Totally Implantable Central Venous Access: 15 years' experience in a single unit

Area of Science:

• Vascular Access
• Medical Devices
• Surgical Procedures

Background:

• Peripheral venous access is often inadequate for extended intravenous therapies.
• Totally Implantable Central Venous Access Systems (T.I.C.V.A.S.) provide a solution for long-term infusion needs.
• Fifteen years of clinical experience with T.I.C.V.A.S. are examined.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the application, systems, complications, patient satisfaction, quality of life, and cost-benefit of T.I.C.V.A.S.
• To assess the long-term efficacy and safety of implantable venous access devices.
• To determine the overall value of T.I.C.V.A.S. in patient management.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective analysis of 261 patients who received T.I.C.V.A.S. over 15 years.
• Surgical implantation performed under strict aseptic conditions.
• Two primary systems, Port-a-Cath and Pas-Port, were analyzed.

Main Results:

• The overall complication rate was 11.7%, with low rates for positioning (0.7%) and system defects (0.76%).
• Patient satisfaction was high: 70.23% good, 11.9% excellent.
• Quality of life improved due to reduced hospitalization and convenient management; benefits outweighed costs.

Conclusions:

• T.I.C.V.A.S. are essential for medium-to-long-term infusion treatments, offering well-accepted patient management.
• Home or day hospital management significantly reduces hospitalization costs and improves social life.
• Optimizing results requires better education for paramedical personnel and patient relatives on system management.