Port: It’s a small disc that a surgeon places under your skin. It’s linked to a tube (catheter) that connects to a large vein, usually in your chest. A nurse may insert a needle into your port to give you chemotherapy drugs or draw blood. The needle can be left in place for treatments that last more than a day.
How does a port work for chemotherapy?
A chemo port is a small, implantable reservoir with a thin silicone tube that attaches to a vein. The main advantage of this vein-access device is that chemotherapy medications can be delivered directly into the port rather than a vein, eliminating the need for needle sticks.
How are ports used in chemotherapy treatments?
Mar 29, 2022 · A chemotherapy port is a small piece of equipment that a doctor implants into some patients undergoing cancer treatment. It contains a tube that fits into a vein as well as a port outside the vein, just under the skin, that allows the patient to receive injections of drugs.
Should you get a port for your chemo?
The port is a quarter-sized plastic or metal disc. (If you have the metal kind, don’t worry: It won’t set off metal detectors). The middle part of the port, a rubber piece called the access site,...
How much does a chemotherapy port cost?
Port placement is a minimally invasive procedure used to give doctors easy access to your veins during intravenous chemotherapy treatment. The port has two parts, a reservoir and a catheter. The medication is placed into the port before being delivered into the vein via the catheter.
Do they put you to sleep for a chemo port?
How do chemo ports affect sleep? Chemo ports, or portacaths, are devices that doctors implant beneath the skin. They may stay in place for anywhere between a few weeks and a few years . As a result, the person will complete all of their daily activities, including sleeping, with the chemo port inside them.Jul 16, 2021
How long does a port stay in after chemo?
How long can a chemo port remain in place? Unlike an IV catheter, which must be reinserted for each treatment session, a port can remain in place as long as necessary – for several weeks, months or even years. When it is no longer needed, the port can be removed through a relatively simple outpatient procedure.
Do all chemo patients get a port?
Most patients keep their PICC, CVC or port until they're done with treatment, but it's different for every person. Ports are often requested because they allow patients more normalcy in their daily living and require less maintenance.Jun 20, 2018
Does getting a port for chemo hurt?
Does it hurt? Not typically, but when it is accessed for chemo or a blood draw, the initial poke does sting a bit (similar to an IV poke in your arm). Over-the-counter or doctor-prescribed numbing creams can help ease the discomfort.
How painful is port surgery?
A local anesthetic is injected into your chest area. This numbs the area where the port is inserted. You should only feel a little pain or discomfort during the procedure. You are given small amount of a medicine in your IV to help you relax.
Can you shower with a port?
For most people, a port's pretty simple to live with. Once your incision heals, you can shower, swim, and do anything else you feel up to doing. You don't need a bandage on your port when you're not using it, and there's no dressing to change.Aug 8, 2018
How long does it take to put in a chemo port?
It usually takes 30-45 minutes. Expect to be awake but medicated to help you relax. You'll get a local anesthetic to numb your neck and chest areas where your surgeon will make cuts and insert the port. You might notice swelling, soreness, or bruising in the area around your port after the procedure.Jun 15, 2020
How long does a port stay in?
Ports can remain in place for weeks, months, or years. Your team can use a port to: Reduce the number of needle sticks. Give treatments that last longer than 1 day.
Is a port better for chemo?
Why Do You Need an Implantable Port? If you're getting chemotherapy for cancer, or other medications, it's easier for the doctor to give you medication or IV fluids through a port. Otherwise, you'd need regular shots or needle sticks in your veins. The port is less painful and lowers your risk of infection, too.Dec 9, 2021
Are you put to sleep for a port placement?
Will I be put to sleep (under anesthesia) during the procedure? No. The port placement procedure is a minimally invasive procedure. You will only receive local anesthesia with some sedation and pain control medication if you need it during the procedure.
What is worse chemo or radiation?
A systemic treatment like chemotherapy or liquid radiation may have more off-target side effects than a local treatment. But local treatments that are administered only to the cancer site, like external beam radiation or solid internal radiation treatment, may have more extreme side effects in that area of the body.Sep 25, 2021
How do you sleep with a port?
If your port is on the right side of your chest, sleep on your left side, or vice versa. You'll want to avoid sleeping on your stomach, at least at first, since you might feel pain at the port site. Try not to sleep with your arm raised on the side of your body that has the port since that could pull on the port.Sep 29, 2021
Why do you need a port for chemo?
Some chemotherapy medications can only be given through a port because they are too caustic to be delivered into a peripheral vein. Beyond that, using a port is often easier than inserting an IV each time if you will be having several infusions of chemotherapy.
Where is the port placed?
The port may be placed on your upper chest or occasionally your upper arm. It is then attached to a catheter tube that is threaded into one of the large veins near your neck, such as the subclavian vein or jugular vein, and ends near the top of your heart.
What is a port used for?
A port can be used to draw blood and infuse chemotherapy drugs. It can be used if you need transfusions of red blood cells or platelets. 1. Without a port or a PICC line, a new IV needle will need to be placed each time you have chemotherapy, and separate IV lines are needed if you require IV fluids or a blood transfusion.
Why does my port stop working?
A clot may form in the port or catheter, causing it to stop working. Many people who have a port placed for chemotherapy will develop a thrombosis (clot) in the catheter (often causing a need for the port to be replaced). 5
What is the first step in chemo?
