Care of these catheters may be a little different, but the principle of insertion is similar. A thin, flexible tube is inserted into one of the central veins, commonly the external jugular vein. While under general or local anesthesia, the tube is tunneled through surface skin tissue between the neck and shoulder to another separate incision, usually on the chest or stomach wall. The entrance site will have stitches and a small bandage to facilitate healing. The exit site for the catheter is easy to see and care for, and patients must change their dressings regularly to prevent infection.
Many patients learn to care for their catheter while in the hospital.
Thorough teaching to patients and their families is done before discharge. Another type of permanent catheter to a central vein is known as the implanted intravenous port . It is round in shape and is surgically inserted under the skin surface of the chest wall, between the neck and shoulder area. A nurse will insert a needle through the top skin surface to access the vein. The chemotherapy can then be given through the catheter as if it were an IV in the arm.