Four-Year Study on Subcutaneous Port Catheters in Oncology Patients: Patency, Complications, and Outcomes

Aim: Our primary focus was port patency, postoperative complications, mortality rates, and demographic factors. Methods: In this extensive four-year study, we examined subcutaneous port catheter placement in 172 oncology patients (111 men, 61 women) between March 2018 and December 2021. We excluded one 10-month-old infant who received a pediatric port catheter. Results: Patients predominantly underwent jugular intervention via the right internal jugular vein (97%) and occasionally via the left internal jugular vein (3%). On average, the port patency lasted for 375 days, with an overall duration of 432 days. Males had a mean patency of 13.58 months, while females averaged 11.97 months. Notably, bladder cancer patients had the longest port patency (44 months), followed by uterine cancer (35 months) and breast cancer (22.5 months). Among the 171 patients, nine had mild to moderate infections, six had mild ecchymosis-hematoma, and two required early catheter removal due to severe infections. Only one patient had mild pneumothorax that did not necessitate surgery. No major complications, such as hemothorax, nerve injury, neck compression, massive hematoma, blood transfusion, substantial bleeding, port detachment, rupture, or fragment embolism were recorded. Conclusion: Subcutaneous port catheter placement proved to be safe and effective for patients undergoing chemotherapy, particularly with skilled surgical teams. Procedures via the right internal jugular vein consistently yielded favorable outcomes, with low infection rates, minimal occlusion, stenosis, thrombosis, and complication rates, while maintaining extended port patency. This study underscores the substantial improvement in oncology patients' quality of life by eliminating the challenges associated with frequent peripheral vessel access.