title: Experience of 70-cm-long femoral tunnelled twin Tesio catheters for chronic haemodialysis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Tunnelled femoral catheters with their tip in the lower inferior vena cava (IVC) are proposed only in few cases, but they often provide less than optimal blood flows and frequently have complications. The aim of this prospective observational study is to evaluate the use of 70-cm-long tunnelled cuffed femoral twin Tesio catheters with their tip in the upper IVC for haemodialysis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between May 2007 and May 2009, 25 tunnelled femoral catheters (fCVC) have been placed in 25 patients (77.7 +/- 10.8 years) with exhausted thoracic venous accesses or old patients with several comorbidities. Two 10 Fr carbothane 70-cm-long Tesio catheters with a Dacron cuff at 45 cm from the tip were placed in the femoral vein of each patient and then tunnelled; tips were in the upper third of the IVC. fCVCs were removed for either malfunction (Qb < 200 ml/min) or infection that did not resolve with antibiotics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Technical success of placement was 100%. The 6- and 12-month assisted primary patency rate were respectively 67 +/- 13% and 54 +/- 17%. The mean session Kt/V was 1.45 +/- 0.19, and the blood flow was 270 +/- 17 ml/min. Six fCVCs have been removed: three for infection, one for accidental damaging and two for the making of a different vascular access. The main complications were 2 catheter tip thrombi, 3 tunnel infections and 11 fCVC-related bacteraemia (1.77 episodes per 1000 CVC-days).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The placement of twin fCVCs with their tip in the high IVC can provide an adequate dialysis and can be considered for patients with no remaining thoracic accesses.
authors.affiliation: Renal Unit, IRCCS Multimedica Holding Spa, Sesto San Giovanni, Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Silvio V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Bertoli
authors.forename: Daniele
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ciurlino
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Musetti
authors.forename: Tiziana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mazzullo
authors.forename: Margarita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Villa
authors.forename: Lara
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Traversi
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tedoldi
authors.forename: Mirella
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Procaccio
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002405:Catheterization, Central Venous / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000295:instrumentation*; D002408:Catheters, Indwelling; D005260:Female; D005268:Femoral Vein; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D006435:Renal Dialysis / Q000295:instrumentation*; D014682:Vena Cava, Inferior