1/3/20: Interventional Radiology Appointment

At this appointment, there was a chance I might have the port incision line re-opened and re-sutured. Since technically that would be a surgery, I couldn't have anything to eat or drink for 8 hours before the appointment, and I wasn't supposed to drive myself, just in case. I was glad to have Ken do the driving, since this appointment was at the main hospital in the city.

Going into the appointment, the medical assistant tried to confirm that I was there for a port placement. I explained the situation as briefly as I could, and she said she'd have a nurse check in with me.

I was taken to a bay somewhere in the radiology department. I changed into a gown, and got settled into a hospital bed. Ken sat in a nearby chair, and we did a lot of waiting.

First, very quickly, a nurse did come by and confirmed that a doctor would look at my incision and decide next steps.

After a while, a physician's assistant (PA) came by. He asked for the full history of my port incision. I told him the whole story, and even pulled out my cell phone to show him some photos.

This is what it looks like now, pretty much the same as it looked before the re-stitch, only a little redder.

3.5 months after port placement.
Entire incision not closed.

The PA listened carefully, and was very friendly, but then said the doctor would be the one to decide what to do.

When the doctor came in, he was not the same person who performed the original port placement or re-stitch. He also asked to hear the history of the port incision, but he seemed not quite as interested as the PA was. I got the feeling the PA probably already told him the highlights.

The doctor weighed the benefits of re-opening and re-suturing the line against the possible risks. The fact is, the port works, and it's not infected. Those are the two most important things. If they open up the incision to re-suture it, the risk of infection goes up. And if it gets infected, there's a chance the port would have to be removed, which means I would have to finish my treatment by getting my infusions through a regular IV, which everyone says is hard on your veins and not ideal. As ugly as the scar is, there is no medical reason to re-open the wound, so the doctor advised against it. Re-suturing the scar would be entirely for cosmetic purposes, and I would have had to ask for it against the recommendation of the doctor.

I'm disappointed about having an ugly scar for 10 more months, but as risk averse as I am, I agree with the decision to not invite an increased risk for infection.

I asked whether or not the wound could be "cleaned up" when I get the port out at the end of my treatment. The PA talked about trying to excise some of the scar tissue and using non-absorbable sutures to try to get a clean closure, but the doctor was much more circumspect and basically took a "we can't guarantee anything but will do our best" kind of line.

It's worth noting that I didn't get to choose which interventional radiologist I saw. I asked when I made this appointment, and the scheduler said I would see whoever is working at the time of my appointment. It just seems so random.