Chemoport Insertions

Chemoport is a device used for chemotherapy. It has two parts – a chamber and a catheter (tube). The tube part is surgically placed into one of the large blood vessels in the neck which carry blood back to the heart while the chamber is placed under the skin of the chest so that it is easily accessible.

The entire system is under the skin and barely visible. Each time an injection or chemotherapy is to be given, the doctor or the nurse locates the chamber and injects into the chamber. Because of the surgery the skin over the chamber is insensate and hence the injections are painless.

Without a chemoport, each chemotherapy means more than one needle punctures to get blood samples, inject medications and chemotherapy drugs. Sometimes this may cause severe pain, blood clots, infection and spillage of chemotherapy drugs which can ulcerate the skin. In some patients the blood vessels are so thin that it is very difficult to insert and maintain a IV line.

With a Chemoport insertion all these problems can be avoided.