Functional Evaluation of Two Types of Totally Implanted Venous Ports
Functional Evaluation of Two Types of Totally Implanted Venous Ports
Totally implanted venous access ports allow a safe delivery of medication, mainly
 chemotherapy, but are also used for blood sampling. This last procedure is not always
 successful, as it appeared from a nurse's survey in different hospitals in Flanders,
 including the University Hospitals in Leuven, Belgium. In 3 to 29 percent of the attempts,
 blood withdrawal is impaired or not possible, as an intermittent or permanent fact. This is
 in line with international literature data where difficulty in blood draw was noted in 6 to
 26% of port accessions. Partial or total occlusion leads to discomfort for the patient, delay
 in therapy, higher costs and extra nursing time.

 A new port system with a tangential outlet (Vortex port) was designed and according to the
 manufacturer, this shape will allow to cleanse the entire reservoir of the port more
 efficiently and avoid the formation of precipitates of medication or blood that could lead to
 an obstruction of the device. These precipitates are also regarded as a potential risk factor
 for infection.

 However, only one previously published small randomised study addressed the value of the
 Vortex port when compared to conventional access devices: Stevens et al. were able to show a
 reduction in obstruction incidence from 26% to 7% with the use of the Vortex port. The
 incidence of blood withdrawal problems in our experience with conventional ports in
 University hospitals Leuven was 8% thus lower than that reported by Stevens, but this remains
 the most frequent problem faced by care providers and patients.

 With this study, the investigators aim to compare the performance of the tangential outlet
 ports and that of a "conventional" port in order to assess an eventual functional difference.
Inclusion Criteria:

 -  request of a standard size totally implanted venous port

 -  patent superior vena cava

 -  normal clotting tests (PT>40% and platelet count >40000/mm3)

 Exclusion Criteria:

 -  unable to provide written informed consent