An intravenous (IV) port is a term for a vascular access device (VAD), a medical device involving a catheter (i.e., a tube) that is surgically implanted in a large vein in a part of the body for relatively long-term, IV delivery of fluid or medication (such as chemotherapy drugs). The fluid or medication then travels in the bloodstream through the body to hydrate or treat the patient.
Some cancer patients undergo implantation of a VAD in order to avoid having the smaller veins in their arms become irritated from repeated entry of the needles involved in IV infusions of chemotherapy drugs.
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