the veins in my forearm that were used to put the chemo drugs in that are wrecked, but I hope I won't be needing any more chemo once I finish this regimen. Unless (heaven forbid) I relapse within a few months, I think I'd rather have the port out and have a new one put in when and if needed, which I hope is never.
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Curve, I'm an old operating room(department, Emergency room(department) and oodles of everything else LOL, I have a different view of the world. I tend toward the end of the spectrum of the high end of everything LOL. So, I would do some research through some less intense folks, to get a perhaps a more even view.
Complications of ports can be infection, dropping a lung --pneumothorax, bleeding. Thes can occur with ports being taken out.
Removal and reinsertion is done every day, but with each incision there is scar tissue formation. Can make future access troublesome, but not usually prohibitive, but there again can be , no guarantee.
If anyone reading this thinks I'm "telling" too much, I have found that when someone has all the facts, better decisions can be made. Docs tell you these things when they have you sign the consent forms, but here is an opportunity to say--what was that?
Curve if you come here and need help, PM me too. I watch this thread, but sometimes I miss posts
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This was such a great description of what to expect - I'm so glad I found it! Thanks so much! I'm getting my port tomorrow, followed immediately by my first chemo session. I was really concerned about having both on the same day but I guess it's done all the time. Was also kind of freaked out about a catheter going through the wall of a big main vein (vena cava) and being so close to the heart, but again, millions of people have ports, so I guess I'll be fine. I'm definitely going with the sedation! Thanks again for the great post!
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I was concerned about getting a port. It was a easy outpatient surgery. You will be sore ( my surgeon said I will feel like someone hit me in the shoulder with a baseball bal). Mine was put in on the 2nd. they used it on the 4th and I have very little discomfort now just a few days later. Just listen to your body. It will tell you when you need to slow down.
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I had my port placed early yesterday moring and was completely out of it during the procedure. I came home, took a nap, had lunch and coffee and worked in the afternoon and evening. I was able to cancel four hours of the sick leave I had taken yesterday and put in a full day today. Granted, my job is completely sedentary, but I was surpised I felt good enough to work at all. I'm uncomfortable, but am able to control the pain with tylenol and ibuprofen. My first chemo infusion is this coming Thursday, which will be six days after the port placement.
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GailAnn ~ so glad it went so well for you. Good luck with your chemo! The port makes things soooooooo much easier.
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Thanks, Artimis. I've been told now by several friends who've had chemo that in the months to come I'll be very thankful for that port!
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Hi CristlC, I hope all is well with you. I had a port place on my left side just over my breast. I had this port for 5 years. I ended up with a blood clot in my left arm and neck. It's been 3 years since they took the port out, but now I have to get treatments again and they want to put the port back in. I'm not sure weather I should let them put it back in the same place or do something different. Did you find out what's the better route? If so can you share with me your experience. My treatments start on Friday of this week.
thanks for your time and be blessed.
Kingdom
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I've posted this ? on another thread, but hadn't read this one yet...Did any of you have the port put in while you had TEs in? These things seem like they're taking up all the room in my chest! I don't understand where a port will fit, & I'm so uncomfortable with these TEs already, I can't imagine...
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grover , sorry no knowledge. Scan the pages from the first and see if it's been been posted, sheila
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SAS: I'll be scanning the entire thread like Grover. Just diagnosed with recurrance in the chest wall & possible mets. More tests to come but I expect port, chemo, rads & then more surgery, starting in only two weeks. I had BMX 2 years ago and actually have Allergan 410 gummy implants.
Thanks everyone for what I've read so far.
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Great, informative post. I've had my port in for a few months and I wanted to add that it gets bruised everytime it is used and stays that way. My doctor has said this is nothing to worry about. Just in case someone else had this issue.
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I am waiting to have my port placed and my surgeon is thinking of doing a brachial port (in the brachial vein on my right arm) vs the traditional port into the subclavian or jugular vein. Has anyone heard of it being done this way? My surgeon referred to it as a "low profile" port.
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You might want to mention that to your onc, Janet. When they place the port, there is a long tube that goes into the vein and stops near the heart, that is probably what you are feeling. Probably it is just the newness of it being placed, but I always mention everything to the doctor (even if they aren't sure what to do with it - like my first onc). I was one of those whose body could not handle the port, tried to reject it, and it was never comfortable for me. Others have had absolutely no issues after it was placed. Good luck and just be aware of your body and the reactions it is having.
