Titanium catheter tip for peritoneovenous shunts.
Early obstruction of the venous tubing is a frequent complication after peritoneovenous (PV) shunting for ascites in cirrhosis and results in a high incidence of shunt failure. A titanium catheter tip, developed because of this material's thromboresistance, was employed in 13 consecutive cirrhotic patients receiving a LeVeen shunt for intractable ascites. While the mean interval before shunt occlusion was 4 +/- 3 months in our previous studies, none of the patients in the present series had venous catheter occlusion during follow-up, which averaged 8 +/- 2 months. The use of titanium in the venous tubing of PV shunts may significantly prolong the patency and function of these devices.
Franco
D
D
Groupe de Recherche sur la Chirurgie du Foie, Hôpital Paul Brousse.
Labianca
M
M
Smadja
C
C
Fragoso
J
J
Halabi
S
S
D002404:Catheterization; D004867:Equipment Design; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005355:Fibrosis / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D010536:Peritoneovenous Shunt / Q000295:instrumentation*; D014025:Titanium
D014025:Titanium