Current trends in the use of peritoneal dialysis catheters

The Tenckhoff catheter was developed in 1968 and has been widely used since for chronic peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients. Variations of the Tenckhoff catheter have been designed over the years in a search for the ideal PD catheter--an access that can provide reliable dialysate flow rates with few complications. Currently, data derived from randomized, controlled, multicenter trials dedicated to testing how catheter design and placement technique influence long-term catheter survival and function are scarce. As a result, no firm guidelines exist at the national or international levels on optimal PD catheter type or implantation technique. Also, no current statistics on the use of PD catheters are available. The last survey was carried out using an audience response system at the Annual Peritoneal Dialysis Conference in Orlando, Florida, in January 1994. The present analysis is based on a new survey done at the 2005 Annual Dialysis Conference in Tampa, Florida. It is a snapshot of preferences in catheter design and implantation technique in 2004 from an international sample of 65 respondent chronic PD centers. The Tenckhoff catheter remains the most widely used catheter, followed closely by the swan-neck catheter in both adult and pediatric respondent centers. Double-cuff catheters continue to be preferred over single-cuff catheters, and coiled intraperitoneal segments are generally preferred over straight intra-peritoneal segments. Surgical implantation technique remains the prevailing placement method in both pediatric and adult respondent centers.