Port put in

[beccab1]

My husband is getting his port put in on Thursday morning - his surgeon is doing it. Just wondering if there is any "need to know" info. Seems like it is no big deal but I just want to be on top of it!

Thanks!

[Staci's team]

Wasn't a big deal for Staci....completed as an outpatient surgery under light anesthetic. The biggest thing for her was that her right arm/shoulder/upper chest ached for a few days. She said hers were more like a severe muscle ache than a location-specific pain such as would be expected with an injury. She had a tough time pulling on t-shirts because of the stretching in the shoulder, so opted for button-front shirts for a few days.

I'm assuming that he'll get it in the upper right chest, so you might want to get a towel or something to go around the seat belt in the passenger seat. Staci will occasionally have the belt hit just the right way to give her an eye-rolling "ouch" kind of moment, but it really doesn't happen that often. (The bigger issue for us is a two-year-old whose head hits it in just the right place....which is why it's coming out on Thursday morning! She said that if she needs it again, which we're hoping and praying won't be the case, she'd have it put in again, and her onc agreed!)


Chris

[starbuck30]

If your husband is prone to nausea, make sure he tells them that beforehand, even if it's something he's been given before. I didn't, because I'd had the drugs they were using before and been fine, and since I was so nervous they thought they were doing me a favor and gave me about 2.5 times what they normally would, to calm me down. Ooooh boy was I miserable for the next few days. Otherwise, it was no biggie. Good luck to you and your hubby!

Much love,
Starbuck

[Ashlee H.]

Most people have no problem getting a port put in. I had a difficult time and I believe it was because the Radiologist was an idiot and didn't like his job. For over an hour, he poked my neck vein and I felt everything. He had given me some meds, but obviously not enough. At one point he was going to stop and try the vein on the other side of my neck, but then the ultrasound showed there was no difference between the size of both veins. For a week and 1/2 it felt like I had a small ball in my throat. Since then, I've spoken with a Vascular Surgeon (who used to do the ports) and he said there was no way I should have experienced such torture. I have also learned many have complained about the Radiologist. He was so negative in his speaking, and of course I heard everything...it's like he forgot he was working on a human that was awake. So, even though I can get my port out next month, I hesitate because I don't want to go through having to put it back in at a later date. However, in talking with my ONC, if I need it back in, the Vascular Surgeon will do it, and that Radiologist won't be allowed near me again - no even to remove it, which is supposed to be super simple.....but I'm sure he could find a way to make it painful. Just remember, my situation is very rare. Usually it is no big deal. And, even though I had a bad experience....I love having it for the chemo and CT scans! So much better than poking my arms. I do use a creme on my port to numb it prior to anyone having to access it.

Ashlee

[SkiFletch]

About the only thing to worry about is wound care and pain. Some folks get away with very little pain, I wasn't so lucky. Was a good week at least before I felt like I could stretch my shoulder even halfway normal. Had to resort to the oxycodone for the first few days after the procedure. I don't mean to scare you here, cause it wasn't anything debillitating, just more of a pain in the rear if you know what I mean. Made the mistake of rolling on my side while asleep once, a day or two after it, and wow was that a wakeup call...

[hopeful]

The actual surgery to put the port in was easy according to my husband. He was fully awake and they used local anesthetic. He sat and talked with the surgeon while he was putting it in. (I think they gave him something to relax him too.) He had it put in shortly after noon. By evening it was pretty sore. He described it as feeling like someone had hit him in the shoulder. He used a pain pill that he had left over from the colon surgery for at least 2 days, maybe 3. I think, like Fletch said, that it was sore for about a week, gradually decreasing as the days went on.

I

[Kathryn in MN]

There are two different ways to put in a port. One uses a vein in the neck - the other uses a central vein in the chest. There is a risk (if I remember right 2%) of lung puncture with the one in the chest. I know someone that this happened to. So if you have a surgeon that does the neck vein you may want to consider it. Another thing to think about is how often you drive and how often you are a passenger, and getting the port put in on the side that will be bothered the least by seatbelts. And one other thing to consider is do you sleep on your side? It so, and you favor one side, you might want the port on the other side. Mine bothered me when I laid on that side pretty much always. It was worse in the beginning, but never did stop.

After the port is placed, watch for redness, heat, and unusual swelling around the surgery area. It is rare to get an infection, but it can happen (just my dumb luck). My first port was left side, neck. Due to the infection it had to come out. My second port was right side chest (the vein in my neck on that side was not good enough to use).

