/assets/production/practices/5bbdac9ad38dbf4bdea2674fe282369fd97a0b44/images/2709933.jpg)
People with health conditions that require regular intravenous (IV) treatments, such as chemotherapy for cancer or antibiotics for a serious infection, may benefit from portacath placement. The team of skilled general surgeons at Murrieta Valley Surgery Associates, with offices in Wildomar, Temecula, Hemet, and Corona, California, perform portacath placement procedures. Call the office nearest you today or schedule your consultation online.
What is a portacath?
A portacath, also called a port-a-catheter, is a device that provides long-term access to a vein for IV therapies. When you need IV medication or blood draws, your health care provider uses a vein in the arm. Over time, these veins may collapse or become harder to find and access.
If you need long-term IV treatments, then you may benefit from the placement of a portacath. The port is a small circular device that goes under the skin right below the collarbone. A catheter — a thin, flexible tube — passes through the port to a vein in the neck/chest.
Your health care provider uses the port to administer medications or draw blood.
What happens during portacath placement?
The general surgeons at Murrieta Valley Surgery Associates customize your portacath placement plan and discuss the details with you.
An anesthesiologist administers light sedation or general anesthesia to help you relax and minimize discomfort. They clean the skin at the placement site and inject a local anesthetic.
Your surgeon makes a small incision and places the port under the skin. They connect the catheter to the port, thread it to the vein in the neck/chest, and then close the incision with sutures.
Portacath placement is an outpatient procedure, and you go home the same day.
What can I expect after portacath placement?
You may experience some pain and bruising following portacath placement. These side effects resolve within a few days.
It takes some time for the portacath to heal, and your surgeon requests that you not shower for a set period of time. When they give you the okay to bathe, you need to cover the portacath with plastic wrap until it fully heals.
You can use the portacath immediately for medical treatments. You shouldn’t experience any pain from the portacath. Most people find portacaths more tolerable than IV lines in the arm.
How long do I need a portacath?
Your portacath can stay in place for as long as you need the access, so weeks or months. The surgeons at Murrieta Valley Surgery Associates remove the portacath through a small incision when it’s time. Portacath removal is quicker than portacath placement.
The surgical specialists at Murrieta Valley Surgery Associates are dedicated to ensuring you get the services you need for your health and well-being. Call today or click the book online button to schedule your portacath placement consultation.