Complications encountered with a transfemorally placed port-catheter system for hepatic artery chemotherapy infusion

A port-catheter system was implanted via femoral artery access for hepatic artery chemotherapy infusion. Implantation was attempted in 90 patients and was successful in 88. Blood flow redistribution was performed using embolization coils. In the first ten patients a soft heparin-coated infusion catheter was used. For the following 78 patients we used a stiffer catheter coated with fluorine-acryl-styrene-urethane-silicone (FASUS) copolymer. The catheter was connected to a port implanted subcutaneously below the level of the inguinal ligament. Complications during the procedure and after placement were observed in 7 of 90 patients and 24 of 88 patients, respectively. These included catheter obstruction (11%), dislocation of the catheter tip (10%), drug toxicity (5.7%), and catheter infection (3.4%). In 6 of 10 patients with catheter obstruction, recanalization of the port system was achieved. In 7 of 9 patients with dislocation of the indwelling catheter tip, replacement of the port system was successful. Our complications appear to be comparable with those encountered with the subclavian/brachial approach when the new catheter coating is used. Notable is the avoidance of cerebral infarcts.