Portacath

[Juleswhee]

My veins have finally given up the ghost after 18 weekly treatments last year and now two four weekly lots of Carbo Caelyx.Portacath it is. What should I expect at the preassesment and at the actual fitting. Also I have chemo booked for the same day as fitting , will I be able to have that in your opinion ?.Thanks Julia

[Yoshbosh]

Hi Julia,

I have a port and it is the best thing ever (other than not having cancer and never having to even know what a port is). I did my pre-assessment over the telephone, so I don't know what would happen in a face-to-face appointment, but I was told to get some antimicrobial body wash and I had to use that for a couple of days before the procedure. On the day, I was given a sedative and they used local anaesthetic to insert the port. I couldn't feel anything, but I was awake throughout the insertion, and I remember singing along with the music they were playing. I love sedation When they finished up, they connected the port ready for treatment so that I could have chemo the same day, no problem there.

I now have a very small scar, perhaps about 2cm long, on my upper chest, a little way below my collar bone, and the port itself is just a small lump under the skin.

Hope that answers your questions?

Vicki x

[Juleswhee]

Thanks Vicki, Yes this answers my questions and also glad to hear it was a good thing . XxJulia

[Janet235]

You will not regret this... and maybe even wish you'd had it done earlier.

My pre assessment was just a face to face tick box form fill, about 20 mins and then into procedure.

I didn't have a pre sedative just a number of local anaesthetic jabs then rest is a breeze.

They will set up the connection for the chemo if you are having it the same or next day as I did

Yes it will feel sore for a few days...

I opted to keep my port even though my last lot of treatment finished over two months ago... I have no doubt it will be needed again at some point.

Good luck- janet 🌈

[Juleswhee in reply to Janet235]

Oh I can see I am going to kick myself for not having it earlier , thanks for your reply , puts my mind at rest . Julia

[DianesK]

As the ladies have said, you will not regret it. I’ve had mine over 3 years, not a minutes trouble with it (touch wood 😳)

Assessment was a few questions, insertion wasn’t painful, benefit is massive.

Love it so much. Good luck with it xx

[Juleswhee in reply to DianesK]

Thanks for this , most helpful xx

[Hidden]

Same as Janet xx

[Kryssy]

And me. It's the norm for everyone here and I've met one or two who have kept their ports many years after fitting and they are fine. Good luck and ask for Lidocaine patches and you put one on over the port about an hour before having treatment and I promise you that you will not feel anything as the needle goes in. I've been told that the patches are good for peripheral neuropathy pain too, but I've never tried that. Good luck.

[Juleswhee in reply to Kryssy]

Thanks Kryssy for the reply , I will ask for the patches and see what happens x Julia

[Neona]

I had my port fitted about 3 weeks ago. The pre-assessment was questions about my medication , some blood tests and mrsa swab, height and weight etc - probably because I opted for heavy sedation. I slept all through the op and woke up as they were finishing the dressings. They left the needle in so that I could have treatment the next day as they said it would be too sore to reinsert the needle. Had a bit of trouble holding my head up for a few hours and it was a bit sore for a few days.

[Juleswhee in reply to Neona]

Thanks Neona, will have to have a think about the sedation thing , that will be my biggest choice I think but you lovely ladies have set me straight A’s everyone seems to think it’s the best move .Julia xxx

[KBM22]

Hi Julia

As everyone has said it’s a great thing, no more struggling with cannula, so much quicker.

I think you are at Mont V as well. I had mine done there in March. Pre assess was blood test and chat with dr, signing concent forms etc. The actual procedure was fine. Took longer than I thought but that was mainly the bit after the port was inserted. ‘Tidying’ you up. I confess I did find the local anaesthetic going in a bit painful but some slow breathing was enough to get me through and it was fine really. The nurse and surgeon were lovely and we had massive chats about kids, buying houses etc ... if that helps to give an idea of the atmosphere, situation all quite relaxed and I was joining in.

They told me you could have chemo through it straight away, although I didn’t.

I was sorer then I had expected afterwards perhaps I was unlucky or a wimp 😘 but I’d been told I would be sore but it felt more bruised.

Definitely definitely worth it. Xx

[Juleswhee in reply to KBM22]

Hi , Thanks for this , great to get a reply from someone at MV ( don’t think there are many of us on here ) as I get the feel for what will happen at “our” hospital and they do differ slightly .Hope you are doing well , you must be in the homeward straight with your chemo ?xx Julia

[KBM22]

Yes I’m sure it’s a bit different wherever you are! Had to go to the ward near the pharmacy for preassessment and to wait for procedure. Then you get taken in the wheelchair down to the bit in the minor injuries where they do ultrasounds etc and the theatre is there. I hate the wheelchair bit and get all grumpy and ‘I’m perfectly capable of walking’ even though I know it’s just ‘procedure’ and the lovely man pushing it is very patient ... it’s the small things that drive you mad sometimes isn’t it 😂.

And as for me I had final chemo on Tuesday but back this Tuesday for the first of my avastin only treatments (will be on that for a year every 3 weeks). And scan in couple of weeks so its a funny time! x

[Juleswhee in reply to KBM22]

Oh yes it’s probably where I had my biopsy taken last year .So yes you are in a funny stage , at least you will still have the comfort blanket of being there every month for the Alvastin.I was given a little MV booklet about finishing chemo by Prof R , it was helpful , they might give it to you when you completely finish , it just tells you how you might feel and what to look out for etc .xx

[Juleswhee in reply to KBM22]

Hi , Just an update , had procedure last Friday , just as you said would happen , just a question when you had your chemo through the port did they give you anything to numb the skin , had the first one immediately after the insertion so they had left the needle in but the girls here talk about numbing for subsequent so wondered what they do at MV .Hope you are continuing to do well .

Julia xx

[KBM22 in reply to Juleswhee]

Hi Julia

Glad it went well. Hope the recovery ok. I did find it very bruised/sore for a few weeks. They don’t do any numbing at MV but it’s usually A ok. Most times doesn’t hurt at all although can’t lie occasionally it does but it’s not too bad even when you feel it. I guess it is a ‘pin prick but bit bigger!).

Just listen to what they say when putting in. Breath in, hold your breath shoulders back!! The breathing in/holding breath was counterintuitive for me as always taught to breathe out for these things as body can’t tense up while breathing out but breathe in and and hold breath helps with positioning for this I think.

Sorry prob too much info and should reassure you and say most of time don’t feel anything!!

The nurses in chemo suite love you when your a port girl 😘

I’m there tomo for my avastin. Feel like a fraud when I’m there for that as in and out so quick. Although do have to go twice on the day as have to have wee/blood pressure check first thing then back after drug ordered which is a massive pain.

Hope you’re doing well. Have you met the new Gynae specialist nurse yet?, I haven’t but believe she has started.

Take care x

[Juleswhee in reply to KBM22]

Hi there , Thanks for reply . Port site is black today but not excessive .I haven’t met the CNS yet , hope to soon .Yes I am sure the chemo suite girls will be overjoyed that I have finally gone for it as I am sure my notes had previously been thrown about like a hot potato especially after my 6 times attempted cannula last year , their faces changed whenever they saw it was me after that.Hope you are doing well on the Avastin .xJulia x

[KBM22 in reply to Juleswhee]

Ouch 6 times. 😭. bless you. It will make things so much easier and quicker!!! They’ll be fighting to look after you 😘.

Avastin is fine except for the stiff joint thing... I feel I’m channeling my grandma when I wake up at the mo. But all good. X

[Maus123]

I'm a chicken so insisted on a full (albeit very short) sedation, which made the insertion a non-issue. However, here in Germany I was told to allow at least 7 to 10 days before having chemo, and the area was sore for that amount of time too.

Still.. very happy to have the port. As Kryssy mentioned, I too apply a special numbing plaster an hour before chemo, on top of the port.. so I don't even feel the slight jab of the needle insertion. They are called E M L A (no spaces) plaster around here.

All the best with the port fitting and chemo. Maus

[Hopefulgal1]

Hello! I just started my 4 th treatment ( 18 more Taxol...) and this time I decided that a port was the answer so a couple of weeks ago they fitted the port in the morning and I was slightly sedated so when I went back to the ward quite woozy when the afternoon came and I had my first Taxol !

So it is possible and I was fine I slept through the chemo!

Having a port fitted was unpleasant but not painful at all they aneasthtise the area around the chest - I didn’t look and held the nurses hand through it! I’m such a baby as it is straightforward. Weird having a hard piece of plastic in your chest but oh my word : the pain free bloods / chemos have been amazing! So so glad I’ve had it done as no anxiety re cannula s any more. Good luck and really it is a small op they do all the time apparently and relatively quick. All the best to you xxxx