Application of fullyimplantable ports in hemato-oncological patients

Overview

Summarized is our own experience with the implantation of subcutaneous ports in hemato-oncologicalpatients, with the use of ports, and with complications which have appeared in theirapplication.The series under assessment includes 216 patients who had venous ports implantedin the years 1997 through 2002. Venous ports at the time of assessment have been in place atotal of 99 335 days under treatment. Ports from the companies B. Braun and Ella CS wereused in a standard way for applying drugs, taking blood samples, applying blood derivatives,as well as for transplanting peripheral hemopoietic stem cells. At an average the ports were inplace 459 days with a median of 403.5 days in the range of 7 to 1404 days. The overall numberof complications was surprisingly very low - 49, i.e. 22.68%, representing 0.49 complication per1000 treatment days. In the usual central catheters and in Hickman catheters the number ofcomplications reaches 50 to 80%. Only 28 of the 101 ports, i.e. 27.7% of the overall number hadto be extracted due to some complication. Infectious complications have appeared in the seriesin only 6.94% of patients. Those complications represented 30.61%of all complications and werethe most frequently appearing. As regards quality of life, the patients perceive the port to be apositive contribution and are satisfied foremost with the painless application of therapy andthat they are not hindered by it in their everyday lives. It has thus been demonstrated thatports are the safest and relatively least expensive alternative for the application of drugs intoa central vein in hemato-oncological patients.

Key words:
port - complication - infection - quality of life.