Outpatient CAPD catheter salvage for persistent exit-site/tunnel infection.
BACKGROUND
Partial replantation (i.e. replacement of the extraperitoneal portion of the catheter with creation of a new subcutaneous tunnel) has been suggested to avoid catheter removal in patients with persistent exit-site/tunnel infection (ESTI). However, published experience with this technique is limited.


METHODS
Partial replantation was performed on an outpatient basis under local anesthesia for seven patients with persistent ESTI of >3 months duration. All patients resumed CAPD immediately following surgery.


RESULTS
One patient had dialysate leakage less than 1 week after surgery that required catheter removal. The other patients had no complications and mean catheter survival following surgery was 7. 7 months (range 3.5-13 months). There was no recurrence of ESTI after surgery, although two patients presented with exit-site infection unrelated to the initial episode (i.e. different organism, long latency). Three other patients presented with episodes of peritonitis unrelated to surgery (i.e. delay >1 month) or ESTI (i.e. different organism).


CONCLUSIONS
Partial replantation allows significant prolongation of catheter survival without major complications or interruption of CAPD. This novel procedure appears to be an appropriate alternative to catheter removal for the management of persistent ESTI. However, further studies are needed to prospectively compare partial replantation with catheter removal.
Clouâtre
Y
Y
Service de Néphrologie and Service de chirurgie, Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montréal, Université de Montréal, Québec, Canada.
Cartier
P
P
Charbonneau
R
R
Déziel
C
C
Allard
M
M
Madore
F
F
D000368:Aged; D000553:Ambulatory Care; D002408:Catheters, Indwelling / Q000009:adverse effects; D017743:Equipment Reuse; D006801:Humans; D007239:Infections / Q000209:etiology; D008488:Medical Illustration; D008875:Middle Aged; D010531:Peritoneal Dialysis, Continuous Ambulatory / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000295:instrumentation*; D012086:Reoperation