Port dye study

I've not heard of this. Interesting. A few times when I've gone for a flush, they have trouble. They tell me to stay hydrated, and send me off to regular lab. My port has been in over 3 years.

I had a dye study on my port but they didn't sedate me at all they just had me go down the radiology and lay down and put some dye in there and watched it on the scope. My port study took like 20 minutes.

I have read sometimes a port works fine for Chemo but not draws.

I had issues with port they did do a study where they basically inject dye to see where the blockage is. It was simple and no sedation. Radiation intervention did the study. The problem was resolved.

A port dye study isn't difficult. I have had one as well as assist with these studies. You port will be accessed just as it is for your chemi infusion. Contrast media ( xray dye) is injected and xray images are obtained. It doesn't take long. I'm don't know why one would need sedation.

I still have my port after almost 3 years. I'm stage 3c and my disease was "extensive" ( large tumor, 19 positive lymph nodes, etc.) after having noeadjuvant chemo. I go to the cancer center for a Zoladex injection every four weeks anyway and just get my port flush at the same time. I decided to keep my port as I am at high risk for recurrence and maintaining it doesn't required any additional appointments for me. I think if I had to go to the cancer center more just to get it flushed every 4 - 6 weeks might have had it removed by now.

I can only speak for myself!

My port is my little soldier standing guard with rifle at ready to attack the Monster IF it ever tries to attack again. It is there to keep Monster from trying to attack AND if the Monster does attack to be ready to repel Monster.

Yes - that is a somewhat juvenile way of 'visualizing' but works for me. I'm IBC so 'odds' are that will possibly/probably need a port in the future. So for me (with my PA's approval) makes sense to me to keep it in place if needed. It does not bother me at all - just go every 6 weeks for a flush. IF I were to need a port again in the future, it is already there and ready. If it had been removed and a port was needed again, then another surgery would be needed (and time) to put another one in. Another one would also have to be put in a less confident/comfortable location because can not be done on same side or on UMX side.

So it's a lot easier(potentially) to keep it where it is and is ' my little soldier standing guard' - 'protecting me'.

I still have mine, don't want it out. I've been told I'm high risk for reoccurrence. Before all the tests, based just on mamo, they thought I was Stage V. My current MO agrees, keep it.

It's possibly two surgeries, two copays, two risks for infection, extra pain. No thanks.

Nope - according to my Dr(s) can not be placed in the same location it is/was, can't be placed on mast. side so basicallly leaves the arm (or leg). That's part of why I choose to keep mine exactly where it is - other potential sites (IF needed in the future) would be much more inconvient/uncomfortable.

Can't go back in CT the same place because of the scar tissue that would be there from the original implant and where it enters the vein. At least that's what I was told by my Drs and makes a lot of sense to me.

We are all different - I do not dwell on the fact that the port is there (other than it's my 'Little Soldier' protecting me and ready for battle IF ever needed. IF I wanted to dwell on 'something' that is from IBC - it would probably be dealing with LE - but I refuse to. I live every day to the utmost I can and 'anything' from the past is just that - from the past, not today or tomorrow.

It can be placed on on the mastectomy side.

I had a BMX & I have a port, on my chest. I know others in the same situation.

You port can be placed in a number of places, some people have them IJ --upper chest into jugular vein and others have them placed on the underside of the arm. You can have it placed on either your mastectomy side or the opposite side, it's your choice but your surgeon will make the final decision. I had my port removed when I was done---I was cured and I wouldn't need it anymore. My surgeon wanted to put my new port on the left side (cancer side) because my old port had been on the right. I insisted he try to put it back where it was, there was already a large divit where the old port had sat. He told me it wasn't the best idea due to the possibility of scar tissue, cellulitis, infection, risk of the vein being too scarred, he would need to go above where the catheter sat IJ to avoid occlusion and it might be tricky getting by scar tissue. He gave me the risks and let me know that it would end up where he thought it best if things didn't go the way he wanted. I insisted I wanted it on the right. He said he would put it on the right, as close as possible to where the previous one was. When I awoke, I fully expected it on the left but that talented man opened my old scar and placed my purple power port almost exactly where it had been, just millimeters higher to get the catheter past where the old one sat. You need to be insistent and have lots of confidence in your surgeon but there are lots of options.