ORIGINAL ARTICLE   

Journal of Radiological Review 2022 June;9(2):64-71

DOI: 10.23736/S2723-9284.22.00177-X

Copyright © 2022 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

The role of interventional radiology in mechanical complications management of venous vascular access devices: a single center experience

Francesco MANTI ¹, Marcello FERRARI ², Lorenzo ZAPPIA ², Francesco SPOSATO ², Simonetta ANTONELLI ², Domenico LAGANÀ ² ✉

¹ Department of Radiology, Mater Domini Hospital, Catanzaro, Italy; ² Magna Graecia University, Catanzaro, Italy

BACKGROUND: Aim of this research was to determine the prevalence rate of mechanical complications that are related to insertion of PICCs, long-term CVCs for hemodialysis and port-a-cath and to describe the role of interventional radiology in management of these complications.
METHODS: We retrospectively selected 391 patients who underwent a percutaneous treatment to insert venous vascular catheters (PICCs, long term CVCs for hemodialysis and port-a-cath) from January 2018 to August 2020. We collected information about patients’ features and procedures we performed, then we analyzed procedural results.
RESULTS: We included 391 patients who underwent a percutaneous treatment to insert PICCs, long term CVCs for hemodialysis and port-a-cath in our final analysis. We observed 33 cases of mechanical complications (prevalence rate: 8.44%). Complications were treated in angiographic room. No one of patients died and we did not observe infectious complications.
CONCLUSIONS: Our study analysis showed that all procedures of percutaneous insertion of catheters (PICCs, long term CVCs for hemodialysis and port-a-cath) we performed, presented a low prevalence rate of mechanical complications. Percutaneous treatment of complications of vascular access-site is the first-choice therapy: it is safe, effective, it requires specialistic expertise, it is often successful and its prevalence rate of long-term complications is low.

KEY WORDS: Vascular access devices; Interventional radiology; Iatrogenic disease; Catheters; Arteriovenous fistula