Well, a picc can stay in for up to three months and it enters that big vein that leads to you heart. I have one right now, and I've had it in for about six weeks now.
A midline, I think that's what your talking about, is similar to the Picc, except my entrance site was in the crease of my arm( where they usally take blood) and the line doesn't go up as far. My midline had to be pulled out because my vein became inflamed. so between the two the Picc is the clear winner here.
Then there's the port-a-cath. If you check out the newbie links a member here, Annie put up alot of terrific info on the matter, that's how I learned about it! Oh yeah, and this one is used for longer term treatment (longer than the picc)
I'm sure lots others will be by soon, GOOD LUCK!!
-------------------- -Kimmi Just keep swimming! Posts: 251 | From East Greenville pa, usa | Registered: Jun 2005
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posted
Good question. My LLMD just recommended a PICC yesterday, but my friend who has a port said it is the only way to go (I think he has had both). I think the port can be in longer, but don't mark my words. And both of your arms are totally free
Hopefully others here can give us some insight before we move forward!
jloisu
-------------------- jloisu Posts: 197 | From Seeing Lyme Green in Iowa | Registered: Jun 2005
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posted
My kids didn't have a choice, they had to have a PICC line.
Their PICC lines have been in for 4 months so far. Their home health nurse told us one of her patients has had a PICC in for 14 months and is doing well.
-------------------- Peggy
~ ~ Hope is a powerful medicine. ~ ~ Posts: 2775 | From MN | Registered: Apr 2001
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wow, four months? fourteen months? I guess I got the no-frills Picc? figures.
Take care
-------------------- -Kimmi Just keep swimming! Posts: 251 | From East Greenville pa, usa | Registered: Jun 2005
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arg82
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 161
posted
Hi!
Kimmi did a good job of differentiating between the three kinds of lines. There's also a fourth kind that goes in your chest but the tubing is similar to a PICC line in that it comes out through the skin instead of being completely under the skin like a port.
posted
My daughter had a port put in her chest in July. A friend who has several in her family on IV has one on a picc line, 2 with PassPorts and one a port in the chest. The passport is a port in the upper arm. No one near me would put one in because they said they have pulled the muscle away from the bone, where as a chest port can be anchored more securely. We went with a port because we had heard of PICCs that had to be pulled and replaced. I heard that long term a Port was better, but definitely more invasive to put in.
My daughter rides horses and swims in the summer and with the port I learned to access and deaccess it myself. When it is accessed it is like a picc line with the tubing in place. When I deaccess it it is a tiny bump on chest under the skin. You barely notice it. She can shower, swim and move around without any worries or cares. She is happy she went with the Port, but it only works because I learned to access it myself. Had I not done this there would be no benifits over a Picc line.
If you do get a port, get a prescription for EMLA cream so you can numb it before accessing it.No one told us that to numb it properly you have to put it on 1-2 hours before AND cover it with saran wrap. Then it numbs it good and I can access without the sting of the needle prick. It takes practice, but we are getting it.
Good luck! It was a big decision to go IV but she is glad we did. It only works for us, because I do all the care except for the twice monthly blood draws that the home nurse does.
Posts: 55 | From USA | Registered: Sep 2005
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arg82
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 161
posted
I learned to access myself, too, and it's been really nice to have some freedom. In the summer, I can de-access if it's a nice day and go swimming and then access again for my evening dose. Also, last summer (when I had the port put in) I was pulsing IV meds and had 3 days off a week so that's why I went with a port - I could be completely free for those three days as opposed to still having to deal with a PICC even when not infusing.
Also, another benefit of a port or other central chest line over a picc is that you can have blood drawn through it. Some people do have blood drawn from a picc but it's not recommended and can shorten the life of it. I've learned to do my own blood draws and now I'm basically my own nurse - I do all the care myself and don't have nursing care. With a port it's possible to take care of it yourself because it's in your chest and you can use both arms to do things to it. With a picc line you really can't because you only have one arm free (I don't mean the infusing, that you can do yourself, I mean the dressing changes).
Oh, and I second that suggestion to get EMLA cream to numb the port area before you access. I usually leave the cream on for an hour and then access and it works pretty well, although sometimes I've found that I do still have a little bit of feeling but even then it does help.
lightfoot
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 2536
posted
I've had both and I would vote for a port without any question. I also learned that you can have some input on the decision......some docs don't know that much about prescribing a port but will do it at your request. (As Annie said...... a Hickman is NOT the same as a port and has a lot of disadvantages)
IMO....it's good to have the port done by a surgeon who has done a lot of them.....they do tons of them in oncology departments for cancer patients.
-------------------- Healing Smiles.....lightfoot Posts: 7228 | From CO | Registered: May 2002
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lyme_suz
Unregistered
posted
A belated thankyou to all of you!
At this point, I lean toward the picc. the others sort of scare me but I suppose I will get desensitived if we go that way.
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posted
Hi! I had a PICC line in my right arm for two years and eight months. If it is taken care of properly it can last longer. I didn"t want a port because I was told it was done in the O.R. and I have some heart issues so I didn"t want sedation. I had the PICC line placed under a fluoroscope within 10 minutes and took very good care of it. Yes it was an inconvenience in that I always had to remember not to lift anything heavy with my right arm and I had to wrap it up before showering but I tolerated the inconvenience. Hope this helps!
Posts: 425 | From NY, United States | Registered: Mar 2005
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