Portacath insertion, what to expect?

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Aqx99
Posts: 403
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Location: Pfafftown, NC

Portacath insertion, what to expect?

Postby Aqx99 » Fri Jul 14, 2017 6:57 pm

On Wednesday I have my consultation with the interventional radiologist ahead of the procedure on Friday morning. For those that have had a portacath put in, what is the procedure like? What questions should I ask at my consultation?
Anne, 40
Stage IIIB Rectal Cancer
T3N1bM0
2/21/17 Dx, Age 39
2/21/17 CEA 0.9
3/23/17 - 5/2/17 Chemoradiation, 28 treatments
6/14/17 Robotic LAR w/temp loop ileostomy, ovaries & fallopian tubes removed, 2/21 lymph nodes positive
7/24/17 - 12/18/17 CapeOx, 6 Cycles
7/24/17 Dx w/ovarian cancer
9/6/17 CA 125 11.1
11/27/17 CEA 2.6
12/5/17 CT NED
12/13/17 CEA 2.9
1/11/18 CA 125 8.6
1/23/18 Reversal
3/21/18 CT enlarged thymus
4/6/18 PET NED
7/10/18 CT NED
7/11/18 CEA 2.6
9/18 Bilateral Prophylactic Mastectomy

Basil
Posts: 275
Joined: Thu Mar 16, 2017 12:33 pm

Re: Portacath insertion, what to expect?

Postby Basil » Fri Jul 14, 2017 7:29 pm

Hey, we're dx buddies. I'm 40, stage 3b dx 3/16. Assuming the port you're describing is the same as I have - they call it a Power Port - the install is at the bottom of your concern list. It was simple and essentially painless. Biggest pain in the ass was keeping it dry for some period of time after surgery. I am frankly amazed they can install something like that under the skin with so little discomfort and inconvenience.
40 y/o male (now 46), kids 11 & 14.
Dx 3/16/17, rectal cancer s3,t3,n1,m0
PROSPCT trial (FOLFOX in lieu of chemorad)
FOLFOX 4/5/17 - 6/26/17
LAR 7/31/17, temp ileo
pathological complete response
Adjuvant chemo cancelled (IDEA Study)
Ileo reversed 9/25/17
NED
1 year scans - clear
2 year scans - clear
3 year scans - clear
4 year scans - clear
5 year scans - clear (considered cured)

Lee
Posts: 6207
Joined: Sun Apr 16, 2006 4:09 pm

Re: Portacath insertion, what to expect?

Postby Lee » Fri Jul 14, 2017 8:26 pm

A friend dropped me off for the procedure. I was asleep for part of the procedure (or maybe that was just me) :shock: . I was awake for the 2nd half when they were putting the tube in. I could feel it. I was VERY relaxed thanks to meds.

So ask if they put you out for part of the procedure :D .

I was able to get chemo the next day.

Good luck, it was a simple procedure for me.

Lee
rectal cancer - April 2004
46 yrs old at diagnoses
stage III C - 6/13 lymph positive
radiation - 6 weeks
surgery - August 2004/hernia repair 2014
permanent colostomy
chemo - FOLFOX
NED - 16 years and counting!

jep
Posts: 260
Joined: Sun Jun 11, 2017 7:45 pm
Location: New England, USA

Re: Portacath insertion, what to expect?

Postby jep » Fri Jul 14, 2017 8:33 pm

Hello. My husband just had his port placed today. They gave him the "twilight sleep." They even asked if he wanted to be totally asleep for the whole procedure, and he said yes. He even snoozed for a while afterwards. They did an x-ray afterward to make sure the placement was successful. He couldn't eat for 12 hours before, and wasn't even allowed to drink water the morning of. Not sure about questions to ask. We also have a few friends who had ports, and they all were pretty much issue free. Good luck with everything!
jep
Stage IV CC 5/16/17
Loc: recto-sig
Type: Adenocarcinoma
Size: 7.4 cm
Grade: G3
TNM: T3N2M1
LNs: 8/20
BL CEA: .9
LVI: present
Perineural invasion: present
LAR margins: clear (w/in microns)
Folfox (8/17-1/18)
Scope 6/18 - CLEAR! - 2 polyps
PET 10/17/18: 3 pos LNs
Irino + Vecti (11/18)
CEA: 1.7 (2/19)
Xel + rad (5/19)
Surgery: 8/21/19 (aborted)
P1 Trial 10/19 - 12/19
Bypass 12/6/19
Folfox + vecti 1/2/19 - 4/3/20
Kid Fail 5/1/20
Folfiri + Avastin 5/20 - 6/20
bypass 6/29/20
Stivarga 7/18/20 -
Home 9/10/20

JudiB
Posts: 71
Joined: Sun Mar 05, 2017 5:30 am

Re: Portacath insertion, what to expect?

