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OK, here goes. BUT, keep in mind this is very rare. Don't want anyone to be unnecessarily spooked into not having a port, I love mine!
If the catheter fractures due to "pinch-off syndrome" OR a clot causing an occlusion and therefore pressure which could conceivably cause a catheter fracture, the fragment(and clot possibly) travels to the heart first, which is what happened in my case. It was retrieved via an angioplasty-type procedure and I was told it was fortunate it didn't travel from the heart into the lungs, the next stop, as that can cause a stroke or worse.
We don't know for sure what caused my catheter to fracture, if a clot formed and caused enough pressure to induce the fracture, or if because the catheter was being pinched between the clavicle and rib that's what caused it to break.
Anyway, I had another port put in, and it was positional, meaning I had to be situated just so or it wouldn't draw or infuse. This is also how my first port behaved, so after six months of trying to get it to settle down, we all decided it was not worth the risk and worry and I had a third port put in; this time the surgeon bypassed the rib/clavicle junction and instead inserted the cath in the shoulder vein. It works beautifully.
Again, I have to stress that this is VERY RARE, and should not discourage anyone from having or keeping their port. Just watch for problems with getting a blood return, or drawing blood for tests, problems infusing, etc. The infusion nurses should be watching for these signs.
Hope this is helpful,
Love, Lolly
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