I made some phone calls today.

1) I called my ONC's office to say I was looking for a 2nd opinion regarding a surgeon leaving a tube after port removal.
--The nurse at my Cancer Center called U of M Health, the surgeons they are affiliated with (not my surgeon group). She quickly got back to me with an answer. Per her phone calls to U of M Surgeons, sometimes, it is necessary to leave the cathatar tube in place. If there is too much scar tissue, it would be less risky to leave it in than to remove it.

2) I decided to directly call my surgeon and ask for some clarification about why the tube was left in.
--My surgeon called me back directly. He stated that he did not leave a tube behind. When I had asked him at my post op last week, if the vein in my neck would relax, he said it wasn't a vein, but it was from the tube, and that he didn't remove it because doing so would have required opening me up completely. What he failed to do was define "it" and I thought he meant it was the tube. He meant "it" was scar tissue. He assured me that there was no tube left behind. What was left behind was scar tissue.

And so, I apparently misunderstood what he said about why there was still a raised line in my neck.

However, as a follow up, I am seeing another surgeon to get another opinion.

I appreciate all of your responses to my questions.

What I did learn?
--While it isn't ideal, it is ok to leave the tube in, especially if the risk of removing it greater than the risk of leaving it.
--According to my surgeon, I do NOT have a tube still in my neck. It is scar tissue.
--People on this site are awesome and very passionate about their opinions

Zig my friend, you've got yourself an idiot for a surgeon!!! This guy may not even be a real Dr!!! You should call another Surgeon right away and get that tube out!!! Then turn right around and contact the AMA, the ABS, and the hospital Administrator where he works!!! I've had four ports and it was never in my neck, and they certainly never left anything in!! Don't let that incompetent idiot touch you ever again! Sorry if I sound a little rabid about this, but I'm tired of the incompetence of people we are supposed to trust with our lives!!!
This is not an isolated incident, and this guy needs to be stopped!!! I'm sorry this happened to you, my friend, and it just burns my biscuits every time I hear something like this!!! I'm going to go take a shower now so that I can calm down! Love you, my friend 💗💗💗

@A MyBCTeam Member
@A MyBCTeam Member please see my other comments and my update to the post.
Apparently, I misunderstood my surgeon and he did not leave the tube.

Mentioned Users

A MyBCTea...

A MyBCTea...

@A MyBCTeam Member - so glad you got clarification from your surgeon. I know that I have to ask things repeatedly because it seems these days I can't remember things as clearly as I used to. I wish I was better about writing things down! Anyway, happy day - no tube for you! Have a great weekend! xoxo

Mentioned Users

A MyBCTea...

...first place, it can't be denied that your pro activity in insisting that you understand and seeing it through to the end is a great example to all of us. Thanks for sharing ( especially for following up with us).
You're an awesome sister soldier.

(Hug))