HI All!
I saw my Cardio Vascular surgeon this morning and scheduled my Port surgery for this Friday morning. He said it's a 30 min surgery....barring any complications ie: having the lung punctured by the IV needle etc...
Here's some answers to the questions I asked him about it:
1. How long will it hurt?? He said he usually sends home 30 Vicadon with the patient and they tell him they usually don't need that many. It'll hurt for about 3 days.
2. How big is the incision? It's about 2 1/2 inches and the cut is right below the left clavical on the chest.
3. When can I have my next IVIG? Right away. He's leaving a needle in the Port for easy access for that afternoon!
4. How long will the port last? Depending on the person.....it can last for several years.
5. How to tell if there's a problem? If there's redness around the port....or if I run a temp. or if the nurse has trouble getting the infusion going.....could be a clot.....

So hopefully all will go well. We were impressed with this dr. He said he's been doing Ports and all other heart related surgeries for over 20 yrs. Keep your fingers crossed for me!!