外科ジャーナル

Early and Late Complications after Hepatic Arterial â??Port-a-Cathâ? Implantation in the Treatment of Hepatic Metastasis from Colorectal Cancer

Abstract

Simona Ruxandra Volovat, Serban Negru, Vasile Maciuc and Viorel Scripcariu

Background and Aim: In metastatic colorectal cancer, in the last 10 years, hepatic arterial infusion (HAI) was proposed as an alternative using various chemotherapy agents. The insertion of a port-a-cath in the hepatic artery is needed and there are various methods to do that, from classical to interventional approach.

Patients and Methods: Patients were selected with metastatic colorectal cancer with inoperable liver metastasis only and were treated with oxaliplatin HAI, combined with systemic intravenously chemotherapy. The port-a-cath insertion was done using the classical approach in the same surgical time with the subclavicular vein port insertion.

Results: Thirty-two patients were treated. During our experience we did not encounter intra-operative complications. Among the immediate post-operative complications mainly consisted of metabolic complications (6.2%) and infection was the most common late complication (9.4%). In one case we removed the port-a-cath, thus the patient was not able to continue the treatment.

Conclusion: When talking about the safety of the procedure, we didn’t find it to be more at risk for the patients compared to the literature. Even though the antibiotic prophylaxis is done regularly, the risk of infection remains, especially as a late complication.