Mediport
Question:
My wife is currently receiving chemo for breast cancer, and our oncologist is recommending that she have a Mediport installed. Would appreciate any comments on the surgical procedure itself and the recovery, and any observations on the benefits vs. risks. Thanks. John Chickering
Response:
My wife is currently receiving chemo for breast cancer, and our oncologist is recommending that she have a Mediport installed. Would appreciate any comments on the surgical procedure itself and the recovery, and any observations on the benefits vs. risks. Thanks.
John, My son had a Port-a-Cath installed, which I believe is synonymous with the Mediport, for his leukemia therapy. It’s wonderful! The procedure is relatively short — about 45 minutes, with an extremely quick recovery period. Once installed, it’s ready to be used immediately. The port is subcutaneous, with no external parts, as in a central line, and therefore less likely to become infected. My son doesn’t mind the quick access (preceded with a topical application of Emla cream to numb the skin), and receives his venous therapies as well as has counts drawn through it on days that he’s accessed. It’s worked very well for us, and appears to be one of those little breakthroughs that have somewhat eased the trauma of chemotherapy. -Best wishes and luck, -Barry
Response:
My wife is currently receiving chemo for breast cancer, and our oncologist is recommending that she have a Mediport installed. Would appreciate any comments on the surgical procedure itself and the recovery, and any observations on the benefits vs. risks. Thanks. John Chickering
My wife had a PortaCath installed for Ovarian Ca. The port has saved her from vain scarring and pain. Highly recommended. The procedure is short as a walk in. She can recieve her taxol from a portable pump, looks just like a tourist money belt, and no longer needs to be in a hospital stay for it. Aloha Brian
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– – My wife is currently receiving chemo for breast cancer, and our – oncologist is recommending that she have a Mediport installed. Would – appreciate any comments on the surgical procedure itself and the – recovery, and any observations on the benefits vs. risks. Thanks. – – John Chickering I had a portacath placed in my chest for chemo. It is fantastic. Makes getting chemo so much easier as they just ‘plug you in’. The operation took 45 min. You recover quickly with very little pain. There are risks associated with infection, however the device is actually under the skin. Mine has been in since Oct 95 with no problems at all. -Pete
Response:
My wife is currently receiving chemo for breast cancer, and our oncologist is recommending that she have a Mediport installed. Would appreciate any comments on the surgical procedure itself and the recovery, and any observations on the benefits vs. risks. Thanks. John Chickering
I have had several Hickman lines and a medi-port and I can tell you from experience that the medi-port is super so long as it does not get infected (which is rare). Most medi-ports are inserted in the chest area, but because of other problems, I had to have mine put into my upper thigh (I would have preferred the chest). Hickman catheters requiring daily flushing and dressing changes at least 3X each week. The medi-port, on the other hand, needs to be flushed just once a months (which is normally done at the time chemotherapy or bloodwork needs done anyway). I can also tell you that my wife preferred the medi-port over the Hickman as well.
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I’ve had two ports inserted for chemotherapy (the first had to be removed because it was causing inflammation) and I would highly recommend your wife get one. Using my veins for chemo was never an option — they wouldn’t cooperate, even though I’m only 26. Also, with a port there’s little worry of a drug leaking out of the IV line and causing damage. I get adriamycin (I’ve got Hodgkin’s disease), which causes severe tissue damage if it gets on the skin. The port prevents that. Julie
Response:
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – My wife is currently receiving chemo for breast cancer, and our oncologist is recommending that she have a Mediport installed. Would appreciate any comments on the surgical procedure itself and the recovery, and any observations on the benefits vs. risks. Thanks. John, My son had a Port-a-Cath installed, which I believe is synonymous with the Mediport, for his leukemia therapy. It’s wonderful! The procedure is relatively short — about 45 minutes, with an extremely quick recovery period. Once installed, it’s ready to be used immediately. The port is subcutaneous, with no external parts, as in a central line, and therefore less likely to become infected. My son doesn’t mind the quick access (preceded with a topical application of Emla cream to numb the skin), and receives his venous therapies as well as has counts drawn through it on days that he’s accessed. It’s worked very well for us, and appears to be one of those little breakthroughs that have somewhat eased the trauma of chemotherapy. -Best wishes and luck, -Barry
John, My experience was positive as well, although I had a Hickman catheter. With a direct line to the superior veinacava? it disperses the medications faster, hence they can turn flow rate up and you can leave sooner – smile. Also Barry mentioned "counts drawn" which if you don’t know by now is draw blood for the endless tests. It saves your veins then too. I believe the Mediport also requires a flushing. Just a shot of heparin a day or two which can be administered by your wife, anywhere. Keep that heparin warm though. I went camping and left it in the glove compartment overnight. I knew then the meaning of "ice in his veins". — Regards, Sean
Response:
My wife is currently receiving chemo for breast cancer, and our oncologist is recommending that she have a Mediport installed. Would appreciate any comments on the surgical procedure itself and the recovery, and any observations on the benefits vs. risks. Thanks.
