The use of venous ports in oncological patients

Abstract

Introduction: Venous ports provide a permanent, long-lasting and easy access to the central veins. These subcutaneously inserted systems have found application in the therapy of patients with oncological and chronic illnesses, and in treatment of children with hemophilia. During a planned continuous infusion of chemotherapy they increase patient comfort, reducing the risk of local inflammatory states and moderating the risk of spilling the cytostatic agent to the perivesical compartment. Material and methods: 83 patients with venous subcutaneous ports implanted between July 2006 and November 2011 were included into the study. The methods of implantation and usage were presented. Length of time the port is in situ and occurrence of early and late complications was evaluated. Results: The longest indwelling time for port was 1484 days, while the shortest was 70 days. In 89.9% of cases, the correct position of the port’s tip was noted during a control X-ray performed after the implantation. Early complications were not observed, while late ones concerned 16.86% of patients and included: generalized bacteriemia (8.43%), local inflammation of the skin and of the subcutaneous tissue (1.2%), venous thrombosis (2.41%), migration of the catheter (1.2%), necrosis of the skin over the port’s chamber (2.41%). Conclusion: Venous ports play an important role in the treatment of cancer patients. The placement of venous ports is a safe procedure that has a low rate of early complications. The frequency of late complications correlates with that described in the literature.