Port-a-Cath

Yesterday, I had a Port-A-Cath implanted.  It was “minor surgery”.  Minor. Surgery. They put me under, but I got to go home afterwards.  Oh Yay.  A necessary part of chemo.

I have a device under my skin.  A medical device.  A port-a-cath device.

In clinical terms: “A Port-A-Cath is a device that is used to make administration of chemotherapy easier. It can also reduce the risk of certain chemotherapy related complications. This device is placed under the skin, in upper part of the chest. It has a small reservoir that is connected to a major vein inside the chest. This device facilitates administration of chemotherapy into the venous system. Some of chemotherapy drugs can cause major problems if they leak from the veins in to the surrounding tissues. Such damage could be very dangerous and difficult to treat. This may happen if certain drugs are administered into a vein in the arm. In addition, since patients will need frequent injections and intravenous treatments, very soon we may run out of usable veins.”

and

“Ports for Chemotherapy
Your oncologist may recommend that you have a port or “port-a-cath” inserted in your upper chest wall (the space between your collarbone and your breast) to make chemotherapy easier and more comfortable for you. What? More surgery? Don’t panic. This is a simple, same-day procedure that doesn’t require general anesthesia. You will have a chest X-ray to confirm that the port is positioned correctly. When chemotherapy is over, the port can be removed quickly in another same-day procedure. The port is about the size of a quarter, only thicker, and will show only as a bump underneath the skin. There are several benefits to having a port:

• No need to find a vein every time you receive chemo. A special needle fits right into the port, so all you feel is the stick—not the poking, prodding, and false tries in your arm. The nurse may numb the skin first with ice or a cream, to lessen any feeling at all.
• A port may be especially valuable for women who might be experiencing some swelling of the arm on the side of their surgery.
• The medication goes right into the main blood supply entering the heart, so it can be sent quickly and efficiently to all parts of the body.
• Some types of chemotherapy can be very uncomfortable if injected into a vein just under your skin. The port avoids this potential discomfort.
• Getting blood for blood tests can usually be done through the port, decreasing the number of times you need to have a vein “stuck.”"

I have a device under my skin.  A Medical Device.  A Device that facilitates the administration of chemo directly into my big vein.  Directly into my body.

Its Downright Creepy.

[Show as slideshow]

[View with PicLens]

Tags: Port-a-cath

This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 10th, 2009 at 7:13 pm and is filed under Medical Devices. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.