Minimize the Sticks With Outpatient Port Placement and Removal at the Interventional Suite

Knitting, crocheting and needlepoint all seem to be having a moment, with a rise in popularity among the Instagram-happy Millennials. Chunky knits, colorful patterns and cross-stitch parties are happening everywhere from libraries to breweries. Needles, it seems, are having a moment.

But not all needles are created equal.

When it comes to medical needles — the kind that stick you — well, those don’t inspire the raving fandom we see on the craft circuit. Many of us will only encounter a needle when we need a shot, or get our blood drawn. These are minor inconveniences, short-term pain to provide valuable treatment.

For patients that require frequent intravenous (IV) medicines or blood draws, such as chemotherapy patients, getting poked with a needle is anything but infrequent, causing additional pain for someone already dealing with no small amount of regular discomfort. In these cases, a healthcare provider may order a port. Ports can help alleviate turning patients into human pin-cushions by giving providers easy, reliable access to veins. And anyone with small or stubborn veins will tell you, easy access is a good thing.

Typically, you would have a port placed or removed in a hospital setting. But last month, RIA Endovascular Clinic opened up the first office-based Interventional Suite in the Denver Metro area, increasing access to outpatient procedures, like port placement and removal.

“We are excited to offer the Colorado community another choice for healthcare with the RIA Interventional Suite,” said Peter G. Stratil, MD, MBA, and Medical Director of RIA Endovascular Clinic. “We recognize that our patients are seeking access to lower cost procedures, faster treatment scheduling, and easy-to-use locations. The RIA Interventional Suite will offer all of that, while giving our physician team the tools to maintain the highest standards of patient care.”

The benefits of getting a port placed include the ability to give treatments that last longer than 1 day because the needle can stay in the port for several days. Ports also allow for more than one treatment or medication at a time and allow healthcare providers to do blood tests and chemotherapy the same day with a single needle stick.

The RIA Interventional Suite gives patients the high quality medical care they expect from RIA Endovascular Clinic in a smaller more intimate setting. “Convenience of scheduling and coming in for the procedure itself are just two of the many benefits of having your port placed at the RIA Endovascular Interventional Suite,” said Greg Martin, MD.