Port has to be declotted.

colon2
colon2 Member Posts: 183
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
Has anyone had to have this done. The Dr. told me it needed to be done or else the drugs could back up and not go into the vein like they are suppossed to. I am just wondering what type of procedure it is, and I was feeling so bad at the Drs. office all i wanted was to go home. I didn't ask any questions about what exactly they would do. i had a port a gram a couple weeks ago and it was no big deal.
Thanks, carletta

Comments

  • tiny one
    tiny one Member Posts: 465 Member
    #2
    Port
    I'm not sure but I think they flush the port, this I think would be similar to what they do after your treatments, they push fluid thru there. Shouldn't be uncomfortable I would think. Please let us know what they do.
  • PhillieG
    PhillieG Member Posts: 4,866 Member
    #3
    Port
    I've had issues with my port since I got it 5 years ago. It always let stuff in but often I didn't get a blood flow return. What they did for me was to to a Flow Test where they put a fluid in with a contrast so that was they could tell that the port is functioning properly. I'm not sure if your issues is the same, it sounds a bit different with blood being thicker or something. It's my guess would be that the test would not be a big deal, usually they keep it clear with heparin.
    Hopefully someone has more info or you could call the Doctor and just ask what's involved so you don't worry yourself.
    -p
  • kmygil
    kmygil Member Posts: 876 Member
    #4
    Kinda Sorta
    I kinda sorta know what they're talking about. I think they use a heavy duty blood thinner--no big deal, I think. Have you been getting regular port flushes at least every 6 weeks? I didn't know that and I went almost 9 months without a flush. The chemo nurses were appalled, but I got lucky & it didn't clot up. Let me know what it really entails, ok?

    Hugs,
    Kirsten
  • VickiCO
    VickiCO Member Posts: 917
    #5
    Port problem
    Carletta,

    I had this with my first port. They couldn't get a blood draw, said it kept blocking. For my situation, it was no big deal. It was just like flushing, except I kept having to move my shoulder back, forward, sideways, etc until it was just right and they could push the meds through. Eventually we learned how to work with it, but when I had my surgery, they replaced the port with a Smart Port. Heaven! I don't even know it's there, (I could feel the first one all the time) I don't feel the pokes, it flushes easily and the nurses love it as well.

    Vicki
  • Shayenne
    Shayenne Member Posts: 2,342
    #6
    VickiCO said:

    Port problem
    Carletta,

    I had this with my first port. They couldn't get a blood draw, said it kept blocking. For my situation, it was no big deal. It was just like flushing, except I kept having to move my shoulder back, forward, sideways, etc until it was just right and they could push the meds through. Eventually we learned how to work with it, but when I had my surgery, they replaced the port with a Smart Port. Heaven! I don't even know it's there, (I could feel the first one all the time) I don't feel the pokes, it flushes easily and the nurses love it as well.

    Vicki

    Flush
    When I was in the hospital, they were having a hard time getting the blood out, so they called one of the chemo murses to come up fix it, and all he did was flush the port, and then put this blood thinner type medicine in through the port, which sat there for 2 hours, he went and did his thing while we waited the for the medicine to go down in 2 hours, and it has worked ever since. You should always get your port flushed once a month.

    Hugssss!
    ~Donna
  • colon2
    colon2 Member Posts: 183
    #7
    Shayenne said:

    Flush
    When I was in the hospital, they were having a hard time getting the blood out, so they called one of the chemo murses to come up fix it, and all he did was flush the port, and then put this blood thinner type medicine in through the port, which sat there for 2 hours, he went and did his thing while we waited the for the medicine to go down in 2 hours, and it has worked ever since. You should always get your port flushed once a month.

    Hugssss!
    ~Donna

    more info
    I went for my appointment and they were all set up to do another port a gram, where they inject stuff and see if it flows and how fast it flows. I told them we did that 2 eweeks ago. It is supposed to be de clotted. They got confused and started checking. Lo and behold they don't declot at that hospital unless you are an in patient and a vascular surgeon tells them to do it. So i have to go to another hospital on Monday and get it declotted. they said it is putting in the drug they use for stroke victims, just a smaller amount. Sort of what Donna referred to in above post. Then they watch you for a while to make sure everything is okay. They have been flushing the port every time I get chemo (every 2 weeks) they just haven't been able to get blood from it. I will let everyone know how it goes after Monday.
    Thanks, Carletta
  • PhillieG
    PhillieG Member Posts: 4,866 Member
    #8
    colon2 said:

    more info
    I went for my appointment and they were all set up to do another port a gram, where they inject stuff and see if it flows and how fast it flows. I told them we did that 2 eweeks ago. It is supposed to be de clotted. They got confused and started checking. Lo and behold they don't declot at that hospital unless you are an in patient and a vascular surgeon tells them to do it. So i have to go to another hospital on Monday and get it declotted. they said it is putting in the drug they use for stroke victims, just a smaller amount. Sort of what Donna referred to in above post. Then they watch you for a while to make sure everything is okay. They have been flushing the port every time I get chemo (every 2 weeks) they just haven't been able to get blood from it. I will let everyone know how it goes after Monday.
    Thanks, Carletta

    Flow Test
    It sounds like what I had done once, they did the flow test to make sure the chemo was going in, now it doesn't matter if they get blood return or not, we know it's working. It's a little unnerving that they didn't know they already did it though.
    When you first mentioned "port a gram" I was thinking telegram and port o potty.
    I'm strange, I know...
    Good luck with it, it's not a big deal test like some others are but do let us know how you made out.
    -p
  • jenben59
    jenben59 Member Posts: 136 Member
    #9
    Thinking of you and this port problem.
    I had port problems too. The first one detached from my insides and flipped over....they had to do another surgery and replace the port. The second one has problems showing the blood out flow so you can start your chemo. It would take about 1 1/2 hours just to try and get the new port to work. The doctor sent me to the X-ray lab to find out why the second one was causing such a problem. Turns out, the line that is in the "main vein"? is up against the artery wall...so when the nurses try to get me started on my chemo and try to show the blood supply they "suck out" nothing comes out. It's hit the vein wall and that's it. I only have 4 chemos left and ny Onc did not want me to have another port put in , so they just deal with it.

Discussion Boards