Power Port, should it stay or should it go?

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sweetp6217
sweetp6217 Member Posts: 365
edited July 2018 in Surgery - Before, During, and After

Hello fellow power port users. Looks like they want me to get rid of the port and my MO and his staff said it would be simple (office visit). Not so much as it turns out. Before I could get home from my last chemo, my phone rings, missed the call. It was the "Heart hospital" calling to set up an appointment for outpatient SURGERY. I was a bit put back by that and mentioned what I was told about an office visit. They want to give me strong pain killers and not let me drive home after. I have a tolerance for pain and don't believe that it would take 6 or more hours to accomplish. I made the appointment, but now I'm having big second thoughts.

I really don't want to have surgery. I read over the info that they sent me and it mentions the possibility of staying overnight. REALLY? I'm hoping that the thing they sent me covers all sorts of procedures; not just mine. Any thoughts?

P.S. When I do certain exercises, it feels like the little tube in my upper chest is being pulled, just a tiny bit. It still worked as of 7/5/18.

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  • ShetlandPony
    ShetlandPony Member Posts: 4,924
    edited July 2018

    The heart hospital is actually a good thing. It's just a location where they are set up to do procedures, and unlike the all-purpose hospital, it doesn't have a lot of patients with infectious diseases. So it's cleaner and safer.

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  • BellasMomToo
    BellasMomToo Member Posts: 305
    edited July 2018

    Have you talked to the surgeon who installed your port? My BS installed my port (in a hospital), but removed it in her office. She just gave me local anesthesia (injection), cut me open, and removed it. I only felt a little tugging. Because I had the port for a year, tissue grew around it so she had to cut it out. Then she glued the incision close (I don't recall getting stitches). I didn't experience any pain at all, even after the anesthesia wore off.

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  • NotVeryBrave
    NotVeryBrave Member Posts: 1,287
    edited July 2018

    I still have mine. Security blanket, I guess. My MO wanted me to schedule getting it out right after my last Herceptin. I want to keep it for a while as insurance or something (I have an area to be removed under one nipple).

    My BS offered to remove it in the office, but I didn't like that idea. It was a little harder than expected placing it. I'd rather have an outpatient facility do it.

    There can be risks with leaving them in indefinitely - clotting, infection, etc. I guess I'm waiting until I feel more done to address it.


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  • Stawzie
    Stawzie Member Posts: 12
    edited July 2018

    I had a port in 2008 after an ovarian cancer scare,,,they removed it in the office and I still remember the smell, feel, and sound of the removal. Stuff nightmares are made of...

    My MO brought up port removal when we were talking about my last Herceptin being in November 2018. She recommended having it removed in December since it would be in a year when I have met my out-of-pocket on insurance (love that she was thinking that way!) I asked about how it was done - was it in the office? She said it should be an out patient surgery because it would then be in a sterile environment.

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  • Runrcrb
    Runrcrb Member Posts: 577
    edited July 2018

    My breast surgeon put mine in during my mastectomy. He took it out. My oncologist said wait about a month after last chemo. Mine was removed 6 weeks after last chemo. I had a radiation treatment and then went upstairs to outpatient surgery (sterile environment, remember, it's a main line access). Local anesthesia. For me, a simple thing and I drove myself home.

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  • Denise-G
    Denise-G Member Posts: 1,777
    edited July 2018

    Putting it in seemed like a big procedure to me. Taking it out, they put me in a small

    office in the hospital - not even surgery room. Local anesthetic. 20 minutes tops - Easy procedure.

    Nurse Practitioner Surgeon removed it. She said cancer patients get really tough during

    chemo and it is usually "no big deal" to get it out. She was right .- good luck!

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  • sweetp6217
    sweetp6217 Member Posts: 365
    edited July 2018

    BellasMomToo: When the port was put in, it was two days before chemo began and I was "admitted" for outpatient surgery. The surgeon visited with me to discuss the procedure about 45 minutes before commencing. I get the feeling that he's a busy man and they don't have time to discuss it before the day. So far, I've been told not to eat after Midnight prior, limited sips of water, wash the area with anti-bacterial soap, arrive early and prepare to change into a surgical gown. Then I'll lie down on a gurney and wait for the surgeon who will discuss my options for pain management; twilight was mentioned and Fentanyl. I was told under no uncertain terms that I would not work later that day and I would definitly NOT be driving myself . That is something I can't afford to do this time. I also don't do well with anesthesia.

    I really plan on driving myself, getting out of there toot sweet and working later that day. Looks like I'll postpone it and wait for a better option for me.

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  • Polly_Ester
    Polly_Ester Member Posts: 34
    edited July 2018

    I got mine removed as soon as they'd let me. It was a lumpy annoyance.

    The removal was so much easier than the install. I didn't have to stay overnight.

    I think they used a different anesthetic on me though. I forget the name. Propanol? Commonly referred to as the Michael Jackson drug.

    It felt so good to have that thing gone. It was a double port so we're talking BULKY.

    Don't worry, the surgery isn't that bad.

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  • sweetp6217
    sweetp6217 Member Posts: 365
    edited July 2018

    You all are so sweet sharing your procedure with me and each other. What I forgot to mention is that the so-called twilight (sedation?) and or everything else they applied to me or gave me affected my memory. In an effort to prevent being kicked down to part-time status, I worked all but 3 days throughout the treatment process (not including planned absences due to surgery). I can't afford to be running around in a haze. It doesn't seem to matter to them that my pain threshold is very good. I've also been successful using mind over matter techniques to alleviate pain. After my surgery, I only used aleve and tylenol, and not often.

    I'm going to put this on the back burner and wait until I have to go in for something else. In the meantime, I'm also going to call to other facilities to see if they perform this differently.

    Thank you all. I guess when my MO's nurse said that it's "just an office visit", she was mistaken.

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  • ksusan
    ksusan Member Posts: 4,505
    edited July 2018

    I didn't have a power port, but my port removal was an office procedure with regional anesthetic. I was in and out quickly. I could have taught that afternoon but decided to have a guest speaker instead in case driving was suddenly painful.

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  • TinyDancer5
    TinyDancer5 Member Posts: 232
    edited July 2018

    I had a Medcomp Dignity Mini port put in at the Hospital's Intervention Radiology department. Two weeks after my last chemo it was removed, I asked the surgeon about the procedure and I told him I wanted to keep the port and he said sure (after all, I paid for it and it is an important piece of this journey). I was fairly awake during both procedures, watching the monitors and hearing what was going on. I felt a little pressure and some tugging. Easy peasy going in and coming out too. Just a little soreness.

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  • sweetp6217
    sweetp6217 Member Posts: 365
    edited July 2018

    Here's the latest. I scheduled the port removal for the end of August. There's a good chance that I'll chicken out partially because they're all keeping me in the dark. Doesn't really matter where I go, I'm dealing with the wizard of oz behind a curtain. There is absolutely no way I'll be able to speak with or consult with the surgeon beforehand. I just have to show up and then I get to talk to him/her about sedation options. That's a little late to be cancelling an appointment if I choose to do so. I'm also giving up a work shift to do this and hoping that when I return to work after the weekend, I'll be able to function.

    As for driving, my hubby will pick me up after so that I don't have to cling to that fantasy of thinking that I'll drive there and back. For perspective, after my lumpectomy and node removals (2 nodes), I went back to work 5 days later. This time, It will be 3 days later. Anyone have any tips in case I do go through with this? Thank you.

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  • StubbornDog
    StubbornDog Member Posts: 32
    edited July 2018

    I had mine removed last month much in the same way it was put in: in the hospital under conscious sedation. I was eager to get it out because I am slim and it stuck out like a giant ugly bump. You could see the tube too. The procedure was on a Friday and i was able to go away for the weekend the next day. If it had been in the middle of the week, Iwould have gone to work the next day. I was not allowed to drive myself home from the hospital because of the sedation.

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  • sweetp6217
    sweetp6217 Member Posts: 365
    edited July 2018

    Thank you StubbornDog. I'm not a spring chicken and I'm not bouncing back from chemo, rads and now taking meds for 4.75 more years

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  • NotVeryBrave
    NotVeryBrave Member Posts: 1,287
    edited July 2018

    I saw my MO this week for a routine visit and he brought up the removal again. He thought it would be a great time to get it out if I'm having surgery again anyway. I agree except that the reason I'm having surgery is because of an area of concern. So his opinion was to see what my MRI shows. If nothing is concerning enough to warrant biopsy then have it taken out during the surgery.

    I don't know. I'd like that - kind of tired of it being there. But of course worried about possible need for it ...


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  • sweetp6217
    sweetp6217 Member Posts: 365
    edited July 2018

    NotVeryBrave, I hear ya. Something gets removed (not necessarily a port) and once it's gone and healed, it's suddenly needed. One of my concerns after having read some other threads, is that I might be one of those "lucky ones" and end up with 1/2 a softball/baseball sized something or other (fluid build up, etc.). If that were to happen, that would look great under my scrubs.

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  • Brightness456
    Brightness456 Member Posts: 340
    edited July 2018

    Mine was removed under general anesthesia. I was talking with the PA as she removed it. Everything went well with healing, but I now have a noticeable scar which can be seen with v-necks so I’m self conscious. I asked for the removal because that darn thing always hurt

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  • carmstr835
    carmstr835 Member Posts: 388
    edited July 2018

    I got mine in outpatient surgery, done by a surgeon with general anesthetic, woke up fine and was able to walk out immediately afterwards and needed nothing for pain. I just had it removed during my reconstruction surgery on July 10. ( chemo, herceptin and perjeta, was done May 30th) They removed it without any further incisions, just went up through the mastectomy scar. I am a bit concerned because it is very difficult for blood draws on me, they use my foot or ankle and not always successful and it is quite painful, but if I didn't have it removed during surgery, I would have had another incision to deal with, so I did it. It is gone and no pain and no more lump on my chest. Dealing with a blood draw once every 3 months is better than living with this port.

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  • sweetp6217
    sweetp6217 Member Posts: 365
    edited July 2018

    I just sent a message to my BS to see if she does power port removal in one of her offices. We shall see.

    P.S. I'm so thankful that you all are sharing your experiences with this. Thank you.

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