Port Question
 

I have been thinking about having my port removed. For any of you ladies out there who have had your port removed....was it removed in the hospital or at the Dr's office? If at the Dr's office was it painful?

Patty'
I had my port removed a couple weeks after finishing herceptin. It was taken out under general anesthesia. I was out of the hospital about an hour or so later (so fast I think the door hit my butt)
Didn't need any pain meds and it felt so much better without it even tho it was a security blanket of sorts.
Congrats for getting to this time

Henny

I had my arm port taken out at my surgeon's doctors office. I was given a few shots of a type of local numbing like novocaine. I had a lot of scar tissue formed and it didn't want to come out. The doctor finally got it out it but he had to dig quite a bit to get it out. It didn't hurt then but later it was very sore, bruised, and swollen. It hurt for about a week and I took Tylenol to help with the discomfort. I was glad to have the port out and feel as though I'm done now with all the big guns of treatment. As I was just stage 1, my doctors all recommended to have the port taken out but it's a personal choice depending on all your circumstances.

Port Removal
 

I just had mine removed two weeks ago, one year after completing Herceptin. The original surgeon who put it in said he would remove it in his office. I moved, so the original surgeon was not convenient. The new surgeon does not remove them in his office but at a surgery center. No complications, no stitches, just steri strips, no pain medication, just Ibuprofen or aspirin. Its still a little swollen.

Hardest part was sleeping because the port was removed from my right side and I have a fractured left wrist with a cast. Since you probably don't have that complication, I say go for it!

It was removed in the doctor's office. Not painful. Some sense of her tugging at it, but really, it was okay. I do think I took an Ativan first!

It was removed in the doctor's office. Not painful. Area was numbed first. Some sense of her tugging at it, but really, it was okay. I do think I took an Ativan first!

Hi Patty, My port was in my upper arm & it was removed in the hospital. They just numbed the area around it & removed it. I could feel him pulling & tugging on it a bit due to some scar tissue that built up...but other then that it wasn't bad at all. Of course a few stitches to close it up & that was it. It was a little sore but it was so minor its hardly worth mentioning. All went well and I was SO glad I had it removed.

Chelee

had mine out right after finishing herceptin, was put under briefly; it was not painful afterwards, but was left with an indentation at the site which plastic surgeon fixed.

Dear Patty, My experience is much like Henny's. An IV sedation of Versed means a quick recovery (for me). The port I had served me well. I asked the surgeon of I could to see the port after it had been removed, but have no memory of it (Versed). Maybe I thought I'd want to put it under my pillow.
Is there a "port fairy"?

Congrats and good-bye to your port.

Love,
Dana

I kept my port in for five years (!) after my diagnosis, just didn't want to part with it for some strange reason. When it finally came out in outpatient surgical center, they just used some numbing agent and pulled it out. It was so easy, I wish I had done it sooner. It did leave a scar, though, and the scar always seems to rub against the seatbelt of my car, but all in all, I can't complain. You'll be so relieved to have the port out and done with!