Postby JudiB » Sat Jul 15, 2017 2:21 am

I was out completely...that was fine by me!
My main issue is location as I have to pad my bra strap and irs a real nuisance! Ask for location away from where strap will rub!
I did gave a bit of discomfort for a few weeks but then fine ...except for bra strap issue!
All the best for your treatment.
Xxc
May 2004 Breast cancer lumpectomy followed by radiotherapy, Tamoxifen 5 years, then Femara 2 years.

Jan 2017 resection around colo-rectal junction
T2bN1 M0
March 2017 Chemo Folfox started. Oxaliplatin for 4 treatments, then just 5 FU and Leucovorin for remaining 8 treatments.
June 2017 clear scan
Last chemo August 2017
August 2017 clear scan
February 2018 clear scan

JudiB
Posts: 71
Joined: Sun Mar 05, 2017 5:30 am

Re: Portacath insertion, what to expect?

Postby JudiB » Sat Jul 15, 2017 2:23 am

I was out completely...that was fine by me!
My main issue is location as I have to pad my bra strap and it's a real nuisance! Ask for location away from where strap will rub!
I did have a bit of discomfort for a few weeks but then fine ...except for bra strap issue!
All the best for your treatment but sorry you are having to join us on this forum, even though it's a great forum!
Xx
May 2004 Breast cancer lumpectomy followed by radiotherapy, Tamoxifen 5 years, then Femara 2 years.

Jan 2017 resection around colo-rectal junction
T2bN1 M0
March 2017 Chemo Folfox started. Oxaliplatin for 4 treatments, then just 5 FU and Leucovorin for remaining 8 treatments.
June 2017 clear scan
Last chemo August 2017
August 2017 clear scan
February 2018 clear scan

User avatar
LPL
Posts: 651
Joined: Fri Apr 22, 2016 12:49 am
Location: Europe

Re: Portacath insertion, what to expect?

Postby LPL » Sat Jul 15, 2017 6:40 am

Before my DH got his port (it was put in during surgery, see my signature, so he was asleep :wink: ) I had read advice to ask for it to be put on the right side to not have the seat belt rub on it. We live in a country where we drive on the right side of the road and hubby is doing most of the driving.
The 1st time I drove home after his chemo treatment, he was sitting beside me on the passenger seat and he said: "Thank you for asking about putting the port on the right side, sitting here I feel the seat belt rubbing the port". (There is always the option to sit in the back seat, behind the driver, if you are the passenger).

Good Luck /L
DH @ 65 DX 4/11/16 CC recto-sigmoid junction
Adenocarcenoma 35x15x9mm G3(biopsi) G1(surgical)
Mets 3 Liver resectable
T4aN1bM1a IVa 2/9 LN
MSS, KRAS-mut G13D
CEA & CA19-9: 5/18 2.5 78 8/17 1.4 48 2/14/17 1.8 29
4 Folfox 6/15-7/30 (b4 liver surgery) 8 after
CT: 8/8 no change 3/27/17 NED->Jan-19 mets to lung NED again Oct-19 :)
:!: Steroid induced hyperglycemia dx after 3chemo
Surgeries 2016: 3/18 Emergency colostomy
5/23 Primary+gallbl+stoma reversal+port 9/1 Liver mets
RFA 2019: Feb & Oct lung mets

cbsmith
Posts: 87
Joined: Sat Nov 28, 2015 11:45 am
Location: New Brunswick, Canada

Re: Portacath insertion, what to expect?

Postby cbsmith » Sat Jul 15, 2017 9:21 am

The only issue I had when my power port was installed was my neck was sore for a couple days, felt like I pulled a muscle. Other than that it was fine.

I do have the issue of the seat belt rubbing on it sometimes but I can usually adjust the seatbelt to prevent it from happening.
06/14-DX with FAP as 36yo Male
07/14-total colectomy, rectum removal, permanent ileostomy
08/14-DX Stage IIIC, KRAS mutant, MSS
09/14-04/15 - 12 rounds of FOLFOX
07/15-CT showed para-aortic lymph node, onc thght inflammation
10/15-DX Stage IV, CT lymph node tripled in size, 1 small lung met
11/15-FOLFIRI + Avastin
06/16-lymph node is stable, now have a 2nd lung met
01/16-lymph node is stable, lung mets grown 2mm. Still on FOLFIRI + Avastin
11/17 - no chemo since. Lung growth minimal, lymph node is stable

mhf1986
Posts: 158
Joined: Sat Mar 11, 2017 8:30 pm
Location: near DC

Re: Portacath insertion, what to expect?

Postby mhf1986 » Sat Jul 15, 2017 9:21 am

My DH was awake for it, they gave him some "happy" drugs but it didn't make him relax so be sure to ask for more if you are not happy! There wasn't real pain but it's stressful being in an OR and looking around at everything (I was in there for a while until they made me leave). You don't want the blood pressure reading shooting up from stress. He could not sleep on that side for a few nights so slept in the recliner. They would not put it on the left because they said that's where a pacemaker would go if ever needed.

