Does catheter material affect functional performance of intravenous ports via the superior vena cava?

The catheter is the only intravascular portion of an implanted port and plays a crucial role in catheter related complications. Both polyurethane and silicone are biocompatible materials which are utilized for catheter manufacturing, but their correlation to complications remains controversial. The aim of this study was to try to analyze the relationship between catheter materials and complications.

A total of 3144 patients who underwent intravenous port implantation between March 2012 and December 2018 at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou, Taiwan were recruited. Of these, 1226 patients received silicone catheter port implantation and 1679 received polyurethane catheter ports. Case matching was done prior to analysis and catheter related complications and cumulative complication incidence for each group were compared.

Intergroup differences were identified in entry vessel (p = 0.0441), operation year (p < 0.0001), operation method (p = 0.0095), functional period (p < 0.0001), patient follow up status (p < 0.0001), operating time for vessel cutdown (p < 0.0001) and wire assisted approach (p = 0.0008). Stratified by specific entry vessel, no statistical difference was found in complication rate or incidence between the silicone and polyurethane groups. We further compared the cumulative complication incidence of the silicone and polyurethane groups, and also found no statistical difference (p = 0.4451).

As long as external stress forces generated by surrounding structures and focused on potential weak points are avoided, both silicone and polyurethane materials provide sufficient structural stability to serve as reliable vascular access for patients.