Key points
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Central venous port devices were introduced first in 1982 and are increasingly used especially in oncologic patients
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The ideal position of the catheter tip is the distal superior vena cava
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Complications of port systems are divided into early (≤ 30 days after implantation) and delayed (> 30 days) complications and occur in up to 33%
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Most common complications are infection and catheter-related thrombosis
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Due to possible major complications and low cost of chest radiographs, routine postoperative chest radiography is recommended.
Introduction
Early complications | |
• Malposition: intravenous, cardiac | |
• Arrhythmia | |
• Perforation and bleeding: hemothorax, mediastinal, cardiac tamponade | |
• Arterial malpositioning | |
• Pneumothorax | |
• Thoracic duct injury | |
• Air embolism | |
Delayed | |
• Infection | |
• Venous thrombosis, pulmonary embolism | |
• Venous stenosis | |
• Catheter pinch-off, fracture and migration | |
• Catheter embolization | |
• Air embolism |