Surgery To Remove PICC

July 16, 2024, Delray Medical Center

PHOTO: Selfie, April 30, 2024, Delray Medical Center, shortly after having my PICC line installed that day

I am at Delray Medical Center (hospital) this morning for a surgical procedure (with general anesthesia) to remove a PICC line: a needle (catheter) in a vein in the left side of my neck with two ports in the left side of my chest. Part of the line goes through veins in my chest, ending as close to my heart as possible. I was using the line (and different lines before that) for six weeks of daily intravenous antibiotics for a blood infection and for an infection in my right ankle. The infusions were administered at home and in the hospital.

I have had this line in me since April 30, 2024, although I haven't used it for more than two months, when my antibiotics regimen ended. I tried to get it removed sooner, but my infectious-disease doctor made it difficult for me for some unknown reason(s). I went to the doctor's office without an appointment to have it removed, but there and then I was told that it required a surgical procedure in the hospital's imaging lab because the needle is sutured directly to my vein. When I had many other PICC lines for various infections, nurses could just pull them out of my arms.

I had a similar line in my neck when I had quadruple coronary artery bypass surgery in March 2022.

Yesterday at the hospital, I had blood extracted for testing in preparation for today's surgical procedure.

I am currently taking oral antibiotics (at home), as per my podiatrist.