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Thank you SO much for this...getting my port installed Monday 4/8 and starting chemo Friday 4/12. Very helpful info>
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Virginger, I hope all goes well with your first chemo treatment. I had 6 days between port placement and first chemo, so the port area was still a little tender, but now I've had the port in for about six weeks and two treatments. I'm not nearly as aware of it as I was that first ten days or so. I'm very glad I had it put in and will be even more glad when it's time for it to come out!
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Caraboo, it's a newer approach, but several years old. Didn't see your post till now , so, you likely have it inserted already. If you see this , please post your thoughts and recommendations ...Thanks and Good Luck !! sheila
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Sheila, I did have my port done on my arm vs the traditional way on 4/4, I love it. It was done in radiology using local anesthesia. My arm was cleaned and sterilized with iodine and I was draped with blue sterile surgical blanket and my right arm was strapped to a board to keep motionless during the procedure. It was done by an intervention radiologist and the procedure took about 3/4 hr, they numbed the area with lidocaine and my radiologist also added epinephrine to the shot so that bleeding would be minimized. One incision is made through which both port & catheter is placed. I did not feel anything, the placement of the catheter is done using fluoroscopy. The Port is above the elbow and on the inside portion of my arm. There are dissolvable stitches on the inside and the outside of the incision was closed with glue and steri-strips. A bandage was placed over the steri-strips and I was to leave it on for 2 days after which I could take it off and take showers. There was some pain after the local wore off but nothing that Motrin did not cure.
I had my first infusion on 4/11 and it worked great. I would definitely recommend if this is an option.
The only drawback is that I cannot have blood pressure done on that arm until everything is fully healed - about a month, so the nurses have to do my bp on my leg.
Good luck to all of you...0 -
Caraboo, so, glad you posted ! Excellent description of procedure. It will be a great resource for anyone to follow here. Please add your thoughts over time.
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Good Morning-friends, have been working on an issue with a member. Wanted to share with you all the note below b/c of it's importance. Hope you find it useful Sassy
If you get the AARP magazine this months issue ( dated april/may 2013) , there is a story about the safest hospitals and what safety procedures that are in place that cause them to be safe. The article cites that 180,000 people die a year due to medical/surgical errors AND 400,000 drug errors are made a year. The articles states that these numbers are likely higher b/c these are the ones that are reported. I agree. I know you've seen where I've said on the threads "Sorry etc for too much info, just want too make you(BCO memebers) safer". Guess I should stop apologizing for writing stuff in this regard. These numbers are higher then the last set of numbers that I had known. The problem is either getting worse OR there is better reporting. I'll go with better reporting.
It cited that one of the safety items was having an ICU Intensivist. It cited that only 35% of hospitals had Intensivist. I was dismayed at this percentage since residencies for Critical Care Medicine have been available since the 1980's. Truly thought by now that the "industry" would have been driven by demand for better care that this statistic would be 70 to 80%. ICU medicine is absolutely in need of a specially trained doc. Just as in all subspecialties of the American Medical Association(AMA), the knowledge and skills of this subspecialty are critical to survival when a patient is at this level of need.
My hope is those seeing this will locate a copy of the AARP article. Read it throroughly. Then question there local hospitals on each item. Based on what they elicit re:safety of each facility, they can choose the safest hospital near them for care. It can mean the difference between life and death, and or avoidable complications. Spreading the word to others regarding this may save lives.
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I am deciding for the port
How is the port scar? already so upset for my mastectomy scars
is it worth it to place a port for 4 cycles? (4 cycle TC 3 weeks apart) is it going to ruin your veins for future blood draws if i don't place a port?
does not add a source of infection?
nurses are pushing for it I want a non bias opinion!!
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Ports are terrific. Not worth it to take the chance of blowing out your veins. scar is not bad at all.
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reposting from pg ten, I am a retired RN am very biased in favor of ports. Trying to locate one previous post that really says how I feel
In this post I'm pissed b/c I wanted a port and denied, MY DH was immediately offered a port, both were to be non-dessicant chemo. As I stated at the last of the post, that would never happen again.http://community.breastcancer.org/topic_post?forum_id=69&id=721889&page=10
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Duh LoL, the post below was on page 15. It really teaches why PORTS are so valuable. I was really on a rant here. Some nurse whispered to a patient who didn't want a port "that they were just for the convenience of the nurse". If I could have I would have complained to the state Board of Nursing. So, even in the midst of a rant is good info
http://community.breastcancer.org/topic_post?forum_id=69&id=721889&page=15
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