Port removed vein still prominent

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Farmerswife
Farmerswife Member Posts: 9
edited May 2022 in Chemotherapy - Before, During, and After

Hi Ladies!

I’m wondering if anyone has experienced this or knows what it could possibly be. I had a port placed in Nov 2020 and just had it finally removed the end of April 2022. For at least one year that I had the port and quite possibly longer, I noticed that the vein that had the catheter in it would stick out in a very prominent way if I turned my head/neck a certain way. It looked and felt like a firm cord in my neck. I could not wait for the port to be removed because I was certain things would go back to normal. But the port and catheter were removed at my phase 2 surgery and my vein still has that one area that pops out like a firm cord in my neck? What could this be? I did have a DVT in my leg after I got Covid? Could I have had a clot in my neck that scarred over and caused this? Could trauma to vein cause this? I’ve tried googling this and the only thing I can find says blood clot which I do not currently have or right sided heart failure. I really don’t think it’s that either. I see the oncologist week and will ask her about it. Just wondering if anyone else has had this. Thanks

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  • Moderators
    Moderators Member Posts: 25,912
    edited May 2022

    Hi farmerswife! Sorry you're dealing with this. Does this area seem warm to the touch? Do you have any tenderness or pain there? Is the area red or swollen? If so, these could be signs of a blood clot, as you suspected: Blood Clots and Phlebitis

    Good you'll be asking your doctor, we hope she has some answers for you! Please let us know what she has to say.

    Hoping some others chime in soon for you!

    --The Mods

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  • LW422
    LW422 Member Posts: 1,312
    edited May 2022

    Hello Farmerswife. Yes, I have something similar, which annoys me a bit. I complained and had a venous duplex scan which showed everything normal, but it still feels strange to me. It has been 8 months since my port was removed and it still bugs me a little. It's good that you are seeing the doctor soon and can ask about it. Good luck.

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  • Farmerswife
    Farmerswife Member Posts: 9
    edited May 2022

    Thank you for your replies. It is not warm to the touch or painful. It just feels and looks like a firm cord in the vein where the port catheter was. I’ve had it for a year or longer. It has not changed in any way. I figured it would go away when the port was removed but it’s still there. I just would like to know what it is and what caused it

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  • WC3
    WC3 Member Posts: 1,540
    edited May 2022

    I had my last port removed in early 2019 and it continued to look and feel like I still had the catheter in the vein. The radiologist told me this was normal and was due to fibrous tissue forming around the vein. I still have it to this day and when I lay in certain positions I feel a pulling as if the port catheter were still there.

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  • Farmerswife
    Farmerswife Member Posts: 9
    edited May 2022

    wc3 thank you for your response. You described exactly what I have. I was fairly certain it was some sort of trauma to the blood vessel. I wish it wasn’t there but I feel a lot better knowing that it most likely is nothing ominous. Thanks

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  • Farmerswife
    Farmerswife Member Posts: 9
    edited May 2022

    wc3 this fibrous tissue doesn’t narrow the blood vessel in any way does it? Do you have to have it monitored at all?

    I saw my oncologist today. She hasn’t seen this often but she has seen it. Given the amount of time I’ve had this and where it’s located she feels very certain it is scar tissue so for now we are just going to keep an eye on it. I’m comfortable with that.

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  • WC3
    WC3 Member Posts: 1,540
    edited May 2022

    farmerswife:

    I'm not sure if it narrows the vein but the radiologist who removed the port was not concerned and I haven't had any issues aside from the occasional mild discomfort and tugging sensation.

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