Port or Line for getting Chemo and Blood Clots

TomM1956728
TomM1956728 Member Posts: 64
in Esophageal Cancer #1
Hello,

My mother had surgery a while back to get a port or line inserted in the upper left hand corner of her chest (near her arm) so that she could get chemotherapy.

I’m not sure whether a port or a line was inserted but the item was placed inside her body under her skin so it’s not visible from the outside.

My mother did not have chemotherapy for around 2 months. Unfortunately, we weren’t aware that she had to go to the medical center to get her port or line cleaned at least once a month. Thus, during the 2 months she did not receive any chemo, the port/line was not cleaned.

About a month or two later, a PET Scan showed that she had a blood clot in her lung.

Could not getting the line/port cleaned have caused the blood clot? I recently heard that if you don’t get the line/port cleaned it could cause a blood clot.

However, I’m thinking that if a blood clot is caused by the line/port, the blood clot should occur near the line/port area rather than in her lung.

Any thoughts or advice you can provide would be deeply appreciated.

Thank you very much for your kind help.

Tom

Comments

  • cher76
    cher76 Member Posts: 292
    #2
    I do know that the line is
    I do know that the line is suppose to be flushed about every month if not used. My husband had a PICC line that was being used, and so was flushed every day. But after about 9 months he developed a blood clot in it. He just woke up one morning with his arm all swollen and red. After a sonogram of his arm it was determined that a clot had formed, so the line was pulled and medication was given to dissolve the clot. They then inserted a port- a- cath in his chest that he used from then on. He never had any other troubles with it after that.
    Cheryl
    Wife of Rickie, dx Ec stage IV, Oct. 2010
    Mets to bones and brain
    Lost the battle, Jan. 4, 2012
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    #3
    cher76 said:

    I do know that the line is
    I do know that the line is suppose to be flushed about every month if not used. My husband had a PICC line that was being used, and so was flushed every day. But after about 9 months he developed a blood clot in it. He just woke up one morning with his arm all swollen and red. After a sonogram of his arm it was determined that a clot had formed, so the line was pulled and medication was given to dissolve the clot. They then inserted a port- a- cath in his chest that he used from then on. He never had any other troubles with it after that.
    Cheryl
    Wife of Rickie, dx Ec stage IV, Oct. 2010
    Mets to bones and brain
    Lost the battle, Jan. 4, 2012

    This comment has been removed by the Moderator
  • TomM1956728
    TomM1956728 Member Posts: 64
    #4
    cher76 said:

    I do know that the line is
    I do know that the line is suppose to be flushed about every month if not used. My husband had a PICC line that was being used, and so was flushed every day. But after about 9 months he developed a blood clot in it. He just woke up one morning with his arm all swollen and red. After a sonogram of his arm it was determined that a clot had formed, so the line was pulled and medication was given to dissolve the clot. They then inserted a port- a- cath in his chest that he used from then on. He never had any other troubles with it after that.
    Cheryl
    Wife of Rickie, dx Ec stage IV, Oct. 2010
    Mets to bones and brain
    Lost the battle, Jan. 4, 2012

    Thank you
    Hi Cheryl,

    Thank you for the information you provided. I appreciate your help.

    Tom
  • TomM1956728
    TomM1956728 Member Posts: 64
    #5
    unknown said:

    This comment has been removed by the Moderator

    Thank you
    Thank you for your kind assistance. I appreciate your feedback.

    Tom
  • monica_sss
    monica_sss Member Posts: 54
    #6
    TomM1956728 said:

    Thank you
    Hi Cheryl,

    Thank you for the information you provided. I appreciate your help.

    Tom

    PICC Line
    Mom had a PICC line that required daily saline flushing + heparin flush. My understanding was that this prevented clots within the line -- I was never told that lack of flushing would create clots elsewhere.
  • ozchrissy
    ozchrissy Member Posts: 18
    #7
    monica_sss said:

    PICC Line
    Mom had a PICC line that required daily saline flushing + heparin flush. My understanding was that this prevented clots within the line -- I was never told that lack of flushing would create clots elsewhere.

    Interesting
    I think I am going to present a few problems for my doctors when I get to the Chemo stage as well. I have a blood clot already on my ICD lead in my heart. I am on Warfarin also. I read this with a bit of concern, these are the type of things that you don't contemplate in the early stages. I know I will stop the Warfarin prior to the operation, but for the chemo I am wondering what they will do for me. But one step at a time, I am sure they will have an answer for me.

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