page_title: Port (medical)
section_title: Insertion
hierarchical_section_title: Port (medical) / Insertion
caption_attribution_description: English: CT scan in the median plane (with a 3 cm thick maximum intensity projection) of a 66 year old man who received a port for chemotherapy for a pancreatic cancer. It shows that the tip of the port is placed in the azygos vein. As of upload date, it has remained functional for therapy for 9 months, although there have been occasional problems aspirating from it.
context_page_description: In medicine, a port is a small medical appliance that is installed beneath the skin. A catheter connects the port to a vein. Under the skin, the port has a septum through which drugs can be injected and blood samples can be drawn many times, usually with less discomfort for the patient than a more typical "needle stick".
  Ports are used mostly to treat hematology and oncology patients. Ports were previously adapted for use in hemodialysis patients, but were found to be associated with increased rate of infections and are no longer available in the US.
  The port is usually inserted in the upper chest, just below the clavicle or collar bone, with the catheter inserted into the jugular vein.
context_section_description: Fluoroscopy is useful in guiding the insertion of ports.
  A follow-up chest radiograph can immediately detect complications associated with the procedure in the form of pneumothorax, hemothorax and malpositions of the catheter (see Risks below for further details). However, it is suggested that chest radiography is not mandatory as a routine method after fluoroscopy-guided port insertion that is mainly performed by venous cutdown.
  The side of the patients' chest the port is implanted in will usually be chosen to avoid damage to the port and the veins by the seat belt in case of accident when seated as the driver. Thus, there is a potential conflict by left- and right-hand traffic as the rule of the road.
  Ports can be put in the upper chest or arm.  The exact positioning itself is variable as it can be inserted to avoid visibility when wearing low cut shirts, and to avoid excess contact due to a backpack or bra strap. The most common placement is on the upper right portion of the chest, with the catheter itself looping through the right jugular vein, and down towards the patient's heart.
caption: CT scan confirming a tip in the azygos vein.
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