Tell me about port removal, please

I was petrified. I had it scheduled in office so knew I was going to have a local.  

Needles, how I hate them. 

Well, the needles were so small I couldn't feel them. The area was numbed up and I didn't feel a thing. I was in and out in no time  

I went away a happy person. 

good luck. All will be well. 

Sue - Ed

I also had pain when it was put in.  They must have hit a nerve and I had to be on pain killers for 2 days - and could barely move my neck and mouth.

Having it removed - with a local - was a breeze.  The only thing was that it took a bit as the surgeon had difficulty getting to the sutures - so he had to dig a lot.  Got a lot of lidocaine.  No pain afterwards!  Yay!

I hope your removal goes as smoothly.

J

I had my port removed in February of this year and it was done in the surgeon's office under a local. After his first couple of actions I asked him to give me a second hit of the anesthetic but after that I could only feel general sensations of being tugged and pulled a bit as he worked his way around the port cutting the sutures that kept it sewn to my chest muscles. I think it took him about 15 minutes altogether. We spent almost as much time talking about rock music in operating rooms after he finished as he had taken for the removal.

JanJan63 said:

Thank you so much for the

Thank you so much for the reassurances everyone. I've become quite a baby about things being done to me. I'll sure be glad to have it out. Having something that seems like it's already infected that goes into my vein is scary. I didn't realize it was sutured down. Once they hit the nerve and my heart went crazy and they called in a heart doctor right away that was all I could focus on. And, yes, I had a local for the insertion and it's a local for the removal.

Jan

I didn't have a local for the placement, but it wasn't a general either. I had propofol (think Micheal Jackson), which knocks you out without being as dangerous as general anesthetic.

Insertion is allot more complicated than removal, and that is why they can remove it in the office. Its a sterile procedure where you are awake. 

Saying that, my friend got put out for her removal, because she requested it. 

Sue - Trubrit

I had mine taken out last fall...in my surgeon's office.  It really didn't hurt much...mine was rather buried in there, so they had to give me some additional numbing medicine.  I guess the worst part of it was the bit of tugging and pulling on it to get it out...but really, it was not too bad. 

I'm from the BC board.  Mine was put in under a general anesthesia, and was removed when I had my mastectomy.  I found it interesting that he removed it through the mastectomy incision rather than going through the original port scar.  I'm one that is a baby, which is interesting since I have a high threshhold for pain.  I would always rather be sedated.  It doesn't seem like anything should bother me after chemo and radiation (I was one that developed raw, weepy sores and had one place get infected), but that wasn't the case.

Helen321 said:

Sloan won't do it while you

Sloan won't do it while you are awake so mine was very easy.  It just hurt for a few days but not cancer hurt, more like stubbed my toe hard hurt.  The nerve thing isn't very fun.  I hope they are much better taking it out than putting it in.  

Good to hear, put me out and take it out when the time comes (I am at Sloan)  They put it in without general, but the twilight zone stuff.  There was times I was talking during the procedure and cracking jokes.  And I asked for Pink Floyd in recovery, thought it was appropriate.  And they found it for me.  

NewHere said:

Celebrate

Go get 'em.   Has to feel like you crossed a real milestone.

My Onc said he will take it out rather quickly after my chemo is done.  

If I knew how Trubrit does her dancing man, I would post one for you.

It is almost 5 yrs since I had my port removed,so I just don't remember what it was like.  It was done in the hospital though.