Finding the right position: a three-year, single-center experience with the "self-locating" catheter.
BACKGROUND
Peritoneal dialysis (PD) catheter displacement is a major cause of dysfunction. Various catheter forms have been designed to improve outcome. One of them is based on the classical Tenckhoff catheter, but includes a small tungsten cylinder at the distal end to optimize location and to prevent dislocations. ♢


METHODS
In this retrospective study, we analyzed the functionality and complication profile of the self-locating catheter implanted at our center from November 2005 to September 2008 in our PD program. ♢


RESULTS
Data from 27 self-locating catheters implanted in 25 patients (12 women) were obtained. Patients were followed for up to 30 months (median observation time: 13 months), resulting in a cumulative study period of 357 PD months. A total of 22 complications were identified, including 1 episode of peritonitis per 52 patient-months, 1 tunnel infection, and 1 exit-site infection. The "functional catheter failure incidence rate" was approximately 0.01 catheters per month on PD (or approximately 1 catheter loss per 100 PD months). The catheter survival was 93% at 1 year. ♢


CONCLUSIONS
The "self-locating" PD catheter demonstrates low rates of catheter migration and dislocations, and good catheter survival.
Division of Nephrology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Brigitte
B
Bergamin
Oliver
O
Senn
Alf
A
Corsenca
Philipp
P
Dutkowski
Markus
M
Weber
Rudolf P
RP
Wüthrich
Stephan
S
Segerer
Martina Pechula
MP
Thut
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D055499:Catheter-Related Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D002408:Catheters, Indwelling; D015331:Cohort Studies; D020878:Device Removal / Q000379:methods; D004867:Equipment Design; D004869:Equipment Safety; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005548:Foreign-Body Migration / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010531:Peritoneal Dialysis, Continuous Ambulatory / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000295:instrumentation*; D010538:Peritonitis / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D011475:Prosthesis Failure; D012086:Reoperation / Q000379:methods; D019233:Retreatment; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult