The Malta experience : a retrospective study of two types of peritoneal dialysis catheters

Abstract

Aim: The aim of this retrospective study was to compare the one year and two year survival rate of the double cuff coiled Tenchkoff catheter (TC) and the double cuff coiled Swan Neck (SN) catheter. The incidence of the following complications in the two groups were assessed: exit site infection (ESI), tunnel infection (TI), peritonitis (P), flow problems (FP), catheter tip migration (CTP), hernia development (H) and leakage (L). Methods: This is a retrospective comparative study of peritoneal dialysis catheters inserted between January 2003 and December 2008 by one surgical team at Mater Dei Hospital. Results: The one year catheter survival rate was TC 88.5% and SN 90%. There was no statistically significant difference in catheter survival rate between the two cohorts. The survival rate at 2 years post implantation of the TC catheters was 82.6% and 88.8% for the SN catheters. Conclusions: Equally good results were obtained with the two types of peritoneal dialysis catheters studied. There was no significant difference in 1 and 2 year survival between the two types of catheters. In our local experience the catheter survival rate and episodes of peritonitis per year at risk are in line with the recommendations of the International Society of Peritoneal Dialysis (ISPD).