A totally implanted injection port system for blood sampling and chemotherapy administration

We evaluated a totally implanted system consisting of a subcutaneous injection port connected to a silicone elastomer central venous catheter for vascular access, including blood drawing, in 35 patients with cancer. All patients lacked peripheral venous access sites and were undergoing aggressive chemotherapy programs. The cumulative duration of successful access exceeded 2,900 days (for individual patients: range, five to 203 days; median, 61 days). In no instance were infusions or injections unsuccessful. Blood-sampling attempts were successful 90% of the time. The system did not require flushing between uses, being filled with heparinized saline after each entry. There were no instances of irreversible catheter occlusion or shear and no system-related infections. Thus, this device appears to have advantages over other central venous catheters in terms of patient acceptance and lack of maintenance between uses.