At North Orlando Surgical Group, we are proud to have established a unique surgical practice characterized by superior skills and extraordinary services both to the patient we care for as well as their referring physicians. We are recognized in Central Florida for our ability to perform complex procedures in the least invasive way. Our attentive staff is focused on providing the highest level of personal services and are committed to making every patient’s surgical experience as comfortable and convenient as it can be.
A port is a special type of IV catheter that is inserted under your skin. The port is comprised of two parts, the catheter and the port. It is completely covered by skin and allows you to shower, swim and bathe as normal. Your port will be placed either on the right or left side of the chest just a few inches below the collarbone. Ports may be used for:
• Chemotherapy
• Infusions
• Blood Draws
This procedure can be done in an outpatient setting. The procedure takes between 15-30 minutes. You will be given a local anesthetic to keep you comfortable. The doctor will cover you with drapes to help keep the area being worked on sterile, which you will be asked not to touch. A needle will be inserted into the subclavian vein just under your collarbone and then a wire is inserted into the vein. Once the guide wire has been placed the needle is removed and the catheter is fed over the wire. The catheter is guided from the subclavian vein into the superior vena cava, which is the large vein just above the heart. Placing the catheter in this positions allows the chemotherapy to be given without fear of injuring the veins as there is a large volume of blood in this vessel. The catheter is then attached to the port, the port is placed in a pocket under the skin, and the incision is closed with absorbable sutures. You will be given an order for a chest x-ray to be done before you go home that day.
Once you go home you will be allowed to remove the bandage and shower the next morning. There are no restrictions on activity and the port may be used immediately. You should avoid allowing anyone but your hematologist/oncologist to access your port as this can lead to infection. If you need your blood drawn or if you are seen at the hospital they may use the veins in your arm.
When the time comes that you are done with your treatments your doctor may advise you that your port may be removed. This procedure is also done here in our office. It is usually a much shorter and simpler procedure than putting the port in. You will be given instructions on caring for your incision and will be sent home with no restrictions on your activities. A follow up appointment is not generally needed.
Ports have been a blessing to patients in need of chemotherapy or regular infusions of medications. Not many surgeons have the skill and the equipment to provide this service in an office based setting. Here at North Orlando Surgical we understand the added expensive and length of stay that having surgery in an operating room can bring. We do everything we can to alleviate this by providing services in our office that you cannot get elsewhere. If you need a port don’t delay, call us for an appointment today!