Venous Port Catheter Implantation: An experience of 130 Cases in General Surgery

Objective: Totally placed venous catheters for long-term chemotherapy, total parenteral nutrition and fluid replacement in oncologic patients improve quality of life. However, despite their usefulness, serious complications such as thrombosis, infection, perforation, pneumothorax, rupture, displacement and fistulization may occur in the placement and management of these catheters. The aim of our retrospective study was to share our clinical experience with the readers and to evaluate the early and late complications in the light of the literature. Material and Methods: Between February 2008 and December 2014, clinical and demographic data of 130 cancer patients with total implantable permanent venous port catheter in Izmir Bozyaka Training and Research Hospital 3rd General Surgery Clinic were retrospectively reviewed. Results: A total of 130 patients had a port catheter for chemotherapy. The average age of the patients is 54.1 years, 75 is female and 55 is female. All patients had malignancy. Port catheters were placed for disease chemotherapy. Complications included pneumothorax in one patient, malposition in one patient, infection at the port site in 8 patients, skin necrosis in one patient, and venous thrombosis in one patient. Conclusion: The use of central venules with percutaneous technique for permanent venous port catheter insertion is a technique that can be applied safely in experienced hands, has low complication rate, high success rate and is very comfortable for patients.