When the time comes to use the port, be prepared. In advance, ask your doctor for a script for Emla cream (lidocaine and another together). Put it on 20 minutes or more before they access the port, and use Glad Press & Seal (invented for storing hamburgers) to cover it and keep it off your clothes. You can do this before you leave home. This numbs the area very well - you won't feel much when they access it - just pressure, no pain. (Well, there still could be a little pain if you have it accessed within the first week or two after insertion, but after that the cream works wonders.) This is one of the great tips I got from someone on this board that I am very thankful for.

[tmm903]

Hi Becca!

Getting the port was easy on my part. The radiologist put it in and he had it done in 15 minutes. I had no anesthesia--just numbed the area where they put it in. He had me cracking up laughing through the whole thing. Walked me through what he was doing--the best part was the end as he tells me he was sewing up the "gaping hole" in my neck. When in reality it was the size of a pencil eraser! It was a good expereince, for me. But I love the docs that I have and the staff at the hospital overall are fantastic. I feel like they are family considering I was in the hospital for nearly a month when I had my resection and had so many interactions with radiology while I was in the hospital. But if he is going under any anesthesia, its always good to let them know how he reacts to it.

[CRguy]

My husband is getting his port put in on Thursday morning - his surgeon is doing it. Just wondering if there is any "need to know" info. Seems like it is no big deal but I just want to be on top of it!
Thanks!

Just my experience here :

Had a vascular surgeon insert mine (BARD Power-Port), under a very good and SLOOOOWWWW local anesthetic only, no sedation (my choice), no extra pain meds except "take tylenol if needed." (have oxycodone at home, not needed, and think I took tylenol once). Inserted in right shoulder (under the collarbone) into a branch of the cephalic vein back into the vena cava and sits just outside of the heart. Minimally sore muscle/shoulder 2-3 days (more stiff really), took it easy with exercise for 10 days (my choice) until staples out...then good to go. Using my arm fine (am right handed and being the driver - no seatbelt issues) Don't use any local for the infusions, they prep the area and sterile insertion of the connection catheter right into the port ( no more discomfort than a regular IV catheter in the hand or arm- could get EMLA if I wanted I guess ) NOBODY touches my Port except the Chemo Infusion Nurses. Any other caths or injections are the old fashion way : bloods, CT infusions etc.etc. NOBODY touches "Elwood" !.............Just my mileage.

Hope things go well .
Cheers
CRguy

[cindyc]

Hope everything goes well in the morning!

[kbrown2b]

Just letting you know that I will be thinking of you guys tomorrow.. I get my port placed friday and am really nervous too..

[beccab1]

Thanks for all of the replies everyone! It went very well and he is feeling good - not much pain!

Kind of a funny story... While we were waiting in the preop area, there was a cute little old man across from us with his wife. The doc, nurse, etc... came out to talk to this man and take him back and they were going through all the standard questions to double / triple check everything (which is great) and they asked him if he had any allergies. He yelled out, "Only oak trees and horses!" My husband had just had a nice dose of feel good medicine and got the biggest kick out of it and we both had the giggles for a few minutes. Probably a "had to be there funny" but anything to make you laugh in preop is great!

Big surgery is 7/19 so I will be posting more questions soon!!!

[SkiFletch]

*snicker* I could totally see that as bieng funny all doped up . Glad to hear things went well. Tell him to stay on top of any pain though. The first 6 or so hours afterwards, you're still on the stuff they gave him in the hospital, so he won't care about any pain he might be having. But tell him if it starts getting worse at all to stay ahead of it, cause it's hard to play catch up

[Terry]

I'm glad it went well:) I forgot who else was getting their's put in on Friday, I hope that went well also.

My first one was painful, the 2nd and current one I didn't have any pain with. The first one the catheter stuck out of my neck and this one doesn't which I like much better.

Oh yeah right CRguy, just like getting poked in the arm;) Not...we poke people in the arm with a 24 to maybe 20 gauge needle, those huber needles (the ones they put in the port) are like something my husband nails homes together with, maybe a 12 gauge. You tuffy, you:) I'm a whimp, I like it being numb, I admit it. If you don't have Emla cream, my oncs. office has stuff that has to go on for 2 to 3 minutes and then you don't feel it, ask for it.

I also don't let anyone use mine accept the chemo nurses. I've seen as a nurse other nurses not using sterile technique when accessing them and I don't want an infection. Since my veins in my antecubital are so good (one stick) I still let them use that for CT or extra blood draws.

Again, I'm glad it went well. For anyone getting it out, it's really easy and painless.