Best wishes. You will like your port...we see people in the infusion room where the nurses can't find veins.

M
Caregiver to DH, dx @ 50, mets to liver/lungs, MSS, wild
9/16 CEA 114, blockage, left hemi, perm. colostomy
11/16 port in, FOLFOX + Avastin
6/17 CEA 15, 5FU + A only due to neuropathy
11/17 CEA 38, CAPOX + A
1/18 CAPOX = hi bilirubin/bad hfs, back to FOLFOX + A
5/18 growth; Vectibex + 75% Irinotecan
7/18 CEA 23, shrinkage
10/18 CEA 28, growth of 2 liver tumors/shrinkage of few and lung nodes
11/18 Lonsurf, looking at spheres, proton, trials
11/19/18 Peace

Cj51
Posts: 893
Joined: Thu May 13, 2010 5:58 pm
Location: Midwest

Re: Portacath insertion, what to expect?

Postby Cj51 » Sat Jul 15, 2017 9:48 am

My surgeon had me tell him where my bra stap fell so he could place it away from there. Take note of where yours is, and if s/he doesn't ask you, make sure to tell them. I'm sure they'll accommodate you. I also had a bit of trouble with seatbelts, but that's easily adjusted and minor. I agree totally with the poster above who said that this is at the very bottom of your list of concerns. I came to be very grateful for my port along the way.

Best of luck to you,
Cj
DX Stage IIIb RC, T3N1M0, April 2010, 51
6 wks Xelox/rad 6/10
resection, temp illeostomy 8/10 Complete response!
12 rounds FOLFOX for clean up 9/10, Allergic to Oxi, started Xeloda only 12/10
Ileo takedown 9/28/11
4/2020 NED

Tdubz
Posts: 152
Joined: Sun May 07, 2017 11:01 am

Re: Portacath insertion, what to expect?

Postby Tdubz » Sat Jul 15, 2017 11:46 am

The biggest question you have to answer is what side you want it on. The rest was a piece of cake. It didn't even hurt afterwards. I'm a side sleeper so it did take a week or two of sleeping on my back before I was comfortable sleeping on my side again but that was about it.

I chose to get it on the right side since I mainly do all the driving. Only bad thing about that is I will have to miss out on hunting season this year but I'm a terrible shot anyways so no big loss lol.

Kobe
Posts: 27
Joined: Wed Mar 01, 2017 10:29 am

Re: Portacath insertion, what to expect?

Postby Kobe » Sun Jul 16, 2017 9:49 am

I hate my port placement - it's on my left side. It's too close to my armpit and it causes discomfort every single day. I think the pain was completely avoidable of they had just moved it about an inch closer to center then it would be in my pec muscle and it wouldn't cause lack of range in movement in my left arm and pain in my neck. It hurts wearing a seatbelt or bra. Port placement seems like it should be no big deal but in my experience it gets screwed up often. I can't wait to get rid of it.

benben
Posts: 324
Joined: Fri Apr 28, 2017 3:18 pm
Location: Washington State

Re: Portacath insertion, what to expect?

Postby benben » Sun Jul 16, 2017 11:12 am

My experience with Port insertion, was overall good.
I received full sedation that knocked me out for the install. Surgeon said I snored through most of it :).
It took about 30 minutes for me to come out of a visual haze after surgery. Literally saw things all smudged together like a late stage van gogh painting - but with motion.
I did experience pain. First day I took a pain pill. Pain was much lower 2nd day and manageable without meds, but had a strange discomfort in the neck where line goes down into vein.
That took about 4-5 days before it was no longer noticeable. Now, I pretty much don't even realize the port is in. Once in a while after lifting some weights, or doing some other work that
involves heavy lifting or stressing, I'll get a minor glimpse of that same discomfort. So I try not to overdo on the lifting, but I'm back to lifting 50 lb items on regular basis. My port is supposedly
one of the best the nurses have seen as it fills the blood tubes in an instant.

Overall, the port has been one of the easiest parts of the journey - so don't sweat it.

best of wishes.
----------------------
3/29/17 diagnosed CRC - 44 y/o Male
4/17/17 ULAR - Straight anastomosis - no ostomy.
Path: low grade T3n1m0 - moderate diff.
KRAS - NO, MLH1/PMS2/MSH6/MSH2 - Normal.
5/3 med port install
5/22 folfox - first treatment.
3rd treat, delayed - low ANC - reduced to 90% OXI
zarxio all treats
Treat 7 - 75% OXI
Treats 8-12 - NO OXI, Luke & 5FU
10/20/17 CT- NED
3/18 Scope - Clean
11/8 PORT OUT!
7/22 CT - NED (5 years!)


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