Port - take it out or not?

My doc recommended 2 years from surgery. For me that is May 1, 2019. As Zsa Zsa said the greatest chance of recurrence is in the first 2 years. I will be happy to have it removed. Sometimes it bothers me and I don't like having to go to the hospital to have it flushed between check ups. 

I felt like I was going to jinx things if I took out the port. I'd still have it in if I hadn't moved and changed doctors. I had it for a year and a half after chemo. I don't miss it, but it was my security blanket for just in case.

On the subject of port removal mine is to be removed on April 18th with local anesthetic. For those that have had their port removed what was the recovery like?  Easy peasy, in and out and back to work that afternoon?  Or ugh, it was sore for a few days.  Just curious.  When I had my port placed I was still recovering from surgery and chemo was the next day so I'm a bit foggy about what it felt like though I do recall the seatbelt did not feel good nor could I pull the lever to the easy chair by myself right away.

TeddyandBears_Mom said:

Jairoldi, My port removal was

Jairoldi, My port removal was easy peasy... Recovery was really nothing. A few stitches removed about a week later or so later.  

I used some numbing cream to help with the numbing shots. It worked well and I had little to no pain just some pressure.

Hope this helps!

Love and hugs,

Cindi

Thanks Cindi.  That is helpful. I'm so looking forward to not feeling like I have a kink in my neck and looking forward to it not hurting so much when my granchildren accidentally bonk me there.  Amazing how many times getting bonked can happen   Also great idea on the numbing cream.  I still have some so will use it that morning.

Well, it's more likely that you could look at it the other way, maybe she is optimistic that you have been cured, and won't need it again!  But I agree with you, I think you should leave it in.  If you have a recurrence, there is more chemo that you could have, and they would need the port.

I had mine in for six years.  I was glad to don’t get it out.  It was twisted and sometimes hard to flush

jan9wils said:

I had my first port for over

I had my first port for over a year after finishing chemo the 1st time. When I came to need chemo again they used it for my first treatment. I "threw" a clot which turned out to be life-threateneing. That port came out and a new one put in on the other side. The surgeon who removed it told me it was full of clots and happens more than you would think. My second port the onc said take it out right after to ward against clots. I found having them taken out easy (and a relief). Putting one in, that was when I was sore. 

I'm so sorry you had a clot issue  - as if cancer wasn't life-threatening enough!  When you had your regular port flushes in between finishing your first chemo and your second, did you have any trouble?  Like did they always go successfully and did you have any symptoms at all that made you or the techs wonder if you had clots?  My gyn-onc gave me a list of warning signs, and at my physical exams she asks how it is, but your experience sobers me a little - I want to be sure to be vigilant.  I finished chemo in October of '17, and have my port flushed every 5 weeks.  

My doctor recommended getting the port out, so out it comes tomorrow. I was fortunate not to have any issues with it, except when my grandkids gave me a hug, lol.

Had my one year checkup and cat-125 check and all was well with the cat-125 at 5. I get more nervous with the cat-125 then I do with scans, I don't know why. I'll have my annual PET in October.

I had my port in for 6 ½ years. I had a recurrence 6 months after the end of chemo, so the drs insisted that I keep the port. The port was flushed monthly and used regularly for blood draws. Periodically, it would clog up, and then the nurses put whatever unclogs it and it would work again. By about 5 ½ years, that clogging routine would happen nearly every month and suddenly, my jugular vein felt swollen and tender. I kept begging for the damn port to be removed. But the drs were sure that they'd need it again and said that if there was a problem they would see it on the ct scans. Well, they couldn't see anything on the scans because I can't get iodine iv contrast. My face starts to swell, and eventually, I even had difficulty hooking my bra on, blah, blah, blah. To shorten the story, I was eventually hospitalized with SVC (superior vena cava) syndrome. The port caused a dvt in my left shoulder, then I had blood clots all over my neck, chest, and back which blocked the return of blood flow from my face. My svc was 95% blocked with the port being the only thing that kept it open.

What I found out from the interventional radiologist was that the long-term use of ports, pacemakers, and other devices is causing these blood clots and SVC syndrome, which was once rare, is now becoming more common. What I also learned was that no one was really monitoring my port. My oncologist was focused really on the cancer and the pcp assumed the oncologist was on it.

So, knowing what I know now, I would have demanded that the port be taken out after chemo. BTW, I have had two recurrences since the port was put in. Both times, they used brachytherapy to treat the recurrences.

I hope this helps. Best wishes to you.