porta cath and SNLB

kae_md99
kae_md99 Member Posts: 621
edited February 2017 in HER2+ (Positive) Breast Cancer

Hi all,

when you go for porta cath placement, will you be put to sleep ? also has any of you gotten a SLNB without mastectomy to check nodal status? .my mri showed clear lymph nodes but i am thinking of having it biopsied ( same time as porta cath insertion ,perhaps?) just to be sure.i am planning on asking this to my surgeon who i will see this week just in case i get neoadjuvant chemo first.thanks

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  • MinusTwo
    MinusTwo Member Posts: 16,634
    edited February 2017

    Kae, Kae, Kae - trying to follow you through all these new threads is a task. As I mentioned in one of your other threads, the ladies who have answered previous questions really do have an interest in you. And it's really hard for anyone to know your back story when you start a new thread with each of your questions.

    That said - Ports can be placed by a BS or by Interventional radiology. Mine was done by my BS and yes, I was under anesthesia. Only a doc can answer your question about SNB with the port placement - but if you're considering that,you would surely have a surgeon and not radiology.

    In your research, check out Power Ports. I don't know if they are common now, but it made a lot of difference to me. They could use my port for infusions, blood draws, and inserting contrast medium for CTs, MRIs or other tests. So like I mention elsewhere, less chance for LE.

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  • SpecialK
    SpecialK Member Posts: 16,486
    edited February 2017

    kae - as minus said, you can ask these questions on your existing threads - or the Triple Pos thread - and someone will answer. Everyone on the TP thread has done chemo. Whether or not your surgeon will do SNB and port placement is dependent on whether or not that is usual practice for them. Some BS do not place ports, but they all do SNBs. Can't hurt to ask, it is also possible that if the BS does not do port placement, they can have interventional radiology or vascular surgery (whichever doc does it at your center) come in and place the port before or after SNB is done. If this is something you are really wanting, be assertive when you ask about it - it is not super common, so you may have to lean in a bit to get it done. I personally feel like it is valuable info, as it allows proper staging in advance of neoadjuvent chemo, but as I said on another thread, some docs feel that if it doesn't change treatment it is not necessary. I think knowing nodal status provides info that if negative, allows you to feel relieved going into chemo/targeted therapy relieved, or if positive, allows proper followup at the time of surgery to check status.

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