Question about port placement procedure: How long? What to expect?

I had my port placed on the left, same side as my BC...not sure why. I will tell you that for me it was not a walk in the park. I didn't really know what to expect, my surgeon simply said it would be uncomfortable for a week or so. At this point that mediport has been the worst of it, painful after for quite a while and still 5 months later it causes me pain that I often wonder if I am having a heart attack. For that reason alone I wish it had been on the right side.
After only 3 rounds of chemo my tumor is completely gone! One more treatment & then I will have a partial mastectomy, I am requesting the port to be taken out ASAP! I will still need Herceptin and Pergeta for another 6 months but will opt for the SubQ ( shot) instead of the infusion via port. I'll also get radiation...

That's my mediport story. Best of luck to you as I am sure everybody handles stuff differently, prayers that your journey will be a smooth one.

Cheryl

I had mine placed and left hours later for a short vacation. Everyone has different experiences but mine never bothered me once. Good luck!

Lots of hugs to you. Hope ur surgery goes well and the journey of treatment will be over soon. I had my port removed once my chemo completed. I’m doing IV for Herceptin.

For me, the procedure last two hours and I was put in sleep (not the same as General Anesthesia. I read MyChart doctors notes, they used CT scan guiding their surgery. So I had too much radiation during the 2 hours surgery that day. Don’t like it. My chemo does not require port. But when nurse skills are so poor in this country that half of them can’t even find the best veins, what can you do other than to go through this two hours long CT guided surgery? Best of luck to you!

How did you sleep with it?

Never an issue sleeping. I truly forgot I had it after a while.

Can you ice it afterwards?

By now you have your port. It may have already been used! Mine was accessed the next day as I had blood work done. I used the numbing cream (can't remember its name) at least an hour before the port was used each time. That is until I forgot one time and was surprised that it didn't hurt much. It became part of my treatment ritual.
My port was placed on my right breast, cancer in left. I had it in place for over a year with no complications. Now when I have blood draws or need contrasts injected for tests, I wish it were still there!
But as tests become fewer and blood work less often, follow ups will become a thing of the past and a distant memory of this cancer saga. I wish you well.

I am convinced that the success of the port installation (including any comfort or discomfort) has to do with the surgeon who places it. In my case, my breast surgeon also placed the port. It took about 45 minutes under twilight anesthesia, with no discomfort ever despite my having it in for almost 4 years (I was on Zometa for 3 years, every six months after the main treatment) so I kept it in. After the chemo was done though (the port had been in about 6 months), one of the chemo nurses (the ones that know best in my opinion) suggested keeping it in for a year "just in case." My oncologist used to say "what? did you forget to have it out?" That's how little it bothered me. It was my choice to keep it in as long as I did. So try not to worry -- it really is easier and chances are you will forget you have it in also.

I slept on my back and still do mostly.