Implantable Vascular Access Systems: Experience in 1500 Patients with Totally Implanted Central Venous Port Systems

Abstract. Totally implantable venous access systems are widely used, but large-scale studies evaluating these systems are lacking. In this study 1500 patients (719 male, 781 female) with an average age of 49 years (15–86 years) were fitted with subcutaneously implanted venous access systems, in most cases for long-term chemotherapy. All patients were observed until removal of the system, death, or the end of treatment. A retrospective analysis showed an average catheter life of 284 patient-days. A total of 1308 (87%) of the patients had no implant-related complications. Catheter infections occurred in 3.2% of the patients and catheter thromboses in 2.5%. Rarer complications, such as catheter malfunction, migration of the catheter, skin necrosis, catheter fracture, catheter disconnection, and pneumothorax, occurred in another 4.3% of the patients. The complications led to explantation of 178 access systems (11.9%). There was a significant difference (

p < 0.05) between the low rate of infections and other complications in the group of patients with solid tumors (2% and 4%, respectively) and the rate in patients with hematologic diseases (6% and 8%, respectively). This study confirms the safety and convenience of using totally implantable venous access systems in patients on long-term chemotherapy.