Having a port implanted is often the first step in chemotherapy treatment. Since this involves a minor surgical procedure and carries some risks, it's important to talk with your doctor about the pros and cons of a port (and how you'll need to care for it) before you decide to have one implanted.
Can you use a needle stick to puncture a port?
A single needle stick is usually all that is needed to access your port. 1 With IV therapy and traditional blood draws, sometimes many needle sticks are needed to find a good vein, especially if your veins have been damaged from repeated blood draws and infusions. (Chemotherapy can cause changes that make veins very difficult to puncture.)
What happens if you accidentally puncture your lung?
Any surgical procedure carries risks. Complications of insertion can include bleeding (such as if the subclavian vein is punctured) or a pneumothorax (collapse of the lung) if your lung is accidentally punctured during the procedure. These occur in less than 1% of people. 6
What is chemo port?
A chemo port gives health care workers one-stop access to your veins: They poke the port, not your skin. It offers all the benefits of treatment without the discomfort, and it reduces your risk of infection and skin irritation.
What to do after a port is implanted?
After your port is implanted and the area has healed, you can return to regular tasks and exercise, including swimming. Avoid contact sports that might damage your port. When your port is in use, a see-through bandage will cover the needle.
Why do you need a port for chemo?
Some chemotherapy drugs can only be given using a port because of their potential to damage peripheral veins.
What is port placement?
About the procedure. Port placement is a minimally invasive procedure used to give doctors easy access to your veins during intravenous chemotherapy treatment. The port has two parts, a reservoir and a catheter.
Can you eat before a blood test?
Preparation: Your doctor will order blood work several days prior to your procedure. You shouldn’t eat or drink anything after midnight before the day of the procedure, and only take the medications your doctor has approved. If you do take any regular medications, do so with only a sip of water.
What is a chemo port?
What is a chemotherapy port and why is it needed? A chemotherapy port is a small disc or reservoir that can be made of plastic or metal, with a rubber seal at the top. A thin, soft, flexible tube, called a line or catheter, goes from this disc, which faces the outside of your body, directly into a large vein.
How to care for a port?
Taking good care of your port can help reduce the risk of infection and other complications. You can do this by: 1 carefully following the directions regarding cleaning 2 changing any dressings after the port is implanted 3 always washing your hands before touching the port 4 making sure the port doesn’t go underwater 5 not engaging in contact sports or other activities that may cause you to collide with a person or object
Why flush a port?
If your port isn’t used often, a nurse will need to flush it regularly to prevent blood clots and blockages.
How long does it take for steri strips to be removed?
It’s important to leave any Steri-Strips, or butterfly bandages, in place. These can be removed after about 10 to 14 days. For 3 to 5 days after the procedure, you’ll want to avoid lifting anything heavier than 10 pounds.
How to remove a port?
To remove your port, your doctor will make a small incision in the area of the port and will remove the port as well as the catheter that leads to a vein. The incision will then be closed up, and you’ll follow the care instructions of your treatment team.
Can a port help with chemo?
Frequent chemotherapy treatments and blood draws can be painful and taxing on your veins. A chemotherapy port can help reduce needle sticks and make it easier for your healthcare team to administer medications and fluids and to do blood draws.
Port Use in Chemotherapy
How A Chemo Port Is Implanted
- Chemo ports are surgically placed under the skin near a large vein in the upper chest. They are typically implanted as a same-day procedure with a local anestheticthat numbs the skin rather than puts you to sleep. They are sometimes placed at the same time as the surgical resection (removal) of a tumor. During the insertion, a small, round metal or plastic disc, called the drum o…
Advantages
- As with any surgical procedure, there are advantages and disadvantages to having a chemo port. The benefits include: 1. Increased comfort: With a chemo port, an IV needle is inserted into the reservoir through a thin rubbery membrane called the septum. You may feel initial pressure but little pain. 2. Reduced risk of extravasation: When a traditional IV is used, chemo drugs may extr…
Disadvantages
- Chemotherapy ports may seem like a "no-brainer," but they have their limitations and risks. They include: 1. Risk of infection: While the risk is relatively low, it can occur. Research suggests that around 2% of chemo ports need to be replaced due to an infection.4 2. Risk of thrombosis: Many people with a chemo port will develop a blood clot (thrombosis) which can block the catheter. T…
Avoiding Complications
- As infrequent as infections are with chemo pumps, they do occur. In severe cases, this can lead to a potentially life-threatening, whole-body infection known as septicemia.4 Flushing the catheter with an antibiotic and heparin solution appears to significantly reduce the risk of infection.4Cleansing the skin also does not appear to help. However, if there are signs of a local …
Summary
- A chemotherapy port is a device implanted under the skin to deliver chemo drugs to a large vein in the upper chest. The port is usually implanted as a same-day surgical procedure under local anesthesia. A chemo port reduces the need for repeated needle sticks during chemo. The port is largely invisible under clothes and can be submerged under water while bathing or swimming. E…
A Word from Verywell
- Having a chemo port implanted is often the first step in chemotherapy. Since it involves minor surgery, there are risks you need to consider. It is important to talk with your oncologist about the pros and cons of a chemo port—and how you'll need to care for it—before you make an informed decision about the procedure.