Children and teens usually cannot wait to have the catheter removed, as it symbolizes that treatment has truly ended. Venous catheters are usually removed soon after treatment ends.

During Elizabeth’s last treatment, her doctor told me he was going to schedule her for surgery to remove her central line. I was so ecstatic! To me, Elizabeth wasn’t really in remission as long as the central line was still there. I know it was irrational, but part of me felt as if there were cancer cells dangling at the end of that central line. If we didn’t get it out right away, Elizabeth would still have cancer. I wanted it out “right now.”

Removal of an external catheter is an outpatient procedure done in the operating room, an interventional radiology room, or a sedation unit. The child is sedated, and the catheter is removed within minutes.

Implanted catheters such as the PORT-A-CATH® are removed surgically in the operating room. Children are usually given general anesthesia, and the operation takes less than half an hour. Only one incision is made, generally just above the port at the same place as the scar from the implantation surgery. The sutures holding the port to the underlying muscle are cut, and the port with tubing is pulled out. The small incision is then stitched and bandaged. When the child begins to awaken, he is brought to the recovery room where his parents can join him. The family then waits until the surgeon approves their departure. Often, the wait is short, because as soon as the child is awake enough to take a small drink or eat a popsicle, he is released. However, if your child becomes nauseated from the anesthesia, the wait can be several hours; he will not be released until he is feeling better.

Brent had a very easy time with his port-removal surgery. We scheduled him to be the first patient early in the morning, so there was no delay getting in. Then the anesthesiologist asked him what flavor of gas he wanted, which he liked. They brought him out to us while he was still groggy, and he woke up feeling goofy and happy. We went home soon thereafter. It felt more like the ending than did the last day of treatment.

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I remember when Andrew had his port out. As he was coming out of his anesthesia fog I leaned over to him and said rather tearfully, “Andrew, you did it; you’re all done.” He took his small hand and placed it at the site where that port sat for two years, felt its absence, and smiled. It was one of the best moments of my life.