The role of omentectomy in continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis

Long-term survival of the peritoneal catheter is essential for successful CAPD. In our unit, all CAPD catheters are now placed by an open surgical technique, which in some cases has included performing a partial omentectomy. The aim of this study was to assess the influence of omentectomy on CAPD catheter survival. Three hundred consecutive CAPD catheters inserted over a 5-year period were analyzed. Omentectomy was performed in 113 cases (38%). Data relating to a number of potentially significant risk/benefit factors were analyzed using multiple regression analysis (proportional hazards method of Cox). Performing a partial omentectomy at the time of catheter insertion was found to significantly improve CAPD catheter survival (p = 0.0002).