Understanding Portacaths: A Patient Guide

A portacath is a medical appliance that doctors implant in patients in order to have easy access to a vein. The portacath is temporary and will be removed when the need for the device has passed.

Identification

• Sometimes called a subcutaneous port or implantable port, a portacath is typically composed of titanium and polyurethane and is attached to a line or tube that is inserted into your vein. On the outside of your body, the device looks like a round piece of silver metal that is one to one and one-half inches in diameter.

Uses

• Portacaths (or Port-a-Caths) are sometimes implanted for chemotherapy, and are also used when patients require frequent blood tests, transfusions, or intravenous infusions of fluids, nutrients, or medications.

Time Frame

• After implantation, portacaths can be left in place for weeks, months, or even years. Patients are able to return home and resume daily activities with the port in place, provided that it is cleaned or flushed every four weeks.

Benefits

• The portacath enables you to receive your regular medical treatment or tests without having to pierce your skin with a needle every time. The device is also beneficial in chemotherapy, as the danger of the medication used for treatment leaking into surrounding tissues and causing damage is reduced with the use of a port.

Risks

• Risks associated with the use of portacaths include infection at the site of the port and the formation of blood clots in the vein where the tube or catheter of the portacath sits. Both conditions are treatable with prompt attention, so it is important to be aware of symptoms like fever, shortness of breath, or redness around your port or at the site where your port is located.