Port Removal

I need to have my port removed (not replaced...long story) but I really want to know ALL the details.  I am assuming it is Same Day Surgery, but I am praying they don't just numb it up and cut it out!  Do they give you IV sedation?  How long does it take?  How long an incision?  How long before I can go home?  Pain meds??

Please, someone who has had it done, tell me every step of the way from when you got to the hospital until you left!

 

Sue

When I had mine REPLACED, which I'm pretty sure will be similar to your surgery only without the "putting another one in" part - I was in and out in about 3 hours (starting when I walked in the door and ending when I got in the car.) The port was taken out through the old port incision. Pain meds were Percocets, which I do not tolerate well, to say the least. The pain was tolerable without them, so after the first one f*cked me up, I stop taking them.

Bette,
I assume you also had some sort of anesthesia...I am thinking Propofil which they give when doing endoscopy's (and which killed Michael Jackson being used improperly).  Do you remember what sort of anesthesia you had? 

 Crap! I forgot that part! Yes, I was sedated. If I remember right, I was told it would be "twilight sedation", but I was totally out of it for the whole thing (and most of the rest of the day).

As for the actual med, I couldn't tell you. But I CAN tell you the whole thing was "easy peasy."

Sue,

I had my port repositioned, not removed, but I think it'd be similar surgery. It was same day surgery with general anesthesia. The surgery itself took about 15 minutes. Getting to the hospital (a 1-1/2 hr drive) before sunrise, waiting for my turn, and waiting to be discharged took much longer.

My surgeon used my original port incision. It's about 3" long. It was more painful and harder to recover from than my original band surgery, I think because my surgeon had to deal with scar tissue and relocate my port instead of just tacking it down. I was terribly bruised and very swollen (looked like I was 10 months pregnant with a basketball) for about 2 weeks. I don't remember what pain med I was given - something narcotic that worked just fine - I still had the pain, I just didn't care about it as much.

I went back to the surgeon 2 weeks later for a follow-up check - no stitches to remove because she had used surgical glue. The most persistent discomfort I had after the port surgery was terrible itching at the incision (I wondered if it was a reaction to the adhesive, but I forgot to ask my surgeon about it).

Bottom line: the port repair surgery wasn't fun, but I'm glad I had it done, and it was by no means the worst medical procedure I've ever undergone.

Jean

Jean,
Would there be much "out of work" time?

Sue,

I had requested one week off to recover, but it ended up being 2, not because of me but because of store scheduling. Since I have to do a lot of reaching, bending, carrying, etc. at work, it's probably just as well that I had the 2 weeks off, but I felt like I could go back after just 1 week off.

Jean

Jean maybe you needed a week because you had more done.  I will assume that just removing it may give me 3 days or so especially if I could have it done on a Thursday.

What kind of work do you do? If it involves sitting at a desk and/or a computer most of the day, I think you'll be fine.

I have an acquaintance who's a hairdresser. She had her band surgery on a Friday and went back to work on the following Tuesday. So having surgery on Thursday and going back to work on Monday might just be workable.

But I hope your employer is flexible enough to understand if halfway through your first day back you say, "I'm wiped out, Gotta go now."

Jean 

I'm a Nurse Clinician for the state and have an office, so it's not like I'm pulling and pushing all day.  I spend a good deal of time with paperwork, phone calls, med boxes etc and the rest of my time I'm in the community.

I am going to hope he can do it on Thursday so I will be back on Monday, we'll see.  Thanks so much for the info!

Sue