Understanding Portacaths
A Portacath (port) is a device implanted under the skin to give easy access to your veins for medication and blood tests. It's ideal for people needing long-term intravenous treatment or who have trouble with other types of access like PICC lines or cannulas. When properly maintained, ports can last over 5 years. A Portacath has two parts: the port and a catheter. There are various types, and your healthcare provider will recommend the best one for your treatment. Power Ports are often used for cancer patients to allow CT scans.
A Portacath provides easy access for IV medications and blood samples, reducing the need for repeated needle sticks in your arm, making treatments more comfortable. It can stay in place for 5 years or longer, allowing you to use your arms normally during daily activities. When not in use, no special care is needed.
After the insertion, you may experience some tenderness or discomfort at the incision site, which can usually be managed with oral pain medication like acetaminophen. This discomfort should ease within 2–3 days. A key benefit of a port is that, when not in use, it's completely under the skin with no visible tubing, allowing you to shower and go about your daily activities without worry.
A Portacath can be inserted as a day procedure, or you may need a short hospital stay. In the operating room, a vascular surgeon will insert the port, usually under general anesthesia or sedation with plenty of local anesthetic. Ports are typically placed on the chest wall, where a small incision is made to create a “pocket” for the port. The catheter is threaded through a vein, with the tip positioned near a large vein in the chest, just outside the heart. The port is secured to the muscle, and dissolvable stitches close the incisions. Your healthcare team will discuss the best placement for your port.
Ports can last over 5 years with proper care. To look after your port, ensure that only trained professionals access or deliver treatment through it. Keep the dressing dry when the port is accessed, and if it gets wet, ask for it to be replaced. Make sure your port is flushed monthly when not in use, and avoid touching the needle or dressing. If the port site becomes red or sore, notify a healthcare professional.
Our models serve two types of customers: 1. Providers: We provide a durable and realistic model to provide bridge between complex medical procedures and patient comprehension. We hope to reduce patient anxiety by providing a tool that will give patients a clearer, more confident understanding of their medical procedure and treatment. 2. Patients: Patients who receive ports are all ages. If your child is recieving the port it provides them with the ability to understand their procedure to show friends and family what they are going through. If you are an adult with children you can show your own children what it is and what its used for.