John; I saw the other post re: Port-a-Cath. My wife had one (a Hickman Subcutaneous Port) implanted after much deliberation. Her worries were more of the "not knowing the surgeon/not liking general anasthetic" kind rather than not wanting the actual port put in. The surgery went quickly with no side effects. It sure helps as the chemo seems to "burn up" the veins in the arm. My wife had only one arm she wanted used (lymph node removal made the other less than desirable to use). She was very impressed with how much easier chemo (and the taking of blood) became. If you need a lot of IV needles, it makes life a bit easier. Gary
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I had a medi-port when receiving chemo for Hodgkin’s and Had numerous problems with it. It was never patent (allowing for both administration of drugs and blood return) so I usually had to resort to veinous puncture. I eventually developed a DVT (deep vein thrombosis or blood clot) which necessitated an extended hospital stay. I became neutropenic and also had to under go drug therapy to prevent further clotting. I had a Groshong catheter installed (a central line) and although the upkeep was extensive including home health care, and I had other complications, I found it to be a better alternative to the implanted port. Best of luck to you and your son, CHRISTIAN P.S. I am what the doctors jokingly call "an interesting case-study" and my experiences as a cancer patient have been frustratingly a-typical. Still, I persevere!
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My mail program has a bug and the only way to send a message to the support group is to attatch it to another letter…..but I do have something to say about the mediport. Dad had an accident last year and they could only use one arm for his IVs…they drew blood to test out of his feet….His veins are very bad now. He had a mediport installed and the port….He is so grateful that he got it. Okay on to my original My Dad has pancreatic cancer……He had very good rusults on Gemzar but he is one of the few that just couldn’t handle it. he has been off of it a couple of months now and they told him he had about 6 weeks to live. Hospice wanted to work with his local Dr so we went in to see him today…….Dad’s Deuodeum is completely blocked……and he is very dehydrated and quite literally….starving to death. So they put him in the hospital and pumped a quart of vile green stuff out of his stomach…..and put an iv in. Monday…they are gonna do a bypass on that say it is simple????? Let me know if you do. Thanks Sherry
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – - – My wife is currently receiving chemo for breast cancer, and our – oncologist is recommending that she have a Mediport installed. Would – appreciate any comments on the surgical procedure itself and the – recovery, and any observations on the benefits vs. risks. Thanks. – – John Chickering I had a portacath placed in my chest for chemo. It is fantastic. Makes getting chemo so much easier as they just ‘plug you in’. The operation took 45 min. You recover quickly with very little pain. There are risks associated with infection, however the device is actually under the skin. Mine has been in since Oct 95 with no problems at all. -Pete
I absolutely agree! I had Hodgkin’s with 6 months of chemo and tried to make it without the port. Dumb. The chemo fried my veins, causing painful phlebitis. Then the veins shortened and restricted my motion. When I finally got my Groshong, it was fabulous. I’d clean it with a heparin/saline wash and never had a problem. The second time I got cancer they went immediately for the port, this time a Hickman (which I prefered.) Putting them in and taking them out were nothing. Turn your head, relax… easier than chemo for sure! Then if she needs a transfusion, they can use it for that as well. Less poking, less bruising, go for it! Keep it clean, and and I see no reason to avoid one.
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I have difficult to access veins. The portacth has made my chemo and bloodwork so much easier. I highly recommend it. Chemo is stressfull enoughand anything that makes it easier on you is well worth it. Jamie
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he portacth has made my chemo and bloodwork so much easier
– this is especially true when you’ve had lymphodema in one arm and veins are shot from chemo in the other. Blood draws can be very troublesome without the port. Dave
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Another posive response for Hickman ports. My wife just got one. Sure has made life easier. If your doctor advises it, it should be right. it does require minor surgery. Ask him to explain any negatives. Always
Response:
says… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – - – My wife is currently receiving chemo for breast cancer, and our – oncologist is recommending that she have a Mediport installed. Would – appreciate any comments on the surgical procedure itself and the – recovery, and any observations on the benefits vs. risks. Thanks. – – John Chickering I had a portacath placed in my chest for chemo. It is fantastic. Makes getting chemo so much easier as they just ‘plug you in’. The operation took 45 min. You recover quickly with very little pain. There are risks associated with infection, however the device is actually under the skin. Mine has been in since Oct 95 with no problems at all. -Pete I absolutely agree! I had Hodgkin’s with 6 months of chemo and tried to make it without the port. Dumb. The chemo fried my veins, causing painful phlebitis. Then the veins shortened and restricted my motion. When I finally got my Groshong, it was fabulous. I’d clean it with a heparin/saline wash and never had a problem. The second time I got cancer they went immediately for the port, this time a Hickman (which I prefered.) Putting them in and taking them out were nothing. Turn your head, relax… easier than chemo for sure! Then if she needs a transfusion, they can use it for that as well. Less poking, less bruising, go for it! Keep it clean, and and I see no reason to avoid one.
I had hodgkins as well, has been 3 years now, but I had a port-a-cath inserted into a main heart artery. I was below the skin,so it didnt look bad. Didnt hurt when gettin poked, i thought it was great. No problem getting it removed either. I do have a scar bout an inch now, but big deal, i was gettin iv’s for 4 months and my veins got hard,started developing bumps. I would say get one they work well.
Response:
Re the previous notes on using a port. We had a positive experience with a port as well, when my spouse was being treated for nonsmall cell lung cancer. She just had it removed last week in outpatient surgery after two years. It had to be flushed every so often, but the docs wanted to leave it, just in case.
