Who is a Candidate?


You may need a chest port if you’re undergoing chemotherapy for cancer, dialysis for kidney failure,  or nutrition therapy for a bowel or gastrointestinal condition that prevents you from eating and drinking through your mouth.

What to Expect


While you’re in the hospital recovering after a chest port placement procedure, your nurse cares for the incision and newly implanted port. At this time, your incision is covered with surgical adhesive strips and a small bandage. The adhesive strips should stay in place until the incision heals, which usually takes about a week. 

While it’s healing, you should make sure to keep the bandage dry. You can’t shower during this period, but you can take a bath if you’re careful to keep the port and bandage completely dry.

After the incision is healed, you only need to wear a bandage over the port when you’re receiving an infusion — the bandage keeps the needle in place. While in the hospital, you’ll receive a manufacturer’s medical alert information card that has important information about your chest port. Keep this with you at all times — such as in your wallet — so all your health care providers can access this information easily. You may want to consider buying an emergency medical alert bracelet or necklace, which provides this same information to a medical team electronically.

As with all healing processes, you can expect some mild redness and tenderness in the first week or so. Once your incision has completely healed, you should contact your health care team immediately if you experience any of the following:

  • Dizziness
  • Drainage
  • Fever
  • Pain
  • Redness
  • Swelling

Never attempt to remove or alter the chest port in any way on your own. Don’t allow anyone who isn’t a health care professional to do anything to your chest port.