Ports and complications for intraperitoneal chemotherapy delivery.

Abstract

Intraperitoneal access ports are essential to the delivery of chemotherapy agents into the peritoneal cavity of women with ovarian cancer, but their malfunction and adverse effects are frequently responsible for the failure to complete planned therapy. Complications, such as obstruction of the catheter, infection, leakage, rotation, retraction, and pain, together with bowel and vaginal perforation, cause delays in treatment, patient suffering and the expenditure of medical resources. A wide variety of ports have been used, including vascular access devices and intraperitoneal access devices. This paper reviews the development and use of ports for intraperitoneal chemotherapy, their complications and reported methods of prevention.