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Caligal, most have the port removed once they have completed treatment, some for "closure", some because they don't want to deal with the constant flushes and the expense for those to keep the port functional, and some because it is a foreign body and as such could (although unlikely) present an additional access point for infection. Those are all good reasons.
I am NED at 5 years out and never had trastuzumab so I kept mine to keep that possibility open, but also because it is handy for the clinical trial blood draws I get several times a year. Plus I don't think much of the surgeon where I am located and if I need a port put back in, it would mean a trip to Seattle. It is also true that we all have different body characteristics and for some, if a port does have to be put in again, since they always use the best location the first time around, the second time they may be less satisfactory even if it does actually function well.
My port has never been a problem for me and both my Seattle surgeon and my PCP have no problem with leaving it in. The surgeon who put it in did a good job and I rarely remember it is there. I am not at all self-conscious about it, but if I were I would have it taken out.
AlaskaAngel
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