Chest Port Placement: Your Guide to a More Comfortable IV Therapy

There are many reasons why you might need frequent intravenous (IV) access, including chemotherapy, immunotherapy, long-term medication infusions, or even frequent blood draws. 

No matter the reason, it’s no secret that all those needle sticks can be painful and cause lasting vein damage.

If you need regular IV treatment, a chest port (or chemo port) can be a game-changer. Vascular & Interventional Specialists provides chest port placement and removal in Miami, Florida. Here’s how a chest port can make repeated IV access easier, safer, and more comfortable.

How a chest port works

A chest port is a small reservoir (“port”) that’s implanted under the skin of your chest wall. It’s connected via a catheter to a large central vein. 

A clinician accesses the port with a special needle during IV treatments, providing direct access to central circulation and avoiding the need to repeatedly poke veins in your arms or hands.

When to consider a chest port

Your physician or our interventional radiology team may recommend a chest port if you need frequent or long-term IV therapies or blood draws. 

A few possible examples include cancer treatment, chronic infections, immunotherapy, or other conditions needing ongoing vascular access.

Port placement requires technical precision, imaging guidance, and ongoing access management.  

At Vascular & Interventional Specialists, we can evaluate whether a port is appropriate for you and make sure you’re healthy enough for the procedure before moving forward.

If you want to proceed with chest port placement, we’ll get you on the schedule and tell you more about the procedure. 

We’re proud to have experts in vascular and interventional radiology who perform the full procedure in a comfortable outpatient setting focused on patient-centered care.

What to expect during chest port placement

On the day of your appointment, you arrive at our outpatient facility. We review your medical history, perform a physical exam, and get any necessary imaging. Then, we administer local anesthetic (and often light sedation) before getting started.

We make a small incision in your chest wall below your collarbone. Next, we insert a catheter into a central vein and connect it to the port reservoir, which we place just beneath your skin. 

We close the incision with sutures or adhesive strips and move you to recovery, where we monitor you before you’re discharged.

We’ll give you specific recovery instructions, but you should plan to limit heavy lifting and strenuous activity for up to two weeks to ensure proper healing and reduce your risk of complications.

What happens after chest port placement

After your port is placed, follow our instructions for care and use. This includes keeping the area clean, following the flushing schedule, and monitoring for signs of infection. You’ll also have routine follow-up visits where our team checks the port’s function and the incision site.

You can keep the port as long as you need frequent IV access. If your treatment plans change and you no longer need it, we can remove the port in a similar outpatient procedure.

A chest port can make a significant difference in improving your comfort, preserving your veins, and optimizing your treatment experience. 

If you’re preparing for frequent or long-term IV therapies, talk with our team at Vascular & Interventional Specialists about whether port placement is right for you.