Power port wont draw, but infuses fine

krf
krf Member Posts: 98
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
Anyone else had this happen? My hubby went for treatment and they could not get his power port to draw blood, although it flushed and infused just fine. It has happened twice so now he is set for a 'cathogram'- I haven't looked it up yet- it is happeneing the day of his next CT scan.
Thanks-
Kim

Comments

  • geotina
    geotina Member Posts: 2,111 Member
    #2
    Yep
    My hubby has been there, done that. Put your arms up, put your arms down, back in the chair, every imaginable position and the dang thing didn't work so he just gets his draws from his arm. Long as the infusion goes in, that is what matters. Lately though, the head nurse at the chemo center moved the needle around a bit (George said that did not hurt) and the blood came out and most of the time now, it works. Others will chime in but it happens to a lot of people.

    George is on his second power port, the first one after 2 treatments did not work at all, went to the hospital and the tip had turned and was against the vein so surgeon took that one out and put a new one on the opposite side. Take care - Tina
  • KATE58
    KATE58 Member Posts: 299
    #3
    Yeah,
    it happens
    Yeah,
    it happens sometimes.
    no need to panic,


    good luck!!
    kATE
  • coloCan
    coloCan Member Posts: 1,944 Member
    #4
    KATE58 said:

    Yeah,
    it happens
    Yeah,
    it happens sometimes.
    no need to panic,


    good luck!!
    kATE

    Happened to me too,
    First time around, port only worked 3 out of 5 times,( even had it about to be tested in hospital with dye test and it worked perfectly if I lay down)second time around, a few months later, because it hadn;t been flushed for so long, couldn't be used s o I now have PICC in arm (and old port still in chest)Sometimes the line on port moves and gets blocked by vein but its not uncommon for some problems to occur with port. I didn;t know it needed to be flushed every 4 weeks or so if its not going to be used while one awaits surgery .... Good luck with your treatments....Steve
  • claud1951
    claud1951 Member Posts: 424 Member
    #5
    Kim,
    Yes...mine was like
    Kim,

    Yes...mine was like that most of my treatments. It only worked for a couple of times (drawing blood) The rest of the time they just took the blood from my arm.
    I had a process, where they checked to see if fluid was going in and through the port and it was. Just not drawing out.
    Didn't want to have another surgery to replace the port so left it the way it was.


    It should be fine as long as meds are going in.
    Claudia
  • Buzzard
    Buzzard Member Posts: 3,043 Member
    #6
    claud1951 said:

    Kim,
    Yes...mine was like
    Kim,

    Yes...mine was like that most of my treatments. It only worked for a couple of times (drawing blood) The rest of the time they just took the blood from my arm.
    I had a process, where they checked to see if fluid was going in and through the port and it was. Just not drawing out.
    Didn't want to have another surgery to replace the port so left it the way it was.


    It should be fine as long as meds are going in.
    Claudia

    I would venture to bet.......
    That 98% of them won't allow a full draw for complete CMP or CBC......It will allow enough just to get you to think that it will then it quits. Probably a ploy to charge an extra $500 for it...when we have them removed we should get some type of refund.... :)

    Oh, mine won't give either just take....kinds sounds a lot like my ex-wife but that's another story......
  • krf
    krf Member Posts: 98
    #7
    Buzzard said:

    I would venture to bet.......
    That 98% of them won't allow a full draw for complete CMP or CBC......It will allow enough just to get you to think that it will then it quits. Probably a ploy to charge an extra $500 for it...when we have them removed we should get some type of refund.... :)

    Oh, mine won't give either just take....kinds sounds a lot like my ex-wife but that's another story......

    LOL
    At his last appt. his platelets were too low for the oxaliplatin- he thought about calling the insurance co. and telling them that for a price, he would quit the oxy! ;)
    Thanks for making me smile- and for the info.

    Kim
  • PhillieG
    PhillieG Member Posts: 4,866 Member
    #8
    Same here
    I have a dual port and have had problems like that for over 5 years. They did a "flow test" a few months back and everything is fine. They had a policy at SK where if they didn't get blood back they couldn't do the chemo. The test was nothing and I'm glad I had it done. Now I can get chemo anytime!!!! Oh boy!
  • Kathryn_in_MN
    Kathryn_in_MN Member Posts: 1,252 Member
    #9
    I had this problem a lot
    My port wasn't working for draws either. Tx #3 and #4 they used TPA to clear it out.

    Then I was diagnosed with a PE, and am now on blood thinner (Coumadin). For tx#5 my port worked just fine to draw blood. I think mine kept clotting over before.

    Think of drinking a strawberry milkshake. You suck up into the straw and a chunk of berry gets stuck, so you can't get anything up. But if you blow into the straw, you can get it to go out. This scenerio happens with ports if there are clots or a fibrin cap. So it can work as an innie, but not an outie in some cases.
  • krf
    krf Member Posts: 98
    #10
    Thanks all- good to know it
    Thanks all- good to know it is normal. The TPA did not clear it up either time. The description of the strawberry shake was the exact visual I needed! Thanks so much for giving me a description I can wrap my brain around!

    Kim
  • Shayenne
    Shayenne Member Posts: 2,342
    #11
    krf said:

    Thanks all- good to know it
    Thanks all- good to know it is normal. The TPA did not clear it up either time. The description of the strawberry shake was the exact visual I needed! Thanks so much for giving me a description I can wrap my brain around!

    Kim

    Happens Alot!!!
    I also have a double barrel Power Port, supposed to be the "Top of the Line" port, and for the last 3 chemos I've had, even flushing with Heparin didn't get it to go, (the port I had in better worked better then this thing, and this is the newer top one I have??? pffft!) so I have the blood drawers try to access BOTH at the same time, since they will send me up to chemo room and then they may notice I may need both accessed as well, and won't wait to get to the chemo room anymore, since the numbing medicine is wiped off putting the first one in, to sterilize that area, and them have this apolex or something that is called, that is stronger them the Heparin, and stays attached to you for 10 minutes-somewhere as long as 50 minutes, which will open that port.

    But don't worry! it's normal, the nurses told me ALOT of people have to do this as well :)

    Hugsss!
    ~Donna

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