Published: Jan 27, 2021
An implantable port is a thin, soft, silicone tube with a small reservoir attached to it. It is generally put under the skin of chest or sometimes in arm. One end of the tube goes into a large vein just above a person’s heart and the other end connects to the port. Implantable ports are also known as subcutaneous ports or chest ports and portacaths. Implantable ports are used for chemotherapy, blood transfusions, and infusion of antibiotics and other drugs.
Ports can also be used for blood tests. These are quite useful to infuse medicine directly into a vein over a long period of time. Ports offer several advantages such as these can stay in place for months or even years, used for certain drugs that cannot be given through standard IV, and lower risk of infection over time than devices such as IV that stick out through the skin.