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Has anyone had a mediport implanted?
Just diagnosed with breast cancer stage 2. Having a mediport implanted before my second treatment. I am nervous about it. Should I be? I have been told it makes treatments and blood draws easier and can be used during my surgery when the time comes.
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It isn't scary. I also had one put in and it makes it so much easier for blood draws and chemo. When removed, you have a small scar...........that's it!
@sharonsturdivan - I don't recall feeling anything like fishing line running from the cut. My cut was below my collar bone - no cut in my neck. But I will say it made all my treatments so much easier - hands free / no arm or hand IV during treatment. I still have my port even after treatment was complete - it was suggested I could keep the port in forever or have it removed about 3 years after all treatment was complete. The only thing is I need to return to the treatment center about ever 12 weeks to have a quick port flush. In and out in about 10 minutes - from time to sit down, clean the area, have port flushed to walking out the door. It was the best suggestion provided to me. I had one treatment via IV and I felt as if I couldn't move my arm during the infusion - the port made it so much better.
I am jumping in late, but my experience was a little different. My lung was punctured during the procedure to implant the device and I was in the hospital for a week with tubes pushed through my side into my lungs in two places. This procedure was done in an Orlando hospital, but I eventually had it removed at Mayo thankfully. I was told that there are two ways to implant the device and the one my Dr chose was the one most likely to result in a puncture. You can request it be removed by interventional radiology, as they do at Mayo. Some Drs remove it in their office. The port was useful, but I wish I had known more.