Picc Lines vs Port

[anonymous]

For those of you who have switched from Picc lines to a Port: what made you make the switch? The docs had trouble getting a picc line started the last time my daughter needed one (although they did succeed in putting one near her shoulder). When do you know it's time to switch to a port?

Thank you.

 

[Purplelungs]

I got a port because my viens started to get "wrinkly" when they should have been straight and making 90 degree angles....caused by so many piccs and because of this they can no longer thread a picc line in my viens. I wish they had given me a port sooner because its so much easiier to take care of and get meds started. Sometimes the doctors say a patient isnt on iv meds enough to warrent a port...thats what they told me...and i had so many picc lines my viens are shot and they can only put a port on my right side, the left is to screwed up. Funny thing is that the year I got one I was on ivs alot more (guess not so funny) and no it wasnt cus I caught anything during surgery i was just getting sicker....i consider my port a God send.

 

[Emily65Roses]

I got a port because PICCs did not agree with my arms. Every time I had a two-week run of IVs, I had at least 2 different PICCs. You're only supposed to need 1. I got mechanical phlebitis with every PICC placed. So I had only been on 3 rounds of IVs before we decided on a port. I wasn't even on them that often, but it was waaaayyy worth it. It differs from person to person, but with the horrendous trouble I had with PICCs, my port was a life saver. Mind you, not my own life... but the lives of others, because everytime a PICC started to get sore, I wanted to kill. <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif" border="0">

 

[anonymous]

My daughter is 11 and says she wishes they would have put her port in a long time ago. She had so many problems with PICC line access because her veins were shot from IV meds. Not so much the amount of times - but, the types of drugs. She would get phlebitis - her poor little arm would swell up and get bright red. And it does not matter that the PICC line is supposed to run all the way to the heart for distribution of the meds - the lines do leech meds at the site and all along the vein.

Her port has been wonderful and the surgeon did an excellent job in the placement. Her port is right underneath her arm (right below the arm pit) and you cannot even see it unless she raises her arm. He said he does this for all the girls because they can still wear bathing suits, prom gowns, halters, etc. And alot of his female patients would complain about their bra straps rubbing the ports that were placed on the front of their chest.

 

[WinAce]

Yeah, I don't advise getting a chest port if you can get an arm one, instead. I've had both, and remain much more satisfied with the arm version. It's so much smaller, less obstrusive, and doesn't make me feel weird when lying down/Vesting!

PICC lines suck. They never could get one in successfully, and whined about my veins being wrong, or something equally stupid. One of their attempts was a truly horrendous experience, so I'd actually rather go with the mediport surgery. And it's much more permanent, too!