Picc line or Port

I hope you manage to get the port because everything you have written is correct. Once inserted....you do not realise it is there. Having chemo just requires a local anesthetic patch put on an hour before. I suspect your doctor is simply cost cutting because yes....the ten minute procedure will probably require a general anesthetic if done properly. It's a half day surgery. But if you have difficulties with arm cannulas ....how much time and possibly money will that save.

I was lucky. At my unit everyone has a port as standard for all chemo. For complications after a  subsequent operation I needed antibiotics. It took eight attempts in 48 hours with cannulas before an anaesthetist fitted a picc. It enabled me to have the antibiotics without the veins blocking but there was no comparison to the port. As you say, it made some movements difficult, showering and dressing. 

I would advocate a port every time. So stick to what you want and don't let the doctor bully you to save money. Good luck.

Love Karen

P. S.  My cancer was in the right breast and my port just below the collar bone on the left. It was actually removed with a local anaesthetic  and I have a tiny, neat scar which is fading yearly. It took about ten days to heal when it was put in. Obviously all areas are different but my dressing was changed daily but by a nurse as it is necessary to keep the wound sterile until it heals because it goes directly into a vein and the surgeon wanted to eliminate infection. I don't remember it ever being painful....just a little discomfort once the anesthetic wore off and the wound healed.

Thank you so much for replying Lacomtekp. I'm actually nearly in tears just thinking about it. I definitely think it has to do with the cost. Can I insist on the port and not the picc? I'm not normally a troublemaker but this has really got my back up. I'm ready for everything else but just can't get past the thought of the ends of the picc just hanging there.

Hi Bonzo99

Port every time regardless of how you feel about Picc...I was lucky to speak to a lady on the chemo ward who had had both and was a very strong advocate of the port.  I think your doctor is just being lazy or is ill informed quite frankly.

Like lacomtekp I also had RHS cancer so side is not an issue at all and I had it whipped out when they did mastectomy.  Only annoying thing for me was that at my hospital they refused (though they could) to use the port for MRI contrast dye so still needed cannulating for that so you may want to be prepared and ask about your needing MRIs and whether the scanning dept. is set up for using port.  The reason is that nurses need special training for port usage, they can all do cannulation but not all can do 'porting'.  There are also different types of ports, at my hospital it was standard to insert one that was suitable for MRI contrast (despite the fact that it wasn't used for this).  I mention this as with a lot of cancer gubbins you only become an 'expert' after the event.

And please do challenge your support team - as they say in Yorkshire 'shy bairns get nowt'!  And I think we should challenge those looking after us as all too often they may not have OUR best interests at heart...

Good luck.

Sam

Hi Sam, thank you for replying. Cannulas I can cope with, so long as they are removed afterwards, it is just the thought of that PICC line being there for the next 6 months that is causing the panic. Forearmed is forewarned as they say. I'm going to stick to my guns on this.

Again, thanks for taking the time to reply.

Hi Bonzo99

I had picc line initially and was very freaked out so had it removed and went to cannula. I am aware of all the benefits of ports/picc lines as I am a Specialist Nurse but I just couldn't cope and went with what I felt I could cope best with. Completed all 6 chemos. 

Xxx

Hi Pusheen, so you managed all 6 sessions with just a cannula? That was another thing he said - something about cannulas can cause the vein to collapse and leak (words to that effect obviously).  I'm having FEC T if that makes a difference about the cannula. If I could manage with just one of those then that would be even better. They are removed at the end of each visit, aren't they? I'll ask about going with that first I think.

It's not exactly a needle phobia I have, more just a general thing I think. I can see someone in the street with a cage on their leg, or someone could be talking about having some sort of surgery and that can cause me to faint. Once the feeling starts I can't stop it. I am very good in an emergency though. Just don't ask me to visit afterwards  

Hi Bonzo99

I did first session with picc line and yes it was very easy. But I just couldn't cope with the line being there for so long, I guess i felt there was enough to worry about, they took it out and I had the rest (5) with cannula. I must say it's not really advised due to problems with veins etc and they did struggle towards the end to find suitable vein but the lovely team persevered for me and I was grateful for that. But picc line does avoid problems with veins as you will have been advised. 

Xxx

Hi Bonzo99

I had to reply to you as I was exactly the same as you. I’m terrified of needles, I faint when I have blood taken, I feel unwell when I see any sort of operation. My father was in intensive care and I nearly passed out when I saw all the tubes and had to sit down before I fainted. I’m needle phobic and have a vomit phobia, chemo was a very scary thing for me, so completely understand where you’re coming from.

i had lymph nodes removed from my left side and lumpectomy on my left breast so slightly different to you, however I was told they’d give it a go with canulas and see how they got on but they could only use one arm, I managed two and then they mentioned the PICC line to me, I freaked out, but basically I didn’t have any choice, I wasn’t offered a port and I’m not sure I could have coped any better with that.

Anyway, I had it fitted, the procedure was fairly straightforward, and didn’t feel any pain, but I can honestly say I hated every minute of it being in there. Two of the worst things for me were the drain after my operation which I couldn’t look at and the PICC line. My last chemo was cancelled and the first thing I asked to be done was take the PICC line out. I couldn’t ever look at it so I wore a sleeve over it to protect it and I didn’t ever have a problem with it catching on anything, but I could see it every time I had a bath or shower. One of my happiest days was when it was removed but I did it and I got thru it. If you have to have one, it’s not nice but it’s not there forever and you may be able to do what I did which was start with canulas and see how you get on. As I did 2 chemos this way, it limited the time I had to have the PICC for, probably only 8/9 weeks.

I hope that helps? Good luck with it and the rest of your treatment. 

Sarah