Reply To: Port-a-cath

I’ve had my Bard chest port for over 7 years and use it 4-6 times a month. It’s held up well. My family was totally adamant for me NOT getting a port saying I’d get a serious infection, etc. After I blew 4 IV’s in one day I said I’m getting a dang port soon because I’m the one having infusions and I did. It hurt after the surgery as any surgery does and took a while for scar tissue to form filling in the area. My surgeon put a line above my bra so he could know where the port should be placed. He said when women were laying down for this surgery he really couldn’t tell the best place.

I put a bag of ice near the surgery site a few times a day (stuffed the ice in my sports bar). For women wearing a sports bra helped like wearing a bandage to hold the area in but not too tightly. I didn’t lift heavy items for several weeks (it pulled). I’m very happy with my chest port. Sometimes the area is tender and getting stuck might hurt but it’s quickly over. My nurses follow strict procedure sterilizing the port area and inserting the needle while wearing their mask and gloves. Any changing of the infusion bags or bottle is not done till the nurses first wash their hands. Following sanitary rules will help keep you safe and help prolong the life of your port. Just make sure you’re getting the right port for you and the surgeon is an expert on installing them.