how long should you keep your port

I had mine out 2 weeks after finishing Herceptin, it will be 1 year out next month.

My med on wanted me to leave it in for a year after chemo.  At about 8 months, he ordered a PET/CT - we agreed that if it showed NED, then he'd be OK with me removing the port.  The scan was NED, and I had the port out as soon as I could schedule it with my surgical onc.  It was removed under a local - it was quite wierd to be laughing and joking with the surgeon as she's cutting on me!  If I recur, I recur, and I'll deal with that then.  But once I was NED, out came the port.  As Lefty says, it's another "reminder" and I wanted it gone ASAP.

From what I've read here, it seems to want that they often say to keep the port in for an extra year or two when there were positive nodes.

In my case, it wouldn't have helped for blood draws. The phlebotimists can't draw blood from it - only the chemo nurses and if you aren't getting chemo, are you still going to go to chemo for the blood draws? Even during chemo, most of my blood draws were done in the lab and didn't use the port.

For those of us with negative nodes and HER2+, they usually seem okay with taking the port out at the end of the year of Herceptin.

I was told that the port needs to be flushed at least once every 6 weeks if you keep it in. I was able to get port removal scheduled for 4 days after my last Herceptin so never needed the flush.

I was told that if I got a port it would have to stay in for 2 years and that I would have to take Warfurrin (sp?) to keep it from getting clotted.

I was offered a PICC line as an alternative and that can be taken out right after my last chemo by the IV nurse.

My veins are bad and I've already had an allergic reaction to one of my chemo drugs.

The PICC line is going in this Thursday with a follow up on Friday.  I was told that it would need to be "flushed" & the dressing changed every week.

Hopefully it will mean a faster and easier chemo infusions!

I've been told that they can't put port back in the same place. I think they can put one either on the left or right because the surgeon thought about putting mine on the right where I had lumpectomy but ended up putting it on the left. Thinking back, I would rather that he put it on the same side of the lumpectomy so I only had to worry about one side after the procedure. I still have mine.  I am waiting to get an all clear from my med onco before I get it removed. It gets flushed every four weeks when I see my med onco.  Hope this helps.

BTW, my port was never used for blood draws, just for infusions. I think one has to be an RN to access the port.

This is a great question and something I've been wondering.  I just finished chemo and starting rads in a few weeks.  I did have positive nodes though.  Jamieh great point about the recon though.  I'll have mine in April if all goes well and it does make sense to keep in.... never thought about this till reading your post just this moment.  I had a terrible IV experience ironically, the day I went to have my port put in. 

Hi all

I live in France and I have a port.  It was put in nearly two years ago.

Here they have taken note of research that shows that flushing ports serves no purpose and mine is never touched except to administer drugs.  This is a country-wide policy.  So far the longest mine has been left undisturbed is 7 months and it worked perfectly.

I hope this practice will become more widespread as the benefits to both patients and staff are enormous. 

X

S 

I had my port out today.  6 days after my last Herceptin treatment.  Adios!

I had my port out at exchange. I asked if I could because I had 4 more Herceptin to go. I WAS SHOCKED when my onco said yes. The nurses said he must feel pretty darn secure that I am cured..LOL ( whatever that means)

However, I have had 4 bones scans, two Brain Mri's. and three Cat Scans.... so... when all these came back ok over this past year..... he must have felt I would be ok???? who knows... all this is random ladies....unfortunately!

i had my port taken out 5 months after i finished chemo.  my surgeon wanted to keep it in but i said no way.  it was a good decision for me as i wanted to begin to get my body back.  i think it is a decision to make with your doctor and also how YOU feel.  i always figured IF i needed another port they can always put one in...

I saw my onc. yesterday and he said I can have it out when I'm done with rads!  So probably sometime in January.  Yay!

Had mine out exactly 3 weeks after chemo ended. I ahted the damn thing & told my onc if it comes back I will deal with that then but this thing is coming OUT! & OUT it came. 6 months later still no recourrance so I could ahve waited for nothing or not but either way... no regrets.

I had my port put in last August. I just finished my last chemo yesterday and my port is coming out January 21. My onc says I don't need it anymore. Hope she's right

Nancy

My onc also recommended I keep my port at least 2 years, I thought it was because I am triple negative. Makes me feel a little better to know others have been told 2 years as standard. I just finished my 8th round of chemo and will soon start rads. A little concerned there was no mention of needing my port flushed every month.....

peace

nancy