Infusion Port Removal - In Office

pattic
pattic Member Posts: 23
in Breast Cancer #1
Just wanted to share my recent experience regarding the removal of my infusion port. Initially, when the port was inserted, I was promised it would be removed in the same fashion that it was inserted - in the operating room with me being out. A year and some months later my surgical oncologist decided he would remove the port in his office, with me being awake. I am terrified of needles, and not at all good with being awake for procedures. However, after all that I had been through in the past 14 months I decided I would allow my surgeon to take it out in office. The morning of the procedure I applied my Emril cream liberally prior leaving home. I barely felt any needle pricks, and felt nothing of the procedure! I have to admit, the entire procedure went really well. If they were handing out lollipops for good behavior I would have walked out of the doctor's office with one!

I am so happy to have the port gone, one more step to putting the treatment in the rear view. Although I am only a few months into my 5 years with Femara, I feel the worst treatment-wise is behind me.

Any way, I just wanted to offer some encouragement to anyone facing the removal of their port in the doctor's office.

Comments

  • MAJW
    MAJW Member Posts: 2,510 Member
    #2
    YEAH!
    So happy the procedure went so well....very encouraging for anyone wanting their port removed without being "put under"...Pat yourself on the back for being ONE BRAVE WARRIOR!
    wishing you easy days ahead..
    Nancy
  • fauxma
    fauxma Member Posts: 3,577 Member
    #3
    MAJW said:

    YEAH!
    So happy the procedure went so well....very encouraging for anyone wanting their port removed without being "put under"...Pat yourself on the back for being ONE BRAVE WARRIOR!
    wishing you easy days ahead..
    Nancy

    Good for you Pattic. It is
    Good for you Pattic. It is not easy to face the fears we have about procedures and you did deserve a huge lollipop and an ice cream cone. You have also helped others who will need their ports removed to see that it can be done in an office setting. Did you just feel that, I was patting you on the back with a great big Atta Girl.
    Stef
  • EllenaMaria
    EllenaMaria Member Posts: 69
    #4
    Good for you. It is amazing
    Good for you. It is amazing how strong we find we really are. I had mine put in under conscience sedation at the outpatient surgery center. I had it removed at same place and they convinced me to do it with just lidocaine. I didn't feel a thing. Well, the lidocaine burned a bit but that was pretty minor.

    The more we share the more encouraging we can be for others.
  • Alexis F
    Alexis F Member Posts: 3,598
    #5
    MAJW said:

    YEAH!
    So happy the procedure went so well....very encouraging for anyone wanting their port removed without being "put under"...Pat yourself on the back for being ONE BRAVE WARRIOR!
    wishing you easy days ahead..
    Nancy

    Congrats Patti! So glad
    Congrats Patti! So glad that it went so well for you!


    Lex
  • cavediver
    cavediver Member Posts: 607
    #6
    thanks for sharing
    thank you for sharing your experience. I too was in hospital and under when the installed the power port. I am not comfortable with needles, blood, or operations even if minor. So I am totally not looking forward to the 'on-office' removal that my surgeon suggests is normal. Your experience makes me feel a bit more comfortable. I think my port will be removed end of next month...and it will be nice to have it gone. As you said, it is a reminder......... again, thanks and hugs to all
  • Sher43009
    Sher43009 Member Posts: 602 Member
    #7
    cavediver said:

    thanks for sharing
    thank you for sharing your experience. I too was in hospital and under when the installed the power port. I am not comfortable with needles, blood, or operations even if minor. So I am totally not looking forward to the 'on-office' removal that my surgeon suggests is normal. Your experience makes me feel a bit more comfortable. I think my port will be removed end of next month...and it will be nice to have it gone. As you said, it is a reminder......... again, thanks and hugs to all

    Congrats!
    Welcome to the "deported" club. I had mine out at surgery center and put under. I'm not as brave as you. The first time I put on a tee shirt and looked down to a flat chest area, I did air pumps YES! Glad it went well.
  • missrenee
    missrenee Member Posts: 2,136 Member
    #8
    Sher43009 said:

    Congrats!
    Welcome to the "deported" club. I had mine out at surgery center and put under. I'm not as brave as you. The first time I put on a tee shirt and looked down to a flat chest area, I did air pumps YES! Glad it went well.

    Good job, Patti!
    My surgeon removed it the same way--in his office. I, too, was a little nervous but said "what the h--I've been through way worst than this." Mine went great as well. After the lidocaine injection, all I felt was a little pulling and tugging. The whole procedure only took about 10 minutes from start to finish.

    Glad you are among us port-free people again.

    Hugs, Renee
  • VickiSam
    VickiSam Member Posts: 9,079 Member
    #9
    missrenee said:

    Good job, Patti!
    My surgeon removed it the same way--in his office. I, too, was a little nervous but said "what the h--I've been through way worst than this." Mine went great as well. After the lidocaine injection, all I felt was a little pulling and tugging. The whole procedure only took about 10 minutes from start to finish.

    Glad you are among us port-free people again.

    Hugs, Renee

    The 'deported club' .. love it!
    Yes, Congratulations! After everything we WARRIORS go thru, getting rid of our port -- should be the least of our worries.

    afraid of needles, our after breast cancer journey, no longer an issue!

    afraid of blood, after our breast cancer journey, also, no longer an issue!

    My deal, going under general anesthesia, for 15 years (arm surgeries, partial hysterectomy -- saddle block used) -- I now go under freely, due 8 surgeries in 13 months - all associated with my breast cancer. I'm in my forties,go figure. I had been Scared out of my wits at the thought of going under ... no longer an issue!


    Happy deportation!


    Vicki Sam
  • ms.sunshine
    ms.sunshine Member Posts: 707 Member
    #10
    missrenee said:

    Good job, Patti!
    My surgeon removed it the same way--in his office. I, too, was a little nervous but said "what the h--I've been through way worst than this." Mine went great as well. After the lidocaine injection, all I felt was a little pulling and tugging. The whole procedure only took about 10 minutes from start to finish.

    Glad you are among us port-free people again.

    Hugs, Renee

    Thanks for the info. I will
    Thanks for the info. I will have mine removed sometime this year. I hate the thought of yet another outpatient surgery. Dr. said wait until results of next PET scan in June.
  • BMS
    BMS Member Posts: 127
    #11
    ms.sunshine said:

    Thanks for the info. I will
    Thanks for the info. I will have mine removed sometime this year. I hate the thought of yet another outpatient surgery. Dr. said wait until results of next PET scan in June.

    Good to know
    Later this year I will be getting mine out in my doctor's office, too. Glad to know it wasn't too bad because I've been freaking about it. Thanks!
  • pattic
    pattic Member Posts: 23
    #12
    BMS said:

    Good to know
    Later this year I will be getting mine out in my doctor's office, too. Glad to know it wasn't too bad because I've been freaking about it. Thanks!

    Thanks for the comments and support!
    I am happy to have such warm support and encouragement. For those of you that have yet to have this done - trust me when I say I am the world's biggest baby when it comes to needles, blood, pain, etc. If I can do this, so can you! And you, like I, will be ever so proud of yourselves when its done!

    And BMS, in the interest of full disclosure - when my surgeon first told me it was coming out in office I was a mess, cried all the way home, and then went into full freak-out mode for a couple of hours. I then decided I was NOT going to have it out in office, and that I would simply keep in it for the rest of my life if that was the only way he would remove it. The next day or so I calmed down, thought about everything that I had done over the past 14 months, and decided to go ahead and do it his way. Once I made that decision I became more at peace with all of it more and more each day. After it was done I knew I had made the right decision, for me at least.

    Also, last week I had my first blood draw done since the port was removed - the first blood draw done for more than a year not done through my power port. I was a bit nervous before hand, but no where near my usual level of panic and anxiety. And right before, during and right after the blood draw I was surprisingly calm. Again, hopefully the rest of my needle-phobic sisters will find some comfort in this. Maybe another positive thing that has come from this experience??
  • pattimc
    pattimc Member Posts: 431
    #13
    pattic said:

    Thanks for the comments and support!
    I am happy to have such warm support and encouragement. For those of you that have yet to have this done - trust me when I say I am the world's biggest baby when it comes to needles, blood, pain, etc. If I can do this, so can you! And you, like I, will be ever so proud of yourselves when its done!

    And BMS, in the interest of full disclosure - when my surgeon first told me it was coming out in office I was a mess, cried all the way home, and then went into full freak-out mode for a couple of hours. I then decided I was NOT going to have it out in office, and that I would simply keep in it for the rest of my life if that was the only way he would remove it. The next day or so I calmed down, thought about everything that I had done over the past 14 months, and decided to go ahead and do it his way. Once I made that decision I became more at peace with all of it more and more each day. After it was done I knew I had made the right decision, for me at least.

    Also, last week I had my first blood draw done since the port was removed - the first blood draw done for more than a year not done through my power port. I was a bit nervous before hand, but no where near my usual level of panic and anxiety. And right before, during and right after the blood draw I was surprisingly calm. Again, hopefully the rest of my needle-phobic sisters will find some comfort in this. Maybe another positive thing that has come from this experience??

    Port removal
    I had mine done at the hospital but it was more than an office than a "surgical" area. I, too, was freaking out! I called the office a few days before and asked my doc if I could either: take a vicoden, take a percocet or drink a bottle of wine before I came. He said I could do any of the three, but if I was going to drink the wine, to bring some for him, too!!

    I did take a percocet before the procedure and I was just loopy enough that I didn't care what was happening!

    Patti

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