Worried about chemo port

[TinaFish]

Hey, everyone. I tried to look through the site to see if anyone had asked the same/similar question, and I couldn't find anything.

Sooo, a few days ago, I was in my garage, wedged in a pretty tight space. I was facing my metal shelves, and I was looking for something on the shelves. Once I found it, I had to slide myself down the space sideways to get out, because my body wouldn't have fit the little corridor if I hadn't been doing a side-step. Please visualize that for a second.

So I'm sliding sideways down a tight space, and then I realize... something is holding me back! I'm caught on something! There was no pain at the time, but to my horror, I realized that my chemo port had somehow gotten CAUGHT on my metal shelving, and my chest had moved a good 3-4 inches while my port was stationary! I disengaged my port from the metal shelf, and I went back inside the house.

Since then, I have had a mild, dull tenderness around my port. It hasn't gotten better or worse. Of course it would be expected that a person would have tenderness after something like that, but 1)I'm surprised that the port held its position so staunchly and didn't move at all! Does it have some kind of gripping mechanism that's holding on to my muscle? I thought it was just placed under my skin! And 2) what is the level of concern with this? Of course I'm going to discuss it with my oncologist before my next chemo appointment, but I'm not really understanding how, exactly, this thing has been implanted into me and how any part of it could be stationary.

I can only possibly think that maybe it's similar to a breast implant that's placed on top of the muscle? I don't have any breast implants, but I've watched "Botched" enough times to know that the surgeon creates a pocket for the implant. Maybe just like when you season your Thanksgiving turkey and you separate the skin from the meat so that you can put seasoning under the skin? Ok, like that, right? So maybe the surgeon creates a pocket for the chemo port, and after the surgery, the port stays confined to the pocket, much like a breast implant would?

[boxhill]

I have no idea exactly how they do it, but I do know that I would be really worried that the tube into the vein might be misplaced or something. If I were you I would call them and let them know right away. They can do a chest xray to confirm that everything is where it ought to be before having a chemo session. Or maybe they'll say it's nothing to worry about. Call!

[Rock_Robster]

Hi TinaFish, is your port accessed at the moment?

[TinaFish]

Hi TinaFish, is your port accessed at the moment?

Noooooo

[TinaFish]

I have no idea exactly how they do it, but I do know that I would be really worried that the tube into the vein might be misplaced or something. If I were you I would call them and let them know right away. They can do a chest xray to confirm that everything is where it ought to be before having a chemo session. Or maybe they'll say it's nothing to worry about. Call!

I get it, but the access area of the port (you know, the "doorbell") didn't even move, so I can't imagine how that tube to my neck could have moved. But yes, definitely something the doctor needs to be made aware of.

What a flawed piece of machinery, right? I mean, it protrudes so much that it can get caught on something? I wish they had put it in my arm. I heard that they do it that way sometimes.

[Rock_Robster]

Hi TinaFish, is your port accessed at the moment?

Noooooo

Ok great. Then I agree with boxhill - I’d mention it to the docs before they use it again, and they may want to verify positioning. The whole thing will be radio-opaque so a quick x-ray is usually sufficient. Mainly want to be sure you haven’t dislodged the catheter from the port, or at the other end moved it’s position in the SVC (as mine did...).

I was told over a fairly short period the port “beds down” and is held in place by the surrounding muscle, so hopefully it was fairly well secured by now.

Indeed arm is an option but I believe this results in a longer catheter in smaller veins, meaning more thrombus risk.

Cheers
Rob

[KimT]

I’m a nurse although I do not have a lot of experience with the chest chemo ports. As I recall, they are pretty well buttoned down. Unless you see that the length of the tube outside is longer than before, I wouldn’t worry too much about it. I’d just mention it to the doctor or chemo nurse next time you see one of them.

Article explaining tunneled catheters which is likely the one you have. They are for long term use and more secure than non tunneled.

https://www.verywellhealth.com/what-is- ... vc-2252180

[TinaFish]

Hi TinaFish, is your port accessed at the moment?

Noooooo

Ok great. Then I agree with boxhill - I’d mention it to the docs before they use it again, and they may want to verify positioning. The whole thing will be radio-opaque so a quick x-ray is usually sufficient. Mainly want to be sure you haven’t dislodged the catheter from the port, or at the other end moved it’s position in the SVC (as mine did...).

I was told over a fairly short period the port “beds down” and is held in place by the surrounding muscle, so hopefully it was fairly well secured by now.

Indeed arm is an option but I believe this results in a longer catheter in smaller veins, meaning more thrombus risk.

Cheers
Rob

What is the SVC?

[TinaFish]

I've honestly hated this thing from the beginning. It makes me feel like a cyborg.

[MetastaticEquilibria]

I've honestly hated this thing from the beginning. It makes me feel like a cyborg.

Heh, that’s the one thing I like about it.

“I’ll be back.”

[Rock_Robster]

I've honestly hated this thing from the beginning. It makes me feel like a cyborg.

Heh, that’s the one thing I like about it.

“I’ll be back.”

Dude I agree! All these meat-people walking around with their regular veins, and I’ve got titanium-build direct central venous access whenever I want. CLEARLY an enhancement

[Rock_Robster]

What is the SVC?

Sorry - superior vena cava - the large vein that leads into your heart with returning blood from the upper half of your body. It’s where the end of the catheter from your port should be, and hopefully still is.

[boxhill]

The reason that I personally would call ahead of time is that your onc is unlikely to be able to pull a chest xray out of a hat on infusion day, thus resulting in delays if there is a problem.

[jep]

The reason that I personally would call ahead of time is that your onc is unlikely to be able to pull a chest xray out of a hat on infusion day, thus resulting in delays if there is a problem.

Good point!

[TinaFish]

The reason that I personally would call ahead of time is that your onc is unlikely to be able to pull a chest xray out of a hat on infusion day, thus resulting in delays if there is a problem.

Good point!

Totally.

Spoke with oncologist today. She asked if there was any swelling, bleeding under the skin, or pain. I told her no; even the tenderness is gone by today. She said that it was very unlikely that it had gotten dislodged, but she also said that since she wasn't the person who implanted it into me, she wasn't sure how we should handle this situation and she wanted to talk to the people in that department of the hospital. That makes sense, right? I just made it clear to her that I wanted to let her know well ahead of time, since chemo is scheduled for Wednesday.