Experience with surgical implantation of catheters for continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis

In 68 patients undergoing Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis (CAPD) a total of 77 CAPD catheters were surgically implanted providing a total CAPD experience of 980 patient months. The early postoperative complications of catheter displacement and blockage have not occurred since the routine employment of flanged Oreopoulos catheters and omentectomy. Peritonitis remains the major cause of later morbidity although 72 per cent of the patients in this series remain on CAPD between one and 31 months after catheter placement. We contend that open surgical implantation of Oreopoulos catheters together with omentectomy contributes to reducing the incidence of mechanical complications in patients undergoing CAPD.