Indications, Efficacy and Safety of Chemoport in Children: A Study from a Tertiary Center

Introduction: Long term venous access is cumbersome in the pediatric age group due to thinner caliber veins, easy compromisation of venous integrity and less co-operative nature of children. Few studies are available that look at the use of chemoports in children and their complications. Method: A retrospective analysis of children who underwent chemoport insertion from January 2008 to December 2017 was carried out. Results: A total of 159 children (169 chemoports) were included in the study. The most common indication for chemoport insertion was acute lymphoblastic leukemia (52%). The mean chemoport days were 746±666 days. Among the 169 chemoports, 55% underwent chemoport removal as they completed the treatment. Chemoport hasn’t been removed in 35% patients as 28% patients are still under treatment and 7% patients expired during the treatment. Sixteen (0.1 per 1000 chemoport days) patients had a premature removal